Check and Balance – English Lyrics

• By: Burna Boy

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the raw energy of early Burna Boy with "Check and Balance." This song is a fantastic window into Nigerian Pidgin English and the dancehall rhythms that have shaped Afro-Fusion. By listening, you can pick up on the blend of English and local slang that makes the lyrics so vibrant and expressive, all while being motivated by a powerful message of perseverance. It's a special track that captures the hustle and ambition of a global superstar in the making.

[English]

Oh God

Oh God

Eh

Rude boy

Sabi boy... sound it

I've been looking I've been searching

Man a hustle man a working

But I be ordinary person

Wetin you see na God blessing

Uh uh, owu no be small thing

Suffer na long thing

God no go gree that one for me

Uh uh, owu no be small thing

Suffer na long thing

God no go gree that one for me

Uh, duro na je n fa'gbo tan

Oya mo ti fa'gbo tan

Kilo shey e gan abi mo jo Frank Ocean

Say I don come to cause commotion

Burna boy don blow like explosion

Hey, me I dey wreck igboro gan

Na me dey make igboro kolo gan

Hey, lo n'temi mi tele won

Oluwa Burna born new gbege won

Check and balance

I know say if I start am na them go palantia

Them dey halla my name from here to Canada

Give them something wey long wey bend like banana

Oye gbe tan o, oya sun gbalaja

I've been looking I've been searching

Man a hustle man a working

But I be ordinary person

Wetin you see na God blessing

Uh uh, owu no be small thing

Suffer na long thing

God no go gree that one for me

Uh uh, owu no be small thing

Suffer na long thing

God no go gree that one for me

Man a get...

Girl a enjoy me

So that all the rhythm at your shows headline me

Everybody wan sign me, nobody can find me

Man na bad man FBI can't find me

Moon time me look clean and shining

Me forget the time but me rolex remind me

Real bad man them form Baghdad behind me

Focus on the matter, na baba designing

To all my niggas and guys wey getting money ori e wo'le

So fun awon niggas and guys to n getting money, ori e wo'le

So fun awon niggas and guys to n getting money, ori e wo'le

I've been looking I've been searching

Man a hustle man a working

But I be ordinary person

Wetin you see na God blessing

Uh uh, owu no be small thing

Suffer na long thing

God no go gree that one for me

Uh uh, owu no be small thing

Suffer na long thing

God no go gree that one for me

Check and balance

I know say if I start am na them go palantia

Them dey halla my name from here to Canada

Give them something wey long wey bend like banana

Check and balance

I know say if I start am na them go palantia

Them dey halla my name from here to Canada

Give them something wey long wey bend like banana

Oya gbe tan o, oya sun gbalaja

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hustle /ˈhʌsl/ B1	verb - to proceed or work rapidly or energetically. noun - busy movement and activity.
searching /ˈsɜːrtʃɪŋ/ B1	verb - trying to find something by looking or otherwise seeking carefully and thoroughly.
working /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/ A2	verb - engaging in activity involving mental or physical effort in order to achieve a purpose or result.
blessing /ˈblesɪŋ/ B1	noun - God's favor or protection; a thing that is considered to be a gift from God.
suffer /ˈsʌfər/ B1	verb - experience or be subjected to something bad or unpleasant.
explosion /ɪkˈsploʊʒən/ B2	noun - a rapid increase in amount or size.
wreck /rɛk/ B2	verb - destroy or ruin.
tele /tɛlɛ/ C1	adverb - (slang) completely, thoroughly
gbege /ɡbeɪɡeɪ/ C1	noun - (Nigerian Pidgin) trouble, problem, chaos
palantia /pəˈlɑːntiə/ C2	noun - (slang, likely a mispronunciation/creole word) people, others
halla /ˈhɑːlə/ B1	verb - (Nigerian Pidgin) to call, to greet
bend /bɛnd/ A2	verb - to curve or cause to curve.
enjoy /ɪnˈdʒɔɪ/ A2	verb - take pleasure in.
sign /saɪn/ A2	verb - to write one's name on something.
bad /bæd/ A1	adjective - not good.
designing /dɪˈzaɪnɪŋ/ B2	verb - plan and fashion artistically or skillfully.

Key Grammar Structures

• I've been looking I've been searching

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ The phrase uses the present perfect continuous to describe an action that started in the past and continues up to the present, emphasizing ongoing effort.

• But I be ordinary person

  ➔ Non-standard Verb Form

  ➔ The use of 'be' instead of 'am' is a non-standard verb form often found in colloquial or dialectal English, reflecting the artist's style.

• Wetin you see na God blessing

  ➔ Pidgin English Structure

  ➔ This line uses Pidgin English, a simplified form of English, with a unique sentence structure and vocabulary, common in Nigerian English.

• God no go gree that one for me

  ➔ Double Negative in Pidgin English

  ➔ The phrase uses a double negative ('no go gree'), which is grammatically incorrect in standard English but common in Pidgin English for emphasis.

• Say I don come to cause commotion

  ➔ Colloquial Contraction

  ➔ The contraction 'don' for 'have' is a colloquial form, typical in informal speech, reflecting the casual tone of the lyrics.

• Burna boy don blow like explosion

  ➔ Slang Expression

  ➔ The phrase 'don blow' is a slang expression meaning to become famous or successful quickly, reflecting the artist's rise to fame.

• Check and balance

  ➔ Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ The phrase 'check and balance' is an idiomatic expression referring to a system of controls, here used metaphorically to describe the artist's influence and power.

• Them dey halla my name from here to Canada

  ➔ Pidgin English Verb Conjugation

  ➔ The verb 'dey' is a Pidgin English conjugation of 'are,' used to describe a continuous action, reflecting the local dialect.