TikTok has become such a powerful tool for music that we can safely say that no song can be declared a hit if it doesn’t get viral on that platform. What’s remarkable is that sometimes, the big successes of years ago become again a thing today: it’s the case of Makeba, a 2015 song that got viral again in 2023, with many creators singing, “Can I get a ooh wee?” The song was released by the French singer-songwriter Jain: today, we will discover more about the lyrics and their meaning.
You can find here on TikTok the lengthy collection of dance video challenges with Jain’s Makeba in the background.
Jain, Makeba: lyrics & meaning of the “ooh wee TikTok song”
Makeba is a song released in 2015 by the French singer-songwriter Jain, and its lyrics are an homage to Miriam Makeba, also known as “Mama Africa”, a South African singer and activist. The song lyrics are in English, with the only exception of the words “ma che bella,” which are Italian for “how beautiful.” The song’s last lines contain several complicated words: they are just English words in reverse, youfind the complete lyrics at the end of this article.
Here are the lyrics you hear more often in Makeba:
Ooh wee, Makeba, Makeba, ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh wee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
In the central part of the lyrics, the song makes a clear reference to Miriam Makeba:
Nobody can beat the Mama Africa
You follow the beat that she’s gonna give ya
Only her smile can all make it go
The sufferation of a thousand more
Miriam Makeba was one of the musical influences that marked Jain’s childhood. Her mother is of Franco-Malagasy origin, and the whole 2015 album Zanaka is a tribute to her.
The official music video for Makeba is a little masterpiece: it was shot in South Africa, showing many visual effects that are so cool to watch. The video was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016. You can watch it below.
Below you can find the complete lyrics of Makeba song, the track that went viral on TikTok as the “ooh wee song.”
Discover other viral TikTok trends on Auralcrave
Ooh wee, Makeba, Makeba ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh wee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
I wanna hear your breath just next to my soul
I wanna feel oppressed without any rest
I wanna see you sing, I wanna see you fight
‘Cause you are the real beauty of human right
Ooh wee, Makeba, Makeba ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh wee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
Nobody can beat the Mama Africa
You follow the beat that she’s gonna give ya
Only her smile can all make it go
The sufferation of a thousand more
Ooh wee, Makeba, Makeba ma che bella
Can I get a “ooh wee”? Makeba
Makes my body dance for you
Ecnad ydob ym sekam
Abekam, “ehoo”? a teg I nac
Alleb ehc am Abekam, Abekam, ehooo
Uoy rof ecnad ydob ym sekam
