I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
[Chorus]
International Thief Thief!
I.T.T.
International thief
I.T.T.
International rogue
Well, well...
Ha!
Well, well...
Ha!
Motherfuckers, bastard motherfuckers
We yab dem, yeah
Hurry up there
Say "yeah"
[Chorus]
Well well!
Well well, na true I want talk again o
Na true I want talk again o
If I dey lie o
Make Osiris punish me
Make Ifa dey punish me o
Make Edumare punish me o
Make the land dey punish me o
Make Edumare punish me o
I read dem for book ee-o
I see so myself ee-o
Well-ee well-ee o
Well well... well well!
[Chorus]
Well well... well well!
Long time ago
Long, long time ago
[Chorus]
Long time ago!
Long, long, long, long time ago
African man we no dey carry shit
We dey shit inside big big hole
For Yoruba-land na "Shalanga"
For Igbo-land na "Onunu-insi"
For Hausa-land na "Salga"
For Gaa-land na "Tiafi"
For Ashanti-land na "Yarni"
For Ethiopia-land na "Sagara-be"
For Kagyu-land na "Cho-Cho"
For Bemba-land na "Chimbuzi"
For Tunga-land na "Echibuzi"
Long, long, long, long time ago
African man we no dey carry shit
We dey shit inside big big hole
[Chorus]
Long time ago!
Long, long, long, long time ago
Long, long, long, long time ago
Before them come force us away as slaves
During the time them come force us away as slaves
Na European man, na him dey carry shit
Na for them culture to carry shit
During the time them come colonize us
Them come teach us to carry shit
Long, long, long, long time ago
African man we no dey carry shit
Na European man teach us to carry shit
[Chorus]
Say am, say am!
Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go
Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go
Them go write big English for newspaper, dabaru we Africans
Them go write big English for newspaper, dabaru we Africans
I read about one of them inside book like that
Them call him name na I.T.T.
I read about one of them inside book like that
Them call him name na I.T.T.
Them go dey cause confusion (Confusion!)
Cause corruption (Corruption!)
Cause oppression (Oppression!)
Cause inflation (Inflation!)
Oppression, oppression, inflation
Corruption, oppression, inflation
Them get one style wey them dey use
Them go pick one African man
A man with low mentality
Them go give am million naira breads
To become of high position here
Him go bribe some thousand naira bread
To become one useless chief
Like rat they do them go do from
Corner corner, pass-ee pass-ee
Under under, pass-ee pass-ee
Inside inside, pass-ee pass-ee
In in, pass-ee pass-ee
Out out, pass-ee pass-ee
Peep peep, pass-ee pass-ee
Up up, pass-ee pass-ee...
Then he gradually, gradually, gradually, gradually...
Then he gradually, gradually, gradually, gradually...
Them go be:
Friend friend to journalist
Friend friend to Commissioner
Friend friend to Permanent Secretary
Friend friend to Minister
Friend friend to Head of State
Then start start to steal money
Start start them corruption
Start start them inflation
Start start them oppression
Start start them confusion
Start start them oppression
Start start to steal money
Start start to steal money
Like Obasanjo and Abiola
[Chorus]
International Thief Thief!
I.T.T.
International rogue
International thief
We go fight them, well well
[Chorus]
Well well!
Well, well...
We don tire to carry anymore of them shit
We don tire to carry anymore of them shit
We don tire to carry anymore of them shit
Well, well...
[Chorus]
International Thief Thief!
International Thief Thief!
I.T.T.
International thief
I.T.T.
International rogue
Well, well...
Ha!
Well, well...
Ha!
Motherfuckers, bastard motherfuckers
We yab dem, yeah
Hurry up there
Say "yeah"
[Chorus]
Well well!
Well well, na true I want talk again o
Na true I want talk again o
If I dey lie o
Make Osiris punish me
Make Ifa dey punish me o
Make Edumare punish me o
Make the land dey punish me o
Make Edumare punish me o
I read dem for book ee-o
I see so myself ee-o
Well-ee well-ee o
Well well... well well!
[Chorus]
Well well... well well!
Long time ago
Long, long time ago
[Chorus]
Long time ago!
Long, long, long, long time ago
African man we no dey carry shit
We dey shit inside big big hole
For Yoruba-land na "Shalanga"
For Igbo-land na "Onunu-insi"
For Hausa-land na "Salga"
For Gaa-land na "Tiafi"
For Ashanti-land na "Yarni"
For Ethiopia-land na "Sagara-be"
For Kagyu-land na "Cho-Cho"
For Bemba-land na "Chimbuzi"
For Tunga-land na "Echibuzi"
Long, long, long, long time ago
African man we no dey carry shit
We dey shit inside big big hole
[Chorus]
Long time ago!
Long, long, long, long time ago
Long, long, long, long time ago
Before them come force us away as slaves
During the time them come force us away as slaves
Na European man, na him dey carry shit
Na for them culture to carry shit
During the time them come colonize us
Them come teach us to carry shit
Long, long, long, long time ago
African man we no dey carry shit
Na European man teach us to carry shit
[Chorus]
Say am, say am!
Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go
Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go
Them go write big English for newspaper, dabaru we Africans
Them go write big English for newspaper, dabaru we Africans
I read about one of them inside book like that
Them call him name na I.T.T.
I read about one of them inside book like that
Them call him name na I.T.T.
Them go dey cause confusion (Confusion!)
Cause corruption (Corruption!)
Cause oppression (Oppression!)
Cause inflation (Inflation!)
Oppression, oppression, inflation
Corruption, oppression, inflation
Them get one style wey them dey use
Them go pick one African man
A man with low mentality
Them go give am million naira breads
To become of high position here
Him go bribe some thousand naira bread
To become one useless chief
Like rat they do them go do from
Corner corner, pass-ee pass-ee
Under under, pass-ee pass-ee
Inside inside, pass-ee pass-ee
In in, pass-ee pass-ee
Out out, pass-ee pass-ee
Peep peep, pass-ee pass-ee
Up up, pass-ee pass-ee...
Then he gradually, gradually, gradually, gradually...
Then he gradually, gradually, gradually, gradually...
Them go be:
Friend friend to journalist
Friend friend to Commissioner
Friend friend to Permanent Secretary
Friend friend to Minister
Friend friend to Head of State
Then start start to steal money
Start start them corruption
Start start them inflation
Start start them oppression
Start start them confusion
Start start them oppression
Start start to steal money
Start start to steal money
Like Obasanjo and Abiola
[Chorus]
International Thief Thief!
I.T.T.
International rogue
International thief
We go fight them, well well
[Chorus]
Well well!
Well, well...
We don tire to carry anymore of them shit
We don tire to carry anymore of them shit
We don tire to carry anymore of them shit
Well, well...
[Chorus]
International Thief Thief!
Lyrics submitted by Anarchitect
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