Gum Body – English Lyrics

• By: Burna Boy, Jorja Smith
• Album: African Giant

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the rich sounds of Afro-fusion with Burna Boy and Jorja Smith's 'Gum Body.' This track offers a great opportunity to learn Nigerian Pidgin English through its expressive lyrics about love and desire. The blend of smooth vocals and infectious rhythms makes it a special song for language learners to connect with contemporary African music.

[English]

♪♪

♪ When I call you, no dey answer ♪

♪ I say make I call you some more ♪

♪ Girl, you leave me no choice, oh ♪

♪ Very soon I'll go appear for your door mat ♪

♪ And you had that tight dress on ♪

♪ When I saw you last night at the club ♪

♪ Even though I had my dark shades on ♪

♪ I was looking at you all night long ♪

♪ Now I'm in the middle of the street ♪

♪ How did I ever let you leave? Oh no ♪

♪ Why did I drink his Hennessey? ♪

♪ Oh, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah ♪

♪ Girl, I don't know what come over me ♪

♪ Girl, I just want make we gum body ♪

♪ Don't want to lose you to nobody, no ♪

♪ But God dey no go 'gree ♪

♪ And I don't know what come over you ♪

♪ As you see me so, I know ba do ♪

♪ I swear to God, you dey gum ma do, oh ♪

♪ Can you gum ma do ♪

♪ No be small t'ing ♪

♪ 'Cause something got me watching ♪

♪ Am I just drunk or something? ♪

♪ Or I'm in love, in love, in love ♪

♪ I'm loving like a monkey ♪

♪ A junkie for your loving ♪

♪ I must be high or something ♪

♪ But now it doesn't really matter because ♪

♪ Now I'm in the middle of the street ♪

♪ How did I ever let you leave? Oh no ♪

♪ Why did I drink this Hennessey? ♪

♪ Oh woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah ♪

♪ Girl, I don't know what come over me ♪

♪ Girl, I just want make me gum body ♪

♪ Don't want to lose you to nobody, no ♪

♪ But God dey no go 'gree ♪

♪ And I don't know what come over you ♪

♪ As you see me so, I know ba do ♪

♪ I swear to God, you dey gum ma do, oh ♪

♪ Can you gum ma do ♪

♪ I can't take this choas no more ♪

♪ I can't take rushed lies anymore ♪

♪ He's trying for me, he's playing with you ♪

♪ Baby you're drunk, maybe I'm too ♪

♪ Baby you're a sufferer or a soldier ♪

♪ Killer of your own heart, if you treat me kindly ♪

♪ Kept me close, but we'll be still apart ♪

♪ Isn't easy with me ♪

♪ Drinkin' just to loosen myself up ♪

♪ From what I can and shouldn't be ♪

♪ But now I'm in the middle of the street ♪

♪ How did I ever let you leave? Oh no ♪

♪ Why did I drink this Hennessy? ♪

♪ Girl, I don't know what come over me ♪

♪ Girl, I just want make me gum body ♪

♪ Don't want to lose you to nobody, no ♪

♪ But God dey no go 'gree ♪

♪ And I don't know what come over you ♪

♪ As you see me so, I know ba do ♪

♪ I swear to God, you dey gum ma do, oh ♪

♪ Can you gum ma do ♪

(Music Fades)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
answer /ˈænsər/ B2	verb - to reply or respond to a question or request
leave /liːv/ B1	verb - to go away from a place or person
appear /əˈpɪər/ B2	verb - to become visible or noticeable
dress /drɛs/ B1	noun - a piece of clothing for women or girls verb - to put clothes on oneself or others
dark /dɑːrk/ B1	adjective - with little or no light
look /lʊk/ A2	verb - to direct one's eyes at someone or something
night /naɪt/ A2	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise
street /striːt/ A2	noun - a public road in a city or town
drink /drɪŋk/ A2	verb - to swallow a liquid
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - a strong feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
high /haɪ/ B2	adjective - extending upward a great distance
body /ˈbɒdi/ A2	noun - the physical structure of a person or an animal
mind /maɪnd/ B1	noun - the part of a person that thinks, feels, and perceives

Key Grammar Structures

• When I call you, no dey answer

  ➔ Present simple tense with modal verb 'dey' (Nigerian English slang)

  ➔ The phrase 'no dey answer' uses 'dey' as a modal verb to express habitual action, similar to 'don't usually answer'.

• Girl, I don’t know what come over me

  ➔ Use of 'come over' to express sudden emotion or change

  ➔ The phrase 'what come over me' is idiomatic, meaning a sudden feeling or change in behavior.

• I swear to God, you dey gum ma do, oh

  ➔ Emphatic expression with 'swear to God' and Nigerian English slang 'dey'

  ➔ 'Swear to God' is used for emphasis, while 'dey' is a Nigerian slang verb meaning 'are' or 'do'.

• I can't take this chaos no more

  ➔ Use of 'no more' for emphasis in negation

  ➔ 'No more' is added after 'this chaos' to strongly emphasize the speaker's inability to endure further.

• Baby you're drunk, maybe I'm too

  ➔ Use of 'too' at the end of a sentence for agreement

  ➔ 'Maybe I'm too' uses 'too' to agree with the previous statement, meaning 'I'm also drunk'.