The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #9857   Message #611807
Posted By: GUEST,prudentius
17-Dec-01 - 03:53 PM
Thread Name: hey now hey now ico ico wanna ney what song?
Subject: RE: hey now hey now ico ico wanna ney what song?
Indian, French, Cajun, etc.? A someone said, the lyrics are originally in an French-based creole patois, not Cajun, but related to Haitian and Guadeloupe Creole. They're pretty obscure to most everyone today. The violent gang-banging associations of the Mardi Gras Indians are now de-emphasized, but the "flag-boy" and other elements of competition are still there, and meaning of "Too-way pockaway" is still clear, and might still incite a fight: it means "you are not equipped with testicles"/"you ain't got balls" -- tu es pas couille!