Origins: Zamboanga

Subject: Origins: Zamboanga
From: toadfrog
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 01:46 AM

ZAMBOANGA was an extremely popular World War II song; or at least my parents remember it being sung quite a lot. Almost certainly traditional, with lots of historical associations (whether one likes all those associations is another matter). The Digitrad has it, with almost no information. Somehow, it must come from troops in the Phillipines, just as Bless 'em All seems somehow to relate to India. Does anyone know more about it than that?

Subject: Lyr Add: ZAMBOANGA
From: masato sakurai
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 05:02 AM

A longer version with chorus is in The Book of Navy Songs, collected and edited by The Trident Society (Naval Institute Press, 1955, 1987, pp. 112-113; with music).

                ZAMBOANGA

Oh, the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga
Oh, the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga
Oh, the monkeys have no tails,
They were bitten off by whales,
Oh, the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga.

    CHORUS:
    Oh, we won't go back to Subic anymore
    Oh, we won't go back to Subic anymore
    Oh, we won't go back to Subic
    Where they mix our wine with Tubic,
    Oh, we won't go back to Subic anymore.

Oh, the carabao have no hair in Mindanao,
Oh, the carabao have no hair in Mindanao,
Now, the carabao have no hair,
And they run around quite bare
For the carabao have no hair in Mindanao.

Oh, the fishes wear no skirts in Iloilo
Oh, the fishes wear no skirts in Iloilo
Oh, th fishes wear no skirts,
But they all have undershirts
Yes, they all have undershirts in Iloilo.

They grow potatoes small in Iloilo
They grow potatoes small in Iloilo
They grow potatoes small,
And they eat them skins and all
They grow potatoes small in Iloilo.

Oh, the birdies have no feet in Mariveles
Oh, the birdies have no feet in Mariveles
Oh, the birdies have no feet,
They were burnt off by the heat
Oh, the birdies have no feet in Mariveles.

Oh, we'll all go up to China in the spring-time
Oh, we'll all go up to China in the sprin-n-ng
Oh, we'll hop aboard a liner,
I can think of nothing finer
Oh, we'll all go up to China in the spring.

Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai in the fall
Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai in the fall
When we all get down to Shanghai,
Those champagne corks will bang high
Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai in the fall.

Oh, we lived ten thousand years in old Chefoo
Oh, we lived ten thousand years in old Chefoo
And it didn't smell like roses,
So we had to hold our noses
When we lived ten thousand years in old Chefoo.

This can easily be recognized as the song of the Americans stationed in Philipine posts or serving in the Asiatic Squadron. In the spring the Squadron customarily went north, and in the autumn it went south. China and Japan were the favorite sojourning places of those lucky mortals who found time and opportunity to go there. Other verses hint of the unpopularity of certain locations where the singers found things not quite up to the comforts of home. This is one of those songs adapted by each singer to fit his own particular requirements.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Origins: Zamboanga
From: Gern
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 08:37 AM

This song is older than WWII, and has a sad history. Perhaps it doesn't need to be pointed out that this is a racist song. Those monkeys without tails were the Filipinos themselves: Mindanao natives who fought US invaders in the Moro Wars of the early 20th century. It was a precursor of the Vietnam War: white colonialists fighting freedom fighters of color--atrocities on both sides--ugly racial attitudes, etc.

Subject: RE: Origins: Zamboanga
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 01:52 PM

The tune is supposed to be that of an old Spanish song.
"Sound Off!," Edward Arthur Dolph, 1929 (1942) has the opinion of those who served there in the period of the Spanish American War:

Zamboanga, Mindanao,
From the transport you look damn well,
But before I'd serve again in Zamboanga,
I'd rather serve a hitch in Hell.

Gern is quite correct, the song refers to the natives of Zamboanga, some of whom, among the Muslims, are still guerillas fighting for independence.

Dolph comments that stanzas have been added ad libitum to the song.
Most verses have more emphasis than those in the book of Navy songs, which is from the Navy rather than the Army point of view, and adds verses about navy efforts in other areas.

Oh, the carabao has no hair in Mindanao,
Oh, the carabao has no hair in Mindanao,
Oh the carabao has no hair--
Holy Smoke! But he is bare!
So the carabao has no hair in Mindanao.

"Oh, the Moros have no tails in Zamboanga" was the first line sung by the troops.

Zamboanga is now called "The City of Flowers" and tries to attract tourists.

Subject: RE: Origins: Zamboanga
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 02:11 PM

Compare "In Arkansas" and "In Kansas."

Oh, the 'taters they grow small in Arkansas (twice)
Oh the 'taters they grow small,
For they dig 'em in the fall,
And they eat 'em tops an' all, in Arkansas.

Many bawdy verses:

The girls they grow tall in Kansas (twice)
The girls they grow tall,
An' they lay 'em on a log,
And they fuck 'em like a dog in Kansas.
(From Randolph-Legman, Roll Me In Your Arms, pp. 265-267.

Subject: RE: Origins: Zamboanga
From: M.Ted
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 02:17 PM

Just for reference, the US drove the Colonial Spanish out of the Phillipines, in cooperation with the organized Fillipino resistance. The Moro wars, as I recollect, were more or less a reaction to American efforts to establish a progressive, secular gov't--I guote from the Library of Congress archive on the Phillipines:

In 1903, however, a Moro province was established by the American authorities...: slavery was outlawed, schools that taught a non-Muslim curriculum were established, and local governments that challenged the authority of traditional community leaders were organized. A new legal system replaced the sharia, or Islamic law. United States rule, even more than that of the Spanish, was seen as a challenge to Islam. Armed resistance grew, and the Moro province remained under United States military rule until 1914, by which time the major Muslim groups had been subjugated--

Real"white colonial" bastards, weren't we?

Subject: RE: Origins: Zamboanga
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 03:36 PM

The Moros fought the Spanish, then the Americans, and now the Philippine government. There are about 3 million, but they are now outnumbered by Christian Filipinos on Mindanao. Their chances of self-rule are small. The Philippine and United States governments claim that there are terrorists within the Muslim group. US "advisory" specialists are helping the Philippine government in actions against militant Muslims.

Propaganda swamps news of actual conditions, and it is impossible to tell what percentage of the Muslims want separation or self-rule.