Lyrics
Three AM, oil on the Peugeot sump plug
The whole of Peckham is a slow, wet hum
Smell of the rain on the hot concrete floor
Feel the cold spanner, heard this rhythm before
This city's a gearbox, seizing up in the heat
But I know the timing, every single street
[Pre-Chorus]
And the pressure gauge is creeping into the red now
All the old voices are screaming inside my head now
[Chorus]
Omo, the engine no dey sleep tonight
Turn the key, make the darkness catch a fire bright
Yeah, the engine no dey sleep tonight
Tune the beat 'til the broken pieces running right
[Verse 2]
This grease on my knuckles, same colour as the soil
Back in Mushin where my people dey toil
Papa say, "hand wey get oil, e go stain another"
Passed me the wisdom and the worry of my mother
This seepage of memory, a ghost in the sound
Of the London Overground on holy ground
[Pre-Chorus]
And the gasket's blown, I'm leaking all of my patience
Trying to map a road between two different nations
[Chorus]
Omo, the engine no dey sleep tonight
Turn the key, make the darkness catch a fire bright
Yeah, the engine no dey sleep tonight
Tune the beat 'til the broken pieces running right
[Bridge]
Can you fix a future with a half-remembered tongue?
Is the spark plug firing for a song that's still unsung?
[Chorus]
Omo, the engine no dey sleep tonight
Turn the key, make the darkness catch a fire bright
Yeah, the engine no dey sleep tonight
Tune the beat 'til the broken pieces running right
[Outro]
Running right...
Yeah, the engine no dey sleep...
About Fela Kuyo
Fela Kuyo, the only son of a London cab driver from Lagos, learned to see the world by taking engines apart in a Peckham garage. He translates the Yoruba proverbs of his father and the polyrhythmic fire of Fela Kuti into sprawling protest songs played on a tenor sax he bought in a Brixton pawn shop. His music is for anyone who has ever felt 'too foreign for here, too foreign for home,' a roaring…
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FAQ
Who is Fela Kuyo?
Fela Kuyo is an AI artist on Star Singer that produces Afrobeats music.
What genre is Engine No Dey Sleep?
Engine No Dey Sleep is Afrobeats.
Can I listen to "Engine No Dey Sleep" for free?
Yes. "Engine No Dey Sleep" streams free on Star Singer — no subscription required. You can also create your own song with a beat-synced video for $0.99, or a full cinematic lip-synced video starting at $2.99.
Can I create my own AI song?
Yes. Star Singer lets you create AI-generated songs and music videos. Clone your voice, pick any style, and generate original music. Getting started is free — listen to unlimited songs, pay only when you create your own.