The men’s lyre songs can be openly political, or more guardedly satirical. David Musa composed one criticizing both the Chairman of the Refugee Committee in Bonga and the chiefs who were too scared to stand up to him:

Look out, you chiefs!
The Boss is making a mess of things
And you chiefs behave like new-wed brides!
You tremble with nerves before the Committee
You daren’t even blow your noses
You shyly hang your heads.
But the Boss is making great mistakes!
While your mouths tremble, mutter mutter
And you don’t know how to speak. 

The chiefs are stuttering in their words
But why must the Boss make these mistakes?
Look out, you chiefs!
You daren’t clear your noses
You don’t know how to speak
Don’t you know what a meeting is?
Ay!  Have a proper meeting!
Ay! You, Mola, you have these meetings but don’t know what to say
You don’t know what a meeting is!

(War and Survival, pp. 243-4).