Origins: King of the Cannibal Islands

Subject: Lyr Add: KING OF THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Jul 02 - 05:35 PM

KING OF THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS

1. Oh! have you heard the news of late,
About a mighty king so great?
If you have not, 'tis in my pate,
  The King of the Cannibal Islands.
He was so tall, near six feet six.
He had a head like Mister Nick's.
His palace was like Dirty Dick's.
'Twas built of mud for want of bricks,
And his name was Poonoowingkeewang
Flibeedee flobeedee buskeebang,
And a lot of Indians swore they would hang
  The King of the Cannibal Islands.

CHORUS: Hokee pokee wongkee fum,
Puttee po pee kaibula cum,
Tongaree wongaree ching ring wum,
  The King of the Cannibal Islands.

2. The mighty king had in one hut
Seventy wives as black as soot,
And thirty of a double smut,
  The King of the Cannibal Islands.
So just one hundred wives he had,
And every week he was a dad.
Upon my word, it was too bad,
For his smutty dears soon drove him mad.
There was Hungkee Mungkee, short and tall,
With Tuzzee Muzzee and Keeko Pall,
And some of them swore they would have all
  The King of the Cannibal Islands.

3. One day the king invited most
All of his subjects to a roast,
For half his wives gave up the ghost,
  The King of the Cannibal Islands.
Of fifty wives he was bereft
And so he had but fifty left.
He said with them he would make shift,
So for a gorge all set off swift.
The fifty dead ones were roasted soon
And all demolish'd before the noon,
And a lot of chiefs vow'd to have soon,
  The King of the Cannibal Islands.

4. When they had done, and bones picked clean,
They all began to dance, I ween.
The fifty wives slipp'd out unseen
  From King of the Cannibal Islands.
He turning round soon miss'd them all,
So for his wives began to bawl,
But not one answered his call.
He sprung out through the muddy wall,
Then into the woods he went with grief,
And found each queen 'long with a chief.
He swore he'd Macadamize every thief,
  The King of the Cannibal Islands.

5. He sent for all his guards with knives.
He put an end to all their lives,
The fifty chiefs and fifty wives,
  The King of the Cannibal Islands.
These cannibal slaveys then begun
Carving their heads off one by one,
And the king he laughed to see the fun,
Then jump'd into bed when all was done,
And every night when he's asleep,
His headless wives and chiefs all creep,
And roll upon him in a heap,
  The King of the Cannibal Islands.

From http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/ballads/ballads.htm: Bodleian.
This song has been a favorite of all lovers of the long pig for many years. These lyrics are from two broadside ballad printings, Harding B36(10) and Harding B 11(322), both printed in London, UK between 1813 and 1838 and 1813-1844, resp. The chorus is similar to that of "Ching a Ring Chaw," an anonymous minstrel song of 1833 date, and also in "In Chinaland There Lived a Great Man," from the 1850s. Chinaman
Also see thread 19284: Cannibal
@humor @cannibals @minstrel?

Subject: Lyr Add: KING OF THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS
From: Alice
Date: 15 Mar 00 - 10:46 PM

my grandmother taught this to my mother who taught it to me. These are the only verses I know.

KING OF THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS

chorus
Hokey Pokey Winky Wung,
Polly Makoo Kamoling Kung,
Hangery Wangery Chingery Ching,
The King of the Cannibal Islands.

Have you heard my story of late,
For if you've not 'tis on my pate,
About a mighty potentate,
The King of the Cannibal Islands.

chorus
Hokey Pokey Winky Wung,
Polly Makoo Kamoling Kung,
Hangery Wangery Chingery Ching,
The King of the Cannibal Islands.

Woman pudding and baby sauce,
Little boy pie for second course,
He'd swallow them all without any remorse,
The King of the Cannibal Islands.

chorus
Hokey Pokey Winky Wung,
Polly Makoo Kamoling Kung,
Hangery Wangery Chingery Ching,
The King of the Cannibal Islands.

