Ayra Starr dropped Sability (Animated Lyric Video) on 10th of February 2023, gaining 30k views in 12 hours.
Many fans have been anticipating Ayra’s next music before she released this – her first song of the year.
The title of the track is a play on the pidgin English word “sabi” which means ‘can do’. It is pretty much similar to ability, stretching the word from able, which also means “can do”.
Its lyrics like many other songs, don’t fully make sense – when translated to music – and that’s common since its music and not poetry.
The tune pays homage to legendary Congolese singer, Awilo Longomba, sampling his song Coupé bibamba.
Full lyrics of Sability by Ayra Starr is below, with English translation and meaning
Watch the full YouTube video here.
Intro
London (London)
Verse 1
E lę oh – Greetings
Greet everybody for here oh
Padi jo shey shey pęlę oh – My friend be careful
Mo ti so funwon tęlę oh – I have told you before
Belle oh – Stomach oh
Deliver like I get belle oh – Give birth like I’m pregnant
Dem say I dey go cele oh – They said I am going to celestial church
Dem say I dey go cele oh – Celestial church is a white garment Church of Yoruba origin, of the Aladura family
Pre-Chorus
Espiritu Fortuna – means nothing
I go make you jo dada – I will make you crazy
Shey you getty the power – Hope you have the power
Sweety passy amala ketu – Its sweeter than amala ketu
Shinji Kagawa – means nothing
Jesu kristi loba wa – Jesus Christ is out King
Got them falling yakata – Got them falling anyhow
You know as e sabi girl dey do – You know as a capable girl, what she can do
Chorus
Sabi oh, oh-oh (Come on, come on) – Capable oh, oh-oh
Sabi oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Sabi oh, oh-oh (Come on, come on)
Sabi oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh (Oya na)
Verse 2
Oni reason – because of boy
Oni reason why dem dey call me oloyin – Its because of a boy they call me girl with honey
While you beefing, I’m still lеading
Kill anything I no fit miss – Kill anything, I cannot miss
You no go fit in my shoes – You cannot be like me
High fashion, Jimmy Choo
Wanna sip some gin and juice
Tomorrow will bе okay
Pre-Chorus
Espiritu Fortuna
I go make you jo dada
Shey you getty the power
Sweety passy amala ketu
Shinji Kagawa
Jesu kristi loba wa
Got them falling yakata
You know as e sabi girl dey do
Chorus
Sabi oh, oh-oh (Come on, come oh)
Sabi oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Sabi oh, oh-oh (Come on, come on)
Sabi oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh (Oya na)
[Instrumental]
Pre-Chorus outro
Espiritu Fortuna
I go make you jo dada
Shey you getty the power
Sweety passy amala ketu
Shinji Kagawa
Jesu kristi loba wa
Got them falling yakata
You know as e sabi girl dey do