Jenny Birthday LOOP — Remix

Songtext

BURG CITY RECORDS in Poetic Collaboration with THE JB StUDiOs Presents: FINE-GIRL JENNY BIRTHDAY SOIRÉE Josh Baker's Favorite Cuzzo · October 4th · New Bini Street Cadence Highlife guitar · Log drum · Benin bounce · Call and response · Spoken-word close [01 — THANKSGIVING FIRST] [A soft highlife guitar intro. A single shaker. JB's voice, warm and close.] Before the cake, before the light, before the music start, make I bow my head to the One wey hold the heart. Father, I thank You, You no let her fall, another year of breath, and You don carry am through all. Sweetest JESUS, na You dey write the date, na You dey open door when the world shut the gate. So before we pop the bottle, before we cut the slice, we say thank You for Osakioya, thank You for her life. [02 — NEW BINI ROOTS] [Log drum enters. The groove starts to bounce.] New Bini compound, dust-ground, sun-down, play-round, mango tree shade where the small feet stay found. Jenny with the slippers wey too big for her toes, running behind me wherever JB goes. "Broda, carry me." "Broda, no leave me." "Broda, wait first, the road dey long, believe me." Fanta for the party, puff-puff in the hand, two small cousins wey no understand say the years go fly like harmattan dust, but the love go remain, because family na trust. Now the small girl don grow into grace, same sweet smile, but a whole new face. Big dreams, clean steps, bold pace, GOD don put a light wey nobody fit erase. [03 — THE FINE-GIRL FLOW] [Beat picks up. Benin bounce. The rhymes start to stack.] Fine-girl, kind-girl, clear-mind, divine-girl, no-pretence, good-sense, heaven-sent, shine-girl. Calm when the storm dey, warm when the cold come, strong when the road long, soft when the soul numb. She no need makeup to make her presence felt, she no need gossip to make her name melt. Her laugh na medicine, her word na balm, her heart na harbour, her spirit na calm. Smart-step, heart-kept, never-slept on her dream, work-hard, guard-up, the queen of her team. Pretty, but the pretty na the smallest part, the real gold dey shine from the depth of her heart. [04 — BLESSINGS RAIN] [Choir enters behind the lead. The groove opens wide.] May your health stay strong like the iroko tree, may your peace flow steady like the river to the sea. May your cup run over with the good things of life, may your days be bright, may your nights be right. May the doors you knock open without delay, may the people around you be the ones wey stay. May your hands find favour in whatever you do, may the joy wey you give always come back to you. Long life, good life, sweet life, GOD's life, no tears, no fears, just years of delight. Isé to the prayer, amen to the word, may every good wish for your life be heard. [05 — SOIRÉE TIME] [Full party energy. Log drum hits harder. Horns stab.] DJ, turn am up, make the speaker shout, Jenny's birthday soirée, everybody come out. Aunties in their gele, uncles in their cap, cousins on the dance floor, nobody dey nap. Cake on the table, candles in a row, phones in the air, make the flash light glow. Jollof on the plate, small chops for the side, music for the soul, make the joy multiply. No bad belle here, only love for the room, no shade, no hate, only flowers in bloom. If you come to celebrate, come with your heart, because Fine-Girl Jenny deserve the best start. [06 — CALL AND RESPONSE] [Lead and crowd. The band hits on every answer.] LEAD: Who be the birthday queen? CROWD: Fine-Girl Jenny. LEAD: Who be the family pride? CROWD: Osakioya. LEAD: Who we dey thank today? CROWD: GOD Almighty. ALL: Happy day, happy year, happy life, happy cheer. New age, new page, new grace, new stage. Same root, same blood, same love, same GOD. Osakioya… Before everybody goes back to dancing, let me say this one quietly. I thank GOD for you. Not only because today is your birthday, but because you are one of those people life gives you once. Sweetest JESUS, thank You for keeping her, for guiding her, and for giving our family the joy of seeing her shine another year. (Pause.) I remember the girl who used to follow me around the compound, the one who would not let me leave without her. I didn't know then that I was walking with somebody who would grow into such a beautiful woman, inside and out. [THE THANKSGIVING STACK] [Log drum enters slowly, building pressure.] For the breath in her chest, we say thank You, Lord. For the rest after stress, we say thank You, Lord. For the doors wey You open, for the words wey You spoken, for the hearts wey You mend when the world leave dem broken, we say thank You, Lord. For the sickness wey no come, for the danger wey pass, for the tears wey You dry, for the sorrow wey no last. October Fourth, we raise the sound, Fine-Girl Jenny, the birthday girl is crowned. Happy birthday, Fine-Girl Jenny. From New Bini to wherever life takes you, JB's favorite cuzzo, yesterday, today and always. I love you, Osakioya. [Guitar plays one last soft phrase. Silence.]