[Intro: Akua Naru & Sandra Suubi]
Big booties, wide hips, sure, big booties, wide hips, sure
And big dicks, sure, big booties, wide hips, sure
[?] '85, '86, sure, uh
Big booties, wide hips, sure, big booties, wide hips, sure
[?], sure, big booties, wide hips, sure (Mm-hmm)
Big booties, wide hips, sure, and big dicks, sure (Mm-mm)
[Chorus: Giovanni Kremer Kiyingi and Mo Roots & Sandra Suubi]
Ziva muntuuyo
Muntuuyo
Ziva muntuuyo
Naye tutuuse (Mm-hmm)
Ziva muntuuyo (Ohh)
Muntuuyo
Ziva muntuuyo
Naye tutuuse
[Verse 1: Akua Naru]
Uh, now in the dark, when the night's wild, you could hear her cry
Couldn't pee inside, she went out back near the outhouse
Dignified, strength in the pride, fuck what they talkin' 'bout
Skin like Jesus burnin' in fire, hair a wool cloud
She make a mean pie, sweet potato, well-polished silverware
Stitch the hem on Ms. Phyllis' gowns, keep the sheets white, high heat
Over a beach towel, on her feet for hours
Breastfeedin' baby 'sleep now, (Sh) uh
She keep her head bowed, trained to lower her gaze, smile
When Caulder was never her name, child
Granddaughter of the slave name since the days of the big house
Flat hand under the serving tray, now when they sit down
Retreat to the corner, she grin, become smaller
Watch from the world of invisible men, and shrink more low
To disappear behind yes men and blank stares
Hear "n***a"s fallin' from thin lips land in tense air
[Chorus: Giovanni Kremer Kiyingi and Mo Roots & Sandra Suubi]
Ziva muntuuyo (Muntuuyo, oh)
Muntuuyo (Muntuuyo)
Ziva muntuuyo (Oh, muntuuyo)
Naye tutuuse (Naye tutuuse-ay-ay-ya-ay-ay-yay oh)
Ziva muntuuyo
Muntuuyo
Ziva muntuuyo (Muntuuyo)
Naye tutuuse (Naye tutuuse, tutuuse)
[Verse 2: Akua Naru]
When she alone, she say her name just to hear it called
Answer herself in third person, Raqueletta Moss
Ms. Hattie May Hines with a wide long line of blue workers, Lord
Mother of four, they cross town with they uncle, can't visit
But twice a month when she leave 'em, the way the baby boy
Cry till he pass out, dash to block the front door
Grab her apron, try to hold on for just a moment more
Plead for a place in her arms, Mama gotta sweep floors
She hear the heartbreak loud as the screams down the corridor
Shards of glass cut deep, haunt like a repeated chorus
When the bills due, it's never enough
She peeked when Phyllis lost her ring on the floor, yeah
Sent her daughter to pawn it that morning at the school up north
Organized a search party though it never turned up
Little bubba's shoes lost, same size as Hattie middle boy
Kicks always a few inch short of a serving boy's
[Chorus: Giovanni Kremer Kiyingi and Mo Roots & Sandra Suubi]
Ziva muntuuyo (Ziva muntuuyo-oh-oh-oh)
Muntuuyo (Muntuuyo, [?])
Ziva muntuuyo ([?])
Naye tutuuse (Yeah, ziva muntuuyo)
Ziva muntuuyo ([?])
Muntuuyo (Oh, muntuuyo)
Ziva muntuuyo (Ziva muntuuyo, oh)
Naye tutuuse (Naye tutuuse, tutuuse, tutuuse-ay-ay)
[Verse 3: Akua Naru & Sandra Suubi]
She smile but don't mean it, master of all secrets
All-seeing eye from the blind spot, it's their weakness
Know how to grind glass, make it pass off as seasoning
Rumors of witchcraft, she laughed with all teeth in
Herbs for every task, from murder to high fever
Who heard it when he grabbed and raped her that evening?
He strangle till she shake, fingers breakin', [?] givin' way from the staircase (Hey-hey-ay-ay)
(Same hand stroked Phyllis' face while sleeping)
Said she cleaned this cracker's porch Thursdays, quarter-to-four
Kids know to walk behind but never wave, now up in New York
Make sure they clothes [?], pants pressed
Wool pleats grey starched and hard creased
Skin half sweat, half vaseline
Overhear Ms. Phyllis brag to her people, laugh till she cry
Say "A maid loyal and meek, trustworthy for a n***a
Negro, colored girl, [?] last maid, when her husband died (Yeah)
Sudden, out the blue, what's her name? [?] time (Ayy-ah)
[Chorus: Giovanni Kremer Kiyingi and Mo Roots, Sandra Suubi, & Akua Naru]
Ziva muntuuyo ([?] ba ta na sanwa)
Muntuuyo (Ba ta na sanwa) (Ah)
Ziva muntuuyo ([?] ba ta na sanwa) (Ziva muntuuyo-oh-oh-oh, yeah)
Naye tutuuse (Ba ta na sanwa)
Ziva muntuuyo ([?] ba ta na sanwa) (Ziva muntuuyo, muntuuyo)
Muntuuyo (Ba ta na sanwa) (Ohh)
Ziva muntuuyo ([?] ba ta na sanwa) (Ziva muntuuyo, ay)
Naye tutuuse (Ba ta na sanwa) (Naye tutuuse-hey, yeah)
Ba ta na sanwa
[?] '85, '86, sure, uh (Ba ta na sanwa) (Oh, ba ta na sanwa)
Big booties, wide hips, sure, big booties, wide hips, sure ([?]) (Uh, uh, tu ba ta na sanwa)
[?], sure, big booties, wide hips, sure ([?]) (Uh, uh, ba ta na sanwa, [?] ba ta na sanwa)
Big booties, wide hips, sure, and big dicks, sure (Ba ta na sanwa)