.........
The long list of words in the chorus were, as we thought of it, the king's name.

Alice in Montana

Subject: RE: Lyrics and music for......
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 19 Mar 99 - 12:28 PM

A refresh so Ter can made sure this isn't the song he or she is looking for. As a medley title, how about just "Sweet Judy Blue-Eyes"?

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: A CANNIBAL KING
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Aug 98 - 07:01 PM

Well, here's the tune and lyrics according to Songs for Swinging Housemothers
-Joe Offer-

Cannibal King Medley - A Cannibal King

Oh, the can-ni-bal king
With a brass nose ring
Fell in love with a fair young maid
And ev-'ry night by the pale moon-light
A-cross the bay he came.
Oh, a hug and a kiss for a Zu-lu miss
In the shade of the old palm tree
Each time they met they sang a du-et
And it sound-ed like this to me.
Kiss, kiss (kiss, kiss), Kiss, kiss (kiss, kiss)
Kiss, kiss da de a dee oh-oh
Kiss, kiss (kiss, kiss), Kiss, kiss (kiss, kiss)
Kiss, kiss, I love you so

Click to play

ABC format:

X:1
T:Cannibal King Medley - A Cannibal King
M:4/4
Q:1/4=120
K:F
CCFFA2F2|CCF2A2F2|CCF2FFG2|F2E2G2E2|C2E2G2E2|
CCE2G2E2|C2C2C2D2|E2F6|CCF2AAF2|CCF2A2F2|
CCF2FFG2|F2E2G2E2|C2E2G2E2|C2EEG2E2|CCCCC2D2|
E2F6|C2F2c2c2|C2F2c2c2|C2F2F2G2|F2E2G2E2|
C2E2c2c2|C2E2c2c2|C2C2C2D2|E2F11/2||

---

Cannibal King Medley - We'll Build a Bungalow

We'll build a bun-ga-low
Big e-nough for two
Big e-nough for two my hon-ey
Big e-nough for two
And when we're mar__ -ried
Hap-py we'll be
Un-der-neath the bam-boo
Un-der-neath the bam-boo tree.

Click to play

ABC format:

X:1
T:Cannibal King Medley - We'll Build a Bungalow
M:2/2
Q:1/4=120
K:F
C2C4D2|F2G2A4|GGG4F2|D8|GGG4F2|D2C2D2E2|FFF4D2|
C8|C2C4D2|F2G2A4|G2G4F2|D8|GGG4E2|D4E4|FFFFF2F2|
F3/2||

---

Cannibal King Medley - M-I-N-E
If you'll be M-I-N-E mine
I'll be T-H-I-N-E thine
And I'll L-O-V-E love you
All the T-I-M-E time
You are the B-E-S-T best
Of all the R-E-S-T rest
And I'll L-O-V-E love you
All the T-I-M-E time
Wrap 'em up, stack 'em up
An-y old time.

Click to play

ABC format:

X:1
T:Cannibal King Medley - M-I-N-E
M:4/4
Q:1/4=120
K:F
C2D2E2F2|F2C2C2F2|E2F2_G2G2|G2D2D2G2|-G2G2F2E2|
E2E2E2E2|C2D2E2F2|F2D2D2C2|C2D2E2F2|F2C2C2F2|
E2F2_G2G2|G2D2D2G2|-G2G2F2E2|E2E2E2E2|C2D2E2F2|
-F2F4F2|F2F2A2FF|F2FFF2FF|F2F2A7/4||

Gee, this is some piece of work.
Maybe we should give it a highfalutin title like Suite: The Emperor of the Cannibals
....how 'bout Suite: Cannibal Blue Eyes???

Subject: RE: Lyrics and music for......
From: Musicman
Date: 08 Aug 98 - 09:00 AM

This is all really great guys....Thanks. I work as a music therapist with seniors and some have requested these songs. If you have music to go with these words, it would be really helpful. YOu can email me at: [e-mail] or fax to 604-824-1037. Thanks for all your help.

