16/06/2026
Tracy Chapman released this song in 1992. I'm wondering if she had Nigeria in mind when she did.
The Northern elite and the political class are culpable in today's unrest ravaging the nation.
The Northern elite deliberately kept their commoner impoverished, and the political class since around 2003 began the mass proliferation of arms in Nigeria to intimidate opposition.
The lyric of that hit track.
What you go and do
You go and give the boy a gun
Now there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
When he hold it in his hand
He feel mighty, he feel strong
Now there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
One day he may come back
Repay us for what we've done
Then, where you gonna run to?
Where you gonna run?
But one fine day
All our problems will be solved
'Cause bang, bang, bang
We'll shoot him down
Give him drugs and give him candy
Anything, oh, to make him think he's happy
And he won't ever come for us
He won't ever come
But if he does
And if there's no one else around
Bang, bang, bang
We'll shoot him down
If he preys only on his neighbors
Brothers, sisters and friends
We'll consider it a favor
We'll consider justice done
But if he comes for you or me
And we can place a gun in his hand
Bang, bang, bang
We'll shoot him dead
What you go and do?
You go and give the boy a gun
Now there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
Now we'll all be at his mercy
If he decides to hunt us down
'Cause there ain't no place to run to
Ain't no place to run
He wants the chances that you took from him
Oh, and nothing that you own
Then there'll be no place to run to
There'll be no place to run
And if he finds himself to be
A reflection of us all
Bang, bang, bang
He'll shoot us down
Before you can raise your eyes to read
The writing on the wall
Bang, bang, bang
He'll shoot you down
Before you can bridge the gulf between
And embrace him in your arms
Bang, bang, bang
He'll shoot you down.
