PASTOR’S BLOG

While the Wife’s Away 

Day 3 – Get creative and dream big

(remember, blog 4-5 days behind events)

Angella is still enroute to Jamaica flying from Sydney to LA but yippee, it’s third day same burrito and rice meal coming up! I awake at 12.30 am after two hours of sleep with my mind full of ideas. With paper and pen at the ready, over the next 2-3 hours I jot down creative ideas as they come to mind.

I’m reminded of a time I spent apart from my wife when I visited Kenya. That too was a time when my mind decided it wanted to be creative. In traffic in Nairobi for about three hours with Pastor Abrahams Odongo I started composing and singing a silly song about being in a traffic jam and he joined in. Perhaps, because I was apart from my wife, the song strangely morphed into a song encouraging good communication in marriage.

I couldn’t ever remember hearing a song about a traffic jam before, but guess what the first song I heard on the radio the next day was about – a traffic jam. Then on the aeroplane home, there was a song about ‘jamming’.  Upon arriving home, someone told me a joke with the exact same humour and message you see in my lyrics below. Could God be telling me go ahead with this song? I became consumed with finishing the composition of the song dreaming of a hit single which would also be beneficial to married couples and a fun theme song for marriage retreats/conventions. Part of the lyrics are:      

                                            Share with your wife in a traffic jam

                                                 Give her your full attention

                                          Tell her you got a new job - last year!

                                         And other things you failed to mention.

                                                               Chorus

                                            Say ‘Jambo’ in the traffic jam

                                               Say ‘Jambo’  in the traffic jam

                                              Now  you got time on your hands

                                                  Say ‘Jambo’ in the jam. 

 

Note: ‘Jambo’ is a general Swahili greeting similar to ‘hello’.  

 

The funniest thing of all is some brilliant and famous Kenyan musicians soon made a first recording. I think they did an amazing job. It needs a couple of lyrical tweaks and a male singer on one verse, but I still hope it will be edited, redone and released by them. Have a listen to the recording of ‘Say Jambo’ below, see the amended lyrics, and tell me whether it ministered to you as a married person and whether you’d encourage them, or someone else, to release it.

 When the wife’s away, get creative.

Amended lyrics to “Say Jambo’ below:

Say Jambo in Traffic Jam  © by David Kidd

Chorus

Say ‘Jambo’ in the traffic jam

Say ‘Jambo’  in traffic jam

Now you got time on your hands

Say ‘Jambo’ to wife in the jam.  (Only include ‘to wife’ in first chorus)

 Know your wife in traffic jam

Find out her middle name                                                                 

Ask her her favourite colour               

Check if her hair has changed.

 

Share with your wife in traffic jam

Give her your full attention

Tell her you got a new job - last year!

And other things you failed to mention.

 

Chorus

 

Listen to your wife in traffic jam

She got many good things to say

Maybe the car need new tyre

It could even be her birthday.

 

Discuss your children in traffic jam

Find out where they go to school

Check if they’re living for Jesus

In case you have been fooled.

 

Chorus

            (male voice)

I talked to my wife once in traffic jam

Cos my sound system wasn’t workin

And it’s wrong to drive using i-phone

She seemed a very nice person 

 

Check your wife’s smile in traffic jam

Smile at her with your teeth

Find out whether she’s happy

how she’s feelin underneath.  

 

Chorus

 

Your wife may be on the edge of leaving

Because she’s been ignored

Thank God for the terrible traffic jam

That your marriage may be restored.

 

Toot if you’re in love again

Shout out her middle name

Rejoice! Someone actually likes you

Give praise in Jesus name.

 

Say ‘Jambo’ in the traffic jam

Say ‘Jambo’ in traffic jam

Now  you got time on your hand

Say ‘Jambo’ in the jam …  during closing repeats of chorus  have

Now  you got time on your hand             shouts of middle names in background

Say ‘Jambo’ in the jam.   

 

Say ‘Jambo’ in the traffic jam

Now  you got time on your hand

Say ‘Jambo’  in the jam

Now  you got time on your hand

Say ‘Jambo’  in the jam

 

Now  you got time on your hand

Say ‘Jambo’ in the jam.    Jambo! Jambo!