The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #164   Message #4173357
Posted By: Joe Offer
28-May-23 - 07:50 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Banana Boat Song / Day-O (Lord Burgess)
Subject: ADD: Banana Boat Song/Day-O (from Belafonte)
The Tarriers' version of this song is nice, but the version everybody knows and loves is the one by Harry Belafonte, which is quite different from the earlier song.

DAY-O (BANANA BOAT SONG)
(as sung by Harry Belafonte)

CHORUS
Day-o, day-o
Daylight come and me want go home

Work all night on a drink of rum
(Daylight come and we want go home)
Stack banana 'til the morning come
(Daylight come and we want go home)

Come Mister tally man, tally me banana...
Come Mister tally man, tally me banana...

Lift six hand, seven hand, eight hand bunch...
Six hand, seven hand, eight hand bunch...

A beautiful bunch of ripe banana....
Hide the deadly black tarantula....


Songwriters: William Attaway / Irving Burgie


Belafonte live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5dpBWlRANE

Belafonte (studio): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO7M0Hx_1D8