Lyr Req: Zombie Jamboree

Subject: zombie jamboree
From: Irma
Date: 26 Apr 99 - 10:12 PM

This is my first time here,hope I am doing this right.

I have a tape called "Do it acapella" and on it is the song Zombie Jamboree. I am having a hard time understanding some of the lyrics. Does anyone have a copy of the words that would like to share them with my grandaughter and myself. I am trying to get her to appreciate all kinds of music.

Thank you for any help

Irma

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: Ferrara
Date: 26 Apr 99 - 10:44 PM

I think this song was in an earlier forum thread. Try a forum search for zombie or jamboree. Let us know how it works out. (My computer won't do a forum search, sorry.) No point retyping it if it's in the forum.

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: gargoyle
Date: 26 Apr 99 - 10:58 PM

IT AIN'T THERE!

Sounds like a fun one though....and there is no doubt that mudder has it.

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: Mudjack
Date: 26 Apr 99 - 11:04 PM

Is this the Kingston Trio: "Back to back,Belly to belly well I don't give a Damn, cause I've done that already"? I'll get back after I look at my KT stuff. In the meantime Cat people, Help....

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: Mark Roffe
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 12:14 AM

Besides what Jack M. Folk wrote, I also remember that it starts out "at a dinner party in Long Island." I think that the KT version substitutes the word "Hmmm" for the word "Damn," but someone else's version (Harry Belefonte, maybe?) sings the "Damn" word. I'll look at my old Harry stuff...

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: ddw in Windsor
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 12:14 AM

Hi Irma -- I'm not at home, so I can't get to my book of lyrics at the moment, but the Kingston Trio did this song on their Hungry i album and I copied it years go. Had a terrible time with some of the lyrics too, but later saw them in print and was pleased to find out I wasn't that far off. I believe the book I found it in was called Songs for Swinging Housemothers -- one of those cheap knockoffs that everybody was doing during the ¹60s folkscare.

Anyway, I just typed out what I can remember off the top of my head and I'm going to try to paste it here for you. It contains at least some of the words that ran me nuts.

damn! didn't work.

oh well, it won't take that much.....

Zombie jamboree took place in a New York cemetery
Zombie jamboree took place in a Long Island cemetery
Zombies from all parts of the island, some of them great calypsonians,
Since the season was carnival,
Got together in baccinal
Singin'
Back to back, belly to belly
Well, I don't give a damn cause I'm done dead already
Back to back, belly to belly
At the zombie jamboree.

That's all I can remember off the top of my head. I'll try to remember to bring the words with me tomorrow and if nobody has given you the rest I'll try to type them in.

gargoyle.... It is a fun song, guaranteed to liven up almost any gathering except an undertaker's convention.

cheers all....ddw

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 12:22 AM

Click here for a thread with the Rockapella version of the lyrics.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From:
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 12:54 AM

This is from memory, and from the a cappela album; I never understood the first verse, but the above post sounds right.

2nd verse:

One female zombie she wouldn't behave.
See how she's dancing out of the grave.
In one hand, she's holding a quart of rum.
The other hand is knocking a conga drum.
You know the lead singer starts to make his rhyme
While the other zombies rocking in time.
One bystander he had this to say:
It was a trip to see the zombies break away.

Chorus and break

3rd verse:

It was a zombie jamboree
From Times Square to the Statue of Liberty
Uptown downtown zombie jamboree
Whoa oh oh oh oh yeah yeah e-ah yeah
There's a zombie highwire between the World Trades
A King Kong zombie on the Empire State
But the biggest zombies Tokyo to Rome
Are zombies who call this city home

Chorus (2x, I think) and out.

I hope this helps.
Bill
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: SeanM
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 02:40 AM

I'm not sure if it's the same acapella version that you've heard, searcher, but I'm fond of one by a group by the name of 'Rockapella'... they're perhaps better known for the theme song to a kid's game show called 'Where in the world is Carmen San Diego', but they put on some truly fun acapella weirdness at times... and not all of it for kids.

M

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: Melanie
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 02:04 PM

The lyrics to the Kingston Trio version can be found at this address:

http://home.att.net/~SAVAIIKEN/lyrics.htm

This site has the lyrics to nearly all the Kingston Trio songs.

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: Barbara
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 02:15 PM

Okay, let's see if I can do this. To get to the Kingston Trio site mentioned above, Click here
So, whatdaya think, Joe? Am I saved yet?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: Barbara
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 02:19 PM

Wal, shoot! Someone else with an edit button made it a clickable link while I was messing around with the HTML. Anyway, now I know how to do it.
Blessings anyway,
Barbara

Guess who!!
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: jeffs
Date: 27 Apr 99 - 10:39 PM

The tape is from the TV special and Zombie Jamboree is done by Rockapella. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was done by Ladysmith Black Mombaza and the Mint Juleps. It was an excellent show. I think the complete title is something like "Spike Lee and Friends Do It A Capella.

Now if only the Rockapella albums weren't so expensive.

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: gargoyle
Date: 28 Apr 99 - 12:16 AM

Dear Mr. Joe?

Multiple combinations on my part were unable to "dig it out" of the base.

Pray tell, what method, (outside of your behind the scenes "voodoo") did you use to hoodoo that reference?

