“If the choice was between my heartbeat and you,
What’s the point of my life?”
-Oyindamola Shoola, You asked if I will choose you…,(How to Fall in Love anthology)
For a four-letter word, love is as complex as it’s simple. It hits you and leaves you stunned. It leaves you questioning everything—especially your sanity. Adesola’s Say You Love Me is a bold confession of a lovestruck man, delivered in rasping tenor over soft, stimulating melody.
The opening line brings up an important question, how many versions of love are there? Isn’t true love plain tautology? Love is always true—always real. Love is not a joke. That’s the extent of the complexity of this emotion. It is hard to decipher, especially in the hands of predators. But the character in this four-minute track has reviewed his feelings and can’t keep shut. He admits, this your kind love no be play play…
Adesola’s reference to Blue Jay is both spiritual and metaphorical. A sudden revelation of the worth of an experience—your love is gold. This is deep as it symbolises incorruptible wealth—an eternal thing. He contrasts this fact with the line, if you ever leave my side, my love, na to die. And what is love without a little exaggeration? We all struggle to find expression for this intense emotion. On the other hand, this is measured imagery, delivered deliberately in gentle sips. The artiste didn’t plunge us immediately into the depths, he eases us down the slope.
And if you leave,
I no go sleep.
If you ever leave my side, my love,
na to die…
if I lose you,
I lose myself.
The song is a smooth blend of languages—a brilliant braid of Yoruba, Pidgin, and English. This song will take you on a journey to the moon and back—one of the gibberish love makes us say, whatever that means. And this is to say I love the song. I love its portrayal of the restlessness of a lover. That need for a confession and reciprocity. Say you love me—tell me this vulnerability is mutual.
You can listen to the song with the links below:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=LOhIFEHuCm8
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