Origins: King of the Cannibal Islands

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Feb 09 - 07:43 AM

Thanks for the Cannibal Maid. My Grandfather and Mother used to sing it to us when I was young. It was a sort of sea shanty type of song which makes it very haunting....Both have since passed and this is one of my fond memories of them....

Thanks soo much for the lyrics

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jul 09 - 11:33 PM

Here is the version I learned as a child. My 3 1/2 year old asks me to sing it every night. I think this is a good version:

The cannabal king with the big nose ring,
Fell in love with the Zulu maiden,
And every night in the pale moonlight,
Across the bay he stray (make paddling movements)

He'd hug and kiss his pretty little miss,
Underneath the shade of a bamboo tree,
And every night in the pale moonlight,
It sounded like this to me.

A rump, (kissing sound) (slap your cheek like the kiss was slightly improper)
A rump (kissing sound) (slap your cheek like the kiss was slightly improper)
A rump, diddly oddy daaay
(repeat)

Oh the years went by a 1,2,3
And soon they had a family
And every night in the pale moon light,
It sounded like this to me.

A rump Ma-Ma (turn head to one side)
A rump Pa-Pa (turn head to other side)
A rump diddly oddy daay
(repeat)

I found this link looking for more choruses to add, but alas, it seems no one else sings the version I learned!

Subject: Going Out a-Shooting
From: Artful Codger
Date: 12 Jul 09 - 02:43 AM

The tune used for "King of the Cannibal Islands" (et al.) is also used, with slight change, for the song "Going Out a-Shooting" (ca. 1832)--the Lester S. Levy site has a scan. John Charles White (Esq.) is properly credited with the music. If you search for White's name there and elsewhere, you may encounter more songs which use this tune but do not refer to it by name.

See thread 9724 for some additional information. (Relinked here for convenience.)

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: GUEST,Branchman
Date: 18 Sep 09 - 10:57 PM

Thanks to whoever put the .mid at this site. It puts music to a version I found. Anyone interested in another version? I found one called 'The New Departure' while doing genealogy research in an 1871 newspaper. The song has a reference to Dayton, Ohio. I have yet to find out what the song was in reference to, but I am still looking.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 11:19 AM

The version I know from camp has these lyrics, too:

Years go by, 1-2-3
Now they have a family
And every night by the pale moonlight
Sounds like this to me:
Baroomp MAA MAA baroomp MAA MAA baroomp badyadyayyy...

Years go by 4-5-6
Now they have a house of sticks
And every night by the pale moonlight
Sounds like this to me:
Baroomp CRASH BANG baroomp CRASH BANG baroom badadyadyyy...

Years go by 7-8-9
Now they have a party line
And every night by the pale moonlight
Sounds like this to me:
Baroomp YAKYAK baroomp YAKYAK baroomp badyadyayyy...

Years go by 10-11-12
Now they live all by themselves
And every night by the pale moonlight
Sounds like this to me:
Baroomp BOO HOO baroomp BOO HOO baroomp badyadyayy....

Rather a child-centric version! I think my parents were more along the lines of "baroomp YIPPEE!"

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: Artful Codger
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 09:39 PM

The Levy site also has a companion song to "Going Out a-Shooting" titled "When We Were Out a Fishing"--same tune ("King of..."), but an inferior text.

Subject: Lyr Add: I WOULDN'T LEAVE MY LITTLE WOODEN HUT...
From: Ron Davies
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 10:20 PM

Ran across "I Wouldn't Leave..." on a tape of music hall songs I found in my collection--must have been done by a friend.

Anyway, here's the version of "I Wouldn't Leave My Little Wooden Hut For You" on the tape. Probably done in the 1910's.   Have no idea who is doing it--but it's in far better shape than the 1908 version on YouTube (but you can get the tune from YouTube).

Once on a cannibal isle there dwelt a dark-eyed maid
Lived all alone in a little log hut 'neath the palm trees' shade
And on that island she reigned as queen
One day a stranger appeared on the scene
Said he; "Don't waste your time
Out in this awful clime
But come with me, my pretty southern maid, to my home across the sea
But he went fairly red
When she turned up her nose and said

CH
"I wouldn't leave my little wooden hut for you
I've got one lover, and I don't want two.
What might happen there is no knowing
If he came around;   so you'd better be going
For I wouldn't leave my little wooden hut for you."


Just then some cannibals came in sight with swords and spears
Looking for something for their supper that night, making ugly leers.
That queen said; "Stranger, you'd better go
That chief in warpaint is my beau."
"Oh, is that true?" he said
As towards the stream he fled
And just into a boat a-floating there. He was soon clean out of sight
He won't return again
Just to hear that girl exclaim
CH

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 01:39 AM

The National Library of Australia has the sheet music, but it isn't viewable online:

I WOULDN'T LEAVE MY LITTLE WOODEN HUT FOR YOU
Words, Tom Mellor. Music, Chas. Collins.
London: Francis, Day & Hunter, 1905.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: GUEST,Francis X Murphy
Date: 30 Dec 10 - 08:47 PM

My mother (now 87) has sung the song "We'll build a bungalow" to the babies in our very large extended family going back to the 1930's. I think she learned it from my grand-father.
I was whistling the part about "the dusty maid" tonight and was struck by the question, "Is this a patronizing epithet?"