Seriously

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Apr 99 - 12:44 AM

Hi, Gargoyle - I haven't been able to get the "body" part of Forum Search to work for months - I think we have just too many messages, and a search of the entire text of every message crashes the search engine. The "subject" and "sender" parts still work, and search the Forum all the way back to Day One (about October 1996, I think). the "filter" works on thread titles, but only back 365 days.
One little hint for everybody - if you're posting lyrics in a thread that has a title that's not absolutely clear, change the "subject" in your message so it fits. That way, a Forum Search will find your songs.
Both the Forum Search and the "Filter" are available on the main Forum menu. Hope that helps.

Uh, oh. I think I might have lied. The above is good advice, so I'll leave it, but that may not be how I found the lyics. I think this or "dustman" is the one I had to find on a full-text search engine like www.lycos.com or www.hotbot.com. You get too many "hits" on those engines unless you use an "exact phrase" search, but "exact phrase" can do wonders.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 28 Apr 99 - 06:40 AM

The Spinners (Liverpool not Detroit) performed and recorded this tho' Cliff Hall referred to Kingston Cemetery as he was of Jamaican origin. Most of their songs printed intheir own Spin magazine and compiled into Spinner's Songbooks.

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: Matthew B.
Date: 16 Oct 99 - 07:54 PM

Hey Irma, if you're still around, I can get you those lyrics, so let me know if you want them.

The excellent video you saw was actually produced by Spike Lee, and the group singing it was Rockapella -- a group which has changed its membership somewhat since the making of that video.

Subject: Lyr Add: ZOMBIE JAMBOREE (Kingston Trio)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Oct 99 - 09:26 PM

Here's the Kingston Trio version. Maybe that will save you some typing, Matthew. if your version is different, please post it. I'd like to see it. Note that there's a link above to a thread with the rockapella version.
-Joe Offer-

ZOMBIE JAMBOREE
(Conrad Eugene Mauge, Jr.)

Chorus:
Well, now, back to back, belly to belly, well, I don't give a damn 'cause I done that already, back to back
Belly to belly at the zombie jamboree.(Repeat) (Now hear the chorus) (You can feel that) (Oh, what a good game)(You're all alone, you know)

Zombie jamboree took place in a New York cemetery (Where?) Zombie jamboree took place in Long Island cemetery.
Zombies from all parts of the island. (Where?) Some of them are great calypsonians. (Some.)
Since the season was carnival they got together in bacchanal. Oh, what ya' doin'?

(Chorus)

One female zombie wouldn't behave. She say she want me for a slave.
In the one hand she's holding a quart of wine, in the other she's pointing that she'll be mine.
Well, believe me folks, I had to run. (Why?) A husband of a zombie ain't no fun! (Don't knock it!)
I says, "Oh, no, my turtle dove, that old bag of bones I cannot love." Oh, what you doin'?

(Chorus)

Right then and there she raise her feet. "I'm a-going to catch you now, my sweet.
I'm gonna make you call me 'Sweetie Pie'." I says "Oh, no, get back, you lie!"
"I may be lyin' but you will see (What?) After you kiss this dead zombie." (Blah!)
Well, I never seen such a horror in my life. Can you imagine me with a zombie wife? (Yes!)

(Chorus)

Subject: RE: zombie jamboree
From: lamarca
Date: 17 Oct 99 - 01:08 PM

I believe this song was originally recorded by the Trinidad calypsonian group with the scary name of "Lord Invader and the Penetrators". Lord Invader is also cited as being the author of "Rum and Coca Cola". Many of the famous calypsonians took stage names for their recordings that proclaimed themselves to be of the Calypso aristocracy - Lord Beginner, Lord Kitchener, etc. Rounder has a bunch of really good collections of early calypso recordings from the 30's and 40's - the music is really fun, and was a good commentry on social and political issues of the time in clever and humerous ways.

Subject: Zombie Jamboree
From:
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 05:18 PM

Hi I have a live recording of women's a capella group 'No Sleep til bedtime' featuring this song about a party in a New York Cemetery. I need the lyrics by Sat 30th october for a workshop. Please can anyone help?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Zombie Jamboree
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 05:37 PM

yvette, click on the blue clicky for an earlier thread on this song

blueclicky

--seed

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Zombie Jamboree
From: GUEST,MSM
Date: 15 Jun 16 - 01:29 PM

An early version of the song...called Jubie Jamborie...done by "The Charmer"...He no other than Louis Farrakhan.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Zombie Jamboree
From: keberoxu
Date: 15 Jun 16 - 02:30 PM

I recall watching the Kingston Trio reunion on public television [Smothers Brothers hosting], and the old trio led off with Zombie Jamboree, clearly having a wonderful time in front of the live audience. I can still hear the yodel at the end of the second verse:
"Zombie wi - EEFE?!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Zombie Jamboree
From: meself
Date: 15 Jun 16 - 02:30 PM

This is the version I grew up with; the only one I've heard, but can't imagine anyone doing it much better: Lord Jellicoe & his Calypso Monarchs

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Zombie Jamboree
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 15 Jun 16 - 03:56 PM

The link in the previous post didn't work for me - possibly because of "https" instead of "http"? [Link Fixed by Joe Offer, Inc.]

Try this: Zombie Jamboree

A great version was recorded a number of years ago by Clam Chowder using the Kingston Trio lyrics; unfortunately, it's not available from their website and hasn't been posted to YouTube. Perhaps someone out there...?


Jay