Subject: RE: Lyrics and music for......
From: Animaterra
Date: 08 Aug 98 - 08:01 AM

I'll get the full tune and words in a few weeks when school starts again, but here's another verse from the version a la Jerry F.

One day while waiting for his tea A coconut fell from a neighboring tree And bonked his cannabalic majesty, The king of the cannibal island! Hokey pokey etc.

I'll do the compleat "king" in late Aug. If you really want it!

Subject: Lyr Add: THE KING OF THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 07 Aug 98 - 04:24 PM

I too learned "THE KING OF THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS" as a child--I'll bet it went out of favor not long after. Here's all I remember:

Now have you heard the story of late
About a certain potentate?
Well, if you haven't, it's in my pate--
The king of the cannibal islands!

Chorus:
Hokey pokey winky wong
Parley magoo gagoo gagong
Handaree rangaree chingaree chong
The king of the cannibal islands!

Subject: RE: Lyrics and music for......
From:
Date: 06 Aug 98 - 10:39 AM

Sorry, it took so long to get back to answer the question but we just had our 2 week spasm of Family Reunion, lots of singing, square dancing and exhaustion. The first song I can do from memory. We sang it this weekend. The second song I came across in my quest to find sheet music or cheat book sources for the songs we sing. You can find it in a book called "Songs for swingin' housemothers" by Frank Lynn. the book also has one verse and a bit of the chorus for the Cannibal King. Real close to the melody we sing but then after my research I've decided my bunch is the Cuisinart of the Folk Process!

Subject: RE: Lyrics and music for......
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 06 Aug 98 - 02:35 AM

G'Day All,

we seem to have lost track of our cannibal, and his island. I went looking for "King of the Cannibal Islands" and found that I had the tune (from the Scottish Students' Songbook, ~ 1890) but no words - the songbook merely had it as the tune for a newer song.

This suggests that it was already quite old but well-known in 1890. I think I will have to start looking at books from the mid to early 19th century. I mentioned another song using the tune (early Pommy whingeing, written on the way out to Australia) and I will post the words of that to a new thread: Lyr, Add: Pommies' Lament.

This song must be from the convict era (~ before the 1850s) since it talks about having convicts working the farm ... as well as the depradations of bushrangers and hostile natives ... and rapacious land-agents.

Enjoy - it may be at least related to the song you were after.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyrics and music for......
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 30 Jul 98 - 08:36 PM

G'day all,

Mafreeh's songs look most interesting but, from the words quoted by suggest a possibity that the song chased is (as Aminaterra guesse s) "The King of the Cannibal Islands".

"The King of the Cannibal Islands" was popular in the mid-to-late 19th century/early 20th century and is found in most comprehensive songsters from the period. I would have it in perhaps half a dozen different books in my collection.

The tune is used for a number of Australian songs from the colonial era - including one detailing all the terrible things that happen to an English settler coming to buy a property in the new country ... apparently made up for a shipboard concert by a bunch of immigrants who had not yet reached Australia! A.L. Lloyd said that the tune was very popular for union songs in the early part of this century.

The tune also survives as a dance tune and I would have it in MusicTime notation somewhere on the computer. If "The King of the Cannibal Islands" is one of the songs requested, I can scan in the words and download the tune in MIDI / ABC but i would be surprised if it is not in DT.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyrics and music for......
From: musicman
Date: 30 Jul 98 - 03:32 PM

thanks for the lyrics........but how does the song go????? can anybody send the music to me? I guess nobody's heard about the song about the woollen sweater. Just shows you where our minds are, eh?? Let me know at [e-mail] if you have the music available.

Thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyrics and music for......
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Jul 98 - 09:13 PM

Hey, those are some kinda songs, Mafreeh. I recall fragments of both of 'em, but it's amazing to see them complete. Did you type them from memory?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: UNDER THE BAMBOO TREE and A CANNIBAL MAID
From: mafreeh
Date: 27 Jul 98 - 01:00 PM

It would be nice if you had a little more to go on but what I could mentioning cannibals were these:

We actually sing the first one every now and then. I think it was popular on College Campuses in the 40's, 50's.