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: GUEST,Susie
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 03:25 AM

I sang "Once On A Cannibal Isle" to my two sons; it was sung to me when tiny as a lullaby by my late father [b 1925], whose mother [b 1897] sang it to HIM, whose mother had sing it to HER.
I'd never seen any reference to it anywhere and then, out of theblue, MANY years ago, saw it in print in an EFDSS magazine- possibly in the 1980s. I think it was dow as a music hall song.
It certainly made an impression on several generations of babies in my family!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Sep 15 - 01:56 PM

King of the Cannibal Islands

Chorus:
Hokey Pokey Winkie Wom Paulicka Pinkie Mulie Com Pansy Wansie Wirie Rum, King of the Cannibal Islands

Versus:
While sailing over the seas one day

To the South Sea Islands I made my way

I struck a reef in the bottomless bay, down in the Cannibal Islands

Chorus:
Hokey Pokey Winkie Wom Paulicka Pinkie Mulie Com Pansy Wansie Wirie Rum, King of the Cannibal Islands

This is all I can remember from 4th grade. 68 now!!! How time flies down here in the Cannibal Islands!!! Hope this help a bit. :)

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 29 Sep 15 - 03:10 PM

The great Tyneside poet Tommy Armstrong wrote songs to this tune, among them one called 'Stanley Market'. I think another Geordie song 'The Fyamous Fiery Clockfyace' is the same tune.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: Stewie
Date: 29 Sep 15 - 06:40 PM

Mention of the 'King of the Cannibal Islands' always reminds me of beaut little poem by John Manifold about the death of one of our Oz prime ministers who disappeared without a trace.

On the Death of Mr Holt
(John Manifold)

Only a week before Christmas
   The happiest day of the year
They held a wake for Harold Holt
   And the bigwig guests came here

Bonnie Prince Charlie came owre the sea
   With Wilson who never smiles
And LBJ from the USA
   And the king of the Cannibal Isles

Chaps from Siam and from South Vietnam
   And the Philippines too, I think
Some for the sake of the free, free world
   And some for the free, free drink

They made long speeches and shed loud tears
   To propitiate Harold's ghost
And the king of the Cannibal Isles got up
   To propose a final toast

He said: "We have had such a splendid time
   Such generous Christmas cheer
We hope you'll be able to drown a Prime
   Minister every year!"

--Stewie.

Subject: ADD: On The Death of Harold Holt (John Manifold)
From: Stewie
Date: 06 Dec 18 - 06:37 PM

A bit of thread creep, but mention of the King of the Cannibal Islands always makes me recall a beaut little poem by John Manifold. In December 1967, Australia lost its then Prime Minister, Harold Holt, who disappeared whilst swimming off the coast of Victoria. His body was never found.

On The Death of Harold Holt
(John Manifold)

Only a week before Christmas,
   The happiest day of the year,
They held a wake for Harold Holt,
   And the bigwig guests came here.

Bonnie Prince Charlie came owre the sea
   With Wilson, who never smiles,
And L.B.J. from the U.S.A
   And the king of the Cannibal Isles;

Chaps from Siam and from South Vietnam
   And the Philippines too, I think;
Some for the sake of the free, free world,
   And some for the free, free drink.

They made long speeches and shed loud tears
   To propitiate Harold's ghost,
And the king of the Cannibal Isles got up
   To propose a final toast.

He said: "We have had such a splendid time,
   Such generous Christmas cheer,
We hope you'll be able to drown a Prime
   Minister every year!"

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: rich-joy
Date: 30 Dec 20 - 01:22 AM

Came across this version (with tune!) the other day :
"King of the Cannibal Islands" · Flying Fish Sailors, 1999 :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNnl63U4bTA

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: Jack Campin
Date: 09 Jun 21 - 03:48 AM

We have another thread about this song with very similar content. Combine?

The tune dates back to the 18th century.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: King of the Cannibal Islands
From: GUEST,jim bainbridhe
Date: 09 Jun 21 - 05:00 AM

If you want the tune from otther than printed sources, the Irish ceili band- the McCusker Brothers (there were nine of them) made LPs about 1960- one of which featured a set of jigs- 'Biddy the Bold Wife/I lost my love/King of the Cannibal Islands'.

   Steve G is quite right about 'Stanley Market' being to the same tune, and 'Stumblin' Jack Elliott of Birtley recorded it in the 60s- he used the nickname to distinguish himself from another 60s singer- 'Ramblin' Jack Elliott.