Jeffrey Sachs laid out the facts, he’s here to save the day
He called Bono on the telephone - oh, god he was just blown away
Checkbooks out, we'll save the world the Brangelina way

I bet they’re poor because they cannot invest,
We'll send ‘em money and we'll hope for the best
We wash our hands of it and give ourselves a pat on the back
‘Cuz when investing I just look for a place
That is renowned for all the following traits
Corrupt, destabilized and lacking courts and property rights
Hand cash out to the poor
Committed evermore
The state no stronger than before

Jolly good! We’ve built a road, now we can relax
Where’s the sex appeal in making sure we’ve filled the cracks?

After seventy years of decline you think it might have
Been because of the aid we gave or just in spite of?
Refusing to learn, paternalism returned
We threw gas on the flame and deflected the blame when it burned

Now they’ll change their ways if they want some of what we got
They cant pay their cronies when the IMF's calling the shots
Another loan is squandered, wow, that sure seems to happen a lot

From these conditions leaders have to be freed
So they can pay for what they desperately need,
A foreign bank account, a palace and a secret police
It’s great to make the state a valuable prize
Nigeria's success cannot be denied
As long a structural adjustment loans are finally gone
Who needs capacity?
Cash comes from overseas
We’ve pledged our aid eternally

Raise your glasses, chaps, that dam we built just made the news
Maybe when it springs a leak we'll send a tube of glue

After seventy years of decline you think it might have
Been because of the aid we gave or just in spite of?
Refusing to learn, paternalism returned
We threw gas on the flame and deflected the blame when it burned

There is no farm that can compete when the food dropped from the sky stinks of U.S. subsidies
Why would you foster regional trade when you get your food for free from the white men in blue helmets?

[We] didn’t mean to create
The Prebendalist state,
But the tyrants took their seats at the table we set and they ate
And ate
[But] did we try to explore?
Did the scraps on the floor
Feed the poor
They were intended for?
Were not responsible for adverse effects
We closed our checkbooks and our minds

Weak
Meek
The nation's future is bleak
But should we give the government the money they seek?
Just to keep ‘em alive,
We'll give into their cries,
They wont create the institutions that they need to survive
We’re not responsible for adverse effects
We closed our checkbook and our minds

Artificial states
In a state of authentic stasis
As much oppressed by the iron fist
As by the open hand
Since independence
They’ve been dependent
Global pariah
Condemned to suffer