Lady

Album: The Best of Fela Kuti (1972)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • According to Tejumola Olaniyan in his Indiana University Press biography, Arrest the Music! Fela and His Rebel Art and Politics, this 1972 composition preaches "the subordination of women."

    Fela Kuti certainly had an extraordinarily candid attitude towards both women and sex. In August 2004, the British journalist Peter Culshaw recalled a conversation with him about the subject: "People should be proud to say, 'I had a fantastic f--k last night.' When a minister in Britain has an affair he loses his job. If a minister in Africa f--ks 400 women no one will even notice him, you know."

    He had much more to say in that vein, about women both in and out of the bedroom.
  • Whether it was divine retribution by the Great Mother in the sky or overindulgence, Fela paid the price for his cavalier attitude towards the opposite sex. He died of AIDS on August 2, 1997 aged 58.
  • Regarding "Lady" in particular, it is most definitely not to be confused with any other song of the same or similar title; those of a sensitive disposition should enjoy the lengthy Afrobeat instrumental introduction, and ignore the words. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 3

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Shawn Mullins

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Fire On The Stage

Fire On The StageSong Writing

When you have a song called "Fire," it's tempting to set one - these guys did.

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.