Essence – English Lyrics

• By: Wizkid, Tems
• Album: Made In Lagos

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into "Essence," a global Afrobeats phenomenon by Wizkid and Tems, and unlock the rich tapestry of Nigerian music and culture. With Wizkid's Yoruba introduction, this song offers an authentic entry point to learn more about the language. Its smooth R&B melodies, combined with Tems' captivating vocals, make it a uniquely special track that transcends borders, proving that music is a universal language everyone can connect with and learn from.

[English]

♪ Ohh naa naa ♪

♪ Omo je ka shi ge ge whoa ♪

♪ Ohh naa naa ♪

♪ Omo ge wa j'ogede, whoa ♪

♪ Ohh naa naa ♪

♪ Girl I no go let you go ♪

♪ Ohh naa naa ♪

♪ Omo je ka shi ge ge whoa ♪

♪ Say I wanna leave you in the mornin' ♪

♪ But I need you now, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ I find you, I give you all you needin' ♪

♪ I know you what you like ♪

♪ I feel it comin' ♪

♪ Time is of the essence ♪

♪ I tried to teach you ♪

♪ But I might need some lessons ♪

♪ I need to give it all ♪

♪ I tried to leave but I can't ♪

♪ I don't know why, you're the one ♪

♪ Turn me out of my mind ♪

♪ You don't need no other body ♪

♪ You don't need no other body ♪

♪ Only you fi hold my body ♪

♪ Only you fi hold my body ♪

♪ You don't need no other body ♪

♪ Say na me dey mess up your mind ♪

♪ And na me dey make you free up your mind ♪

♪ Say your body talk to me nice ♪

♪ Say na my love, you dey need for your life ♪

♪ Yeah our love no be lie ♪

♪ See yeah we dey together yeah day and night ♪

♪ Yeah if I leave you go kpai ♪

♪ Yeah if you leave I go kpai (oh, oh whoa) ♪

♪ I'm strokin' your body, baby Lovin' your body, baby ♪

♪ As you're whinin' your body, baby, so crazy ♪

♪ Lovin' your body, baby Gyal iwo ni temi ♪

♪ I just wanna let you know, ohh ♪

♪ Hope every day that I dey by you ♪

♪ You don't need no other body ♪

♪ You don't need no other body ♪

♪ Only you fi hold my body ♪

♪ Only you fi hold my body ♪

♪ You don't need no other body ♪

♪ Baby, baby ♪

♪ Everybody used to say ♪

♪ No one loves you like this ♪

♪ No one wants you the same way ♪

♪ Love 'til the mornin' ♪

♪ My head wan' to turn from your lovin' ♪

♪ I just wanna get you beside me ♪

♪ Gave you all you need, gave you all you need ♪

♪ Gave you all, you give me all you need ♪

♪ Give you all you need, gave you all ♪

♪ Make I give you all you need ♪

♪ Every touch you need, give you all ♪

♪ Make I give you all you need, baby ♪

♪ Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah You don't need no other body ♪

♪ You don't need no other body ♪

♪ Only you fi hold my body ♪

♪ Only you fi hold my body (yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah) ♪

♪ You don't need no other body Baby girl I want you there ♪

♪ Girl I want you there ♪

♪ Promise to treat your love fair ♪

♪ Whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa ♪

♪ When we touch, how we connect ♪

♪ Whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa ♪

♪ Said this love, have no regret ♪

♪ Whoa-whoa, yeah-yeah ♪

♪

♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
essence /ˈɛsəns/ C1	noun - the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, or of someone.
leave /liːv/ A2	verb - to go away from
need /niːd/ A2	verb - to require (something) because it is essential or very important. noun - the state of requiring something.
body /ˈbɒdi/ A1	noun - the physical structure, including the bones, flesh, and organs, of a person or animal.
mind /maɪnd/ B1	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experience.
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - an intense feeling of affection. verb - to feel deep affection for.
connect /kəˈnekt/ B2	verb - to join or link.
regret /rɪˈɡret/ B2	noun - a feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over something that has happened or been done.
treat /triːt/ A2	verb - behave towards someone or something in a particular way.
turn /tɜːrn/ A1	verb - move around an axis or center.
give /ɡɪv/ A1	verb - freely transfer the possession of (something) to someone.
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - experience an emotion or sensation.
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ B1	adjective - mentally deranged, extremely enthusiastic.
together /təˈɡeðər/ A2	adverb - with others.
promise /ˈprɒmɪs/ B1	verb - assure someone that one will definitely do something or that something will happen. noun - a declaration assuring that one will do something.

Key Grammar Structures

• Say I wanna leave you in the mornin'

  ➔ Conditional clause (implied conditional) and future tense with 'going to'

  ➔ The song uses a conditional structure, suggesting a desire to leave but then contradicting it. 'Wanna' is a contraction of 'want to'.

• But I need you now, yeah, yeah

  ➔ Simple Present tense, emphasis with repetition.

  ➔ The use of 'need' in the present tense indicates a current necessity. Repetition of 'yeah' emphasizes the feeling.

• Time is of the essence

  ➔ Idiomatic expression, prepositional phrase.

  ➔ 'Time is of the essence' is an idiom meaning time is crucial or important.

• I tried to teach you

  ➔ Past Simple tense, infinitive of purpose.

  ➔ Uses 'tried' in the past simple to describe a past action. 'To teach' functions as an infinitive of purpose.

• You don't need no other body

  ➔ Double negative (considered acceptable in some dialects/informal contexts).

  ➔ The use of 'no' in the negative sentence creates a double negative, which emphasizes the negation. Common in certain dialects.

• Say na me dey mess up your mind

  ➔ Nigerian Pidgin English (lexical borrowing and specific grammatical structures).

  ➔ This line utilizes Nigerian Pidgin English. 'Na' is a copula, 'dey' is a continuous aspect marker. 'Mess up' is standard English.

• Yeah if I leave you go kpai

  ➔ Nigerian Pidgin English and Conditional sentence (Type 1 or zero conditional with informal vocabulary).

  ➔ Uses Nigerian Pidgin English. 'Go kpai' means 'will die'. Implied conditional.

• I'm strokin' your body, baby

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense.

  ➔ Uses present continuous tense ('I'm strokin') to describe an action happening now or around now.

• As you're whinin' your body, baby, so crazy

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense, Adverb of degree.

  ➔ Present continuous is used here again. 'So' acts as an adverb of degree, intensifying 'crazy'.

• Gyal iwo ni temi

  ➔ Yoruba Language (Lexical borrowing).

  ➔ 'Gyal iwo ni temi' is Yoruba for 'Girl, you are mine'. This is a direct borrowing from the Yoruba language.