The charm that resides in a sing-along lies within the simple yet deep message being passed through repetitive words and catchy hooks. “Dey My Dey” is a phrase everyone has used to convey a lot while saying little and to explain a lot of things.
Mostly, people use the words to refer to the need or request for solitude at a given time or place. Daniel Oluwagbemiro Owolabi, a master lyricist, has managed to showcase his wittiness by giving an even deeper meaning to the phrase on this song.
The lyric tells us a story, a piece of his thought process. One of a man who would rather be the author of his own destiny than allow other people be the one to dictate what path he follows.
Despite its gentle melody, the song is quite thought-provoking as Daniel Owolabi’s lyrics tell everyone he can’t be ordered around, nor will he entertain a vibe he doesn’t trust.
He also touched on the sensitive topic of death being inevitable, as he claims, “I go still kpai one day.” As the melody ascends to a new Climax, a new verse is delivered, and it gets more direct in speaking to those who claim they know which way is best for him to go.
The lyrics did a crisp job at pointing fingers towards the ones that have a lot to say but may disappear in the face of danger. While Daniel’s pen work charms its way through its playful structure and into listeners’ ears, it still excels at progressing the story it has set, painting a picture of a man’s inquiry of the world about whether their opinions come with stepping up when they might be needed to.
The ability to speak on a grave topic such as death, referring to the reliability of people and the unsolicited advice people tend to have, this rhythm has various elements to it, all layered beautifully by the lyrics.
This body of work fully talks about the artist’s resilience at not being confined to a box or being defined by other people’s standards or norms. He “just wan Dey”.
While still carrying on a soliloquy, the words of Teeben beg the age-old question of people who will show up when their advice leads to trouble. Will they be up when everything goes down?
The ones trying to fit him into this cage, will they be there if the tower they’re telling him to climb crumbles?
While he highlights his own strength as being a strong fighter, he also tries to inquire if they know what he will be going up against enough to tell him to go through with it.
The continuous and consistent play upon words stays in line with the rhythm while leaving room for enjoying the entire song as premium entertainment.
The hit song “Dey” isn’t purely categorised by how fast it can make your body want to move or how the sweet bounce of the drum patterns automatically makes your eyes close and gives you a taste of what getting immersed in the song while dancing would feel like; the songwriting makes an indispensable component of what has come together to make this track an unforgettable one.