UNDER THE BAMBOO TREE
aka THE CANNIBAL KING

Oh, the cannibal king
With the big nose ring
Fell in love with a dusky maid
And every night in the pale moon light
Across the bay he sail
He hugged and kiss his pretty little miss
Under the bamboo tree
And every night
Under the pale moonlight
Sounded like this to me...

Bah ump, bah ump boom du di oddy eh
Bah ump, bah ump boom du di oddy eh

Oh, the cannibal king
With the big nose ring
Bought a ring for his dusky maid
And then that night
By the pale moonlight
Across the bay he sailed
He placed the band upon her hand
And promised he'd be true
And then that night
In the pale moonlight
They sat and pitched the woo

Oh, the cannibal king
Went out on a fling
Without his dusky maid
And then that night
By the pale moonlight
Across the bay she sailed
In her hand she carried a gun
The bullets made of lead
And then that night
By the pale moonlight
She went and shot him dead

Bah ump bang, bang bah ump bang bang
Bomm du di oddy eh
Bah ump, bang, bang bah ump bang, bang
Boom du di oddy eh

We'll build a bungalow
Big enough for two
Big enough for two my darling
Big enough for two
And when we marry
Happy we'll be
Under the bamboo tree.

If you be M-I-N-E mine
I'll be T-H-I-N-E thine
And I'll L-O-V-E love you
All the T-I-M-E time

You are the B-E-S-T best
Of all the R-E-S-T rest
And I'll L-O-V-E love you
All the T-I-M-E time

Just like a L-A-R-K lark
Out in the P-A-R-K park
I will K-I-S-S kiss you
In the D-A-R-K dark

You are the B-E-S-T best
Of all the R-E-S-T rest
And I'll L-O-V-E love you
All the T-I-M-E time.


A CANNIBAL MAID AND HER HOTTENTOT BLADE

A cannibal maid and her Hottentot blade
They met in a rocky defile
And a gay eagle plume was his only costume
While she was dressed in a smile

Together they strolled as his passions he told
In thrilling and tremulous mein
She had murmured the word, when a war whoop was heard
And a rival burst out on the scene

"Twas a savage Zulu to the trysting place drew
Demanding his cannibal bride
But the Hottentot said, with a toss of his head
"I'll have your degenerate hide"

So the Hottentot flew at the savage Zulu
And the Zulu he flew at the blade
Together they vied with their strength and their pride
As they fought for the cannibal maid

She perched on a stone with her shapely shinbone
Clasped in her long twining arms
And watched the blood fly with a love laden eye
As the warriors fought for her charms

Oh,the purple blood flows from the Hottentot's nose
And the Zulu is struck by the blade
As together they vied with their strength and their pride
And they died for the cannibal maid

She made a fine stew of the savage Zulu
And she scrambled the Hottentot's brains
Twas a dainty menu when the cooking was through
And she dined from her lover's remains

Oh, the savage Zulu and the Hottentot, too,
Are asleep in a cannibal tomb
The three were made one--my story is done
And the maiden walked off in the gloom.

Subject: RE: Lyrics and music for......
From: Animaterra
Date: 25 Jul 98 - 02:13 PM

My fourth grade music book had a very non-p.c. song about the King of the cannibal island. Refrain went something like: Hokey pokey winky wong....etc. I may even still have the book, so let me know if you want it.

Subject: RE: Lyrics and music for......
From: Musicman
Date: 25 Jul 98 - 09:40 AM

I have no idea....

Subject: RE: Lyrics and music for......
From: Benjamin Bodhra/nai/
Date: 24 Jul 98 - 11:39 PM

It's a long shot but is the cannibal one have the part "I won't eat people"?

Subject: Lyrics and music for......
From: Paul
Date: 24 Jul 98 - 01:31 PM

I am looking for the songs which I think have the following titles (or something like this) "Once on a cannibal Island" and "When my mother knit the woolen sweater for me".

Thanks.