[male
vocals] (
Heavy
bass
line
introduction,
steady
one-drop
rhythm,
trumpets,
horns)
Whoa-oh... 2020...
COVID
came...
Fear
entered
our
homes.
Businesses
closed.
Livelihoods
suffered.
Government
said:
Protect
lives—
CROWD:
AND
LIVELIHOODS!
LEAD:
Money
was
mobilised!
CROWD:
BILLIONS
OF
CEDIS!
LEAD:
Bring
the
promise!
CROWD:
BRING
THE
RECORD!
LEAD:
Bring
the
figures!
CROWD:
LET
THE
PEOPLE
JUDGE!
[CHORUS] Promises!
Promises!
Ghana
remembers!
Yesterday's
promises,
today's
questions!
Promises!
Promises!
Ghana
remembers!
Bring
the
promise!
CROWD:
BRING
THE
RECORD!
Bring
the
figures!
CROWD:
LET
THE
PEOPLE
JUDGE!
[VERSE 1 — COVID MONEY] Twenty-one
point
eight
billion
cedis
mobilised
in
the
COVID
response.
The
record
says
eleven
point
seven
five
billion
went
directly
to
COVID
activities.
The
rest?
CROWD:
BUDGET
SUPPORT!
Then
the
audit
came...
Questions!
Irregularities!
Public
money?
CROWD:
ACCOUNT
FOR
EVERY
CEDI!
[VERSE 2 — THE CONTROVERSY] Then
came
allegations...
That
some
COVID-related
support
reached
people
connected
to
the
governing
party.
Then
a
reported
audio—
An
NPP
regional
officer
speaking
about
money
she
called
COVID
funds.
Fifty
thousand
here...
Another
fifty
thousand
there...
Reportedly
linked
to
her
party
positions.
LEAD:
Business
support?
CROWD:
SHOW
US
THE
RECORD!
LEAD:
Party
politics?
CROWD:
LET
THE
PEOPLE
JUDGE!
[VERSE 3 — NABCO] Then
came
NABCO...
Nation
Builders!
Thousands
of
young
graduates
answered
the
call.
Hope
entered
many
homes.
Before
the
election—
NABCO
was
everywhere!
After
the
election...
Allowances
delayed.
Arrears
accumulated.
Contracts
ended.
And
the
youth
asked—
CROWD:
WHERE
IS
NABCO?
LEAD:
Sustainable
employment?
Or
election-year
hope
with
an
expiry
date?
CROWD:
LET
THE
YOUTH
ANSWER!
[BRIDGE — MUSIC DROPS] But
there
is
something
more
precious
than
money...
More
precious
than
NABCO...
More
precious
than
political
power...
LIFE!
CROWD:
LIFE!
LEAD:
When
elections
end,
winners
celebrate,
losers
go
home.
But
the
dead?
CROWD:
THEY
DON'T
COME
HOME!
[VERSE 4 — ELECTION 2020] December 2020...
Ghana
went
to
vote.
Then—
Gunshots!
Violence!
Blood!
Reports
counted
as
many
as
eight
lives
lost
in
election-related
violence
across
the
country.
Eight
Ghanaian
lives!
CROWD:
EIGHT
LIVES!
LEAD:
For
political
power?
CROWD:
AT
WHAT
COST?
LEAD:
At
Techiman
South—
Two
lives
were
lost.
Power
lasts
for
a
season.
But
death?
CROWD:
DEATH
IS
FOREVER!
LEAD:
No
election—
CROWD:
IS
WORTH
A
HUMAN
LIFE!
[BRIDGE — AT WHAT COST?] COVID
money...
NABCO
promises...
Election-year
politics...
And
Ghanaian
blood
on
the
ground.
I
look
at
the
record
and
I
ask:
Was
everything
calculated
to
hold
on
to
power?
That
is
my
question.
But
Ghana
must
ask
an
even
bigger
question—
LEAD:
How
far
should
we
go
for
power?
CROWD:
AT
WHAT
COST?
LEAD:
Public
money?
CROWD:
AT
WHAT
COST?
LEAD:
Promises
to
the
youth?
CROWD:
AT
WHAT
COST?
LEAD:
When
human
lives
are
lost?
CROWD:
AT
WHAT
COST?
LEAD:
Power
is
temporary!
CROWD:
GHANA
IS
PERMANENT!
[FINAL CHORUS — FULL BAND] Promises!
Promises!
Ghana
remembers!
COVID
money—
CROWD:
BRING
THE
RECORD!
NABCO
youth—
CROWD:
BRING
THE
RECORD!
Election
violence—
CROWD:
REMEMBER
THE
LIVES!
LEAD:
Bring
the
promise!
CROWD:
BRING
THE
RECORD!
LEAD:
Bring
the
figures!
CROWD:
LET
THE
PEOPLE
JUDGE!
LEAD:
Political
power?
CROWD:
AT
WHAT
COST?
[OUTRO — NYABINGHI / ORGAN] Governments
come...
Governments
go...
Campaign
microphones
eventually
fall
silent...
But
records
remain.
The
youth
remember...
The
families
remember...
History
remembers...
Before
we
chase
political
power—
CROWD:
COUNT
THE
COST!
LEAD:
Because
no
political
victory—
CROWD:
IS
WORTH
THE
BLOOD
OF
A
GHANAIAN!
Whoa-oh...
Promises!
Promises!
CROWD:
AT
WHAT
COST?