Johnny Drille - How are You (My Friend) Lyrics
Lyrics
I know sometimes e be like say Nobody send you That one na lie I dey for you my friend
Padi no vex for me Say I never call you since But I hope that you are well I hope your market sell Everyday I dey pray for you Make baba God bless you I never forget you How I go forget you
See my shoulder Make you rest upon You know I got you Na me be your friend indeed The money don show now I don keep some for you You no go suffer rara God anything I get na for me and you yea
How are you my friend How do you do my friend I know sometimes e be like say Nobody send you That one na lie I dey for you my friend How are you my friend How do you do my friend I know sometimes e be like say Nobody send you That one na lie I dey for you my friend
Oremi Atata You always dey my mind Padi me gon gon gon I cherish you with my life No worry yourself o Everything go dey alright And if anybody try you You know it’s gon be on sight
See my shoulder Make you rest upon You know I got you Na me be your friend indeed Omo The money don show now I don keep some for you You no go suffer rara God anything I get na for me and you yea
How are you my friend How do you do my friend I know sometimes e be like say Nobody send you That one na lie I dey for you my friend How are you my friend How do you do my friend I know sometimes e be like say Nobody send you That one na lie I dey for you my friend
Video
Johnny Drille - How Are You [My Friend] - (Performance Video)
Meaning & Inspiration
I’ve been playing this song on loop lately, and it’s strange how much it settles into my chest. There’s something about the way Johnny Drille sings about just being there for someone that feels like how we’re supposed to treat our neighbors. It hit me that the core of the song—this idea of choosing to stay, of bearing someone else’s burden—is so close to what Paul wrote about carrying each other’s burdens so that we actually fulfill the law of Christ. It isn’t just a nice sentiment; it’s an active choice to love someone who might feel forgotten, and I think that’s exactly what being a neighbor is supposed to look like.
But then I stop and wonder if I’m reading too much into it. The song focuses so heavily on the individual’s promise—"I dey for you," "I got you"—and it makes me think about how flimsy our human promises can be compared to the One who actually never leaves or forsakes. When he sings about the money showing up and sharing it, I think of the early church in Acts where they didn’t call their possessions their own. That kind of radical care is what faith is supposed to manifest, but it’s so hard to live out. Is it enough, though? Sometimes I worry that these songs make us feel like we’re the ultimate solution to our friend's pain, when really, the best we can do is point them toward the God who is actually in control.
It makes me uncomfortable, actually, thinking about how I treat my own friends. I say "I’m here for you," but do I really mean it? Do I live it? The lyrics aren’t a gospel song in the sense that they aren't singing about the cross, but there’s a flicker of the Kingdom in the way he offers his shoulder for someone to rest on. It forces me to ask if my life looks like that, or if I’m just singing along while I stay closed off. It leaves me wondering if the love being described is just a human kindness, or if it’s a small, flickering reflection of a much bigger, steadier love that doesn't just promise to be there, but already is.