There is a trending anthem on the lips of single ladies today, young and old, and sometimes, because of the excellent beauty of this anthem, men find themselves singing it unconsciously till they remember the lyrics are not meant for them. It is no other but Tiwa Savage’s “Somebody’s Son”.
The song “Somebody’s Son” is a sublime strike on the mind; it is poetic, confessional, truthful, hopeful, comforting and o yes, affirmative/prophetic. The blend of pidgin English with proper grammar and vernacular also makes it interesting.
Somebody’s Son – Tiwa Savage
Yeah, sorry
I’m not sorry
Ala ko ri ni bobo yen se
Should I try?
Try again?
But now my heart e still dey pain me
Okun mi le
O le ko ko (le ko ko)
Shobi sho ni me run ni
Run ni, run ni, run ni
Tired of getting it wrong
This won’t be another heartbreak song, yeah
Somebody’s son go find me one day
One day
I don dey wait, don’t stay too far away
Somebody’s son go love me one day
One day
I don dey wait, don’t stay too far away
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah …………..
She starts by saying “Yeah Sorry, I am not sorry”. This tells us that something is or was wrong. Is she apologizing to someone or to herself for an error? She goes further to say
“Should I try?
Try again?
But now my heart e still dey pain me”
Asking if she should try again makes us ask more questions. What is she trying again; did she lose a competition, a match? Is it like a guy who tried to woo a girl and faced rejection who is now thinking of trying another or the same girl? Is it someone who had a miscarriage and will still give childbirth a shot?
We are still asking questions till we get to the last two lines of the second stanza where it says
“Tired of getting it wrong
This won’t be another heartbreak song”
Now everything is clear, with a little caveat. The mention of heartbreak lets us know it’s a relationship issue – but then even a lost football match could cause heartbreak. In saying she is tired of getting it wrong we ask again, is she blaming herself for choosing the wrong person or in being the wrong person, maybe by mistake.
Everything becomes crystal clear in the chorus; it’s a LOVE SONG!
“Somebody’s son go find me one day
One day
I don dey wait, don’t stay too far away
Somebody’s son go love me one day
One day
I don dey wait, don’t stay too far away”.
Now we know she awaits true love – to be found by a charming prince, and not just to be found, but to be loved. She lures him with melodious incantations “don’t stay too far away”.
