Yeah, yeah, I know I played this in February of last year, but bear with me here. First, a lot of you liked the song, said it made you smile and that it was a feel-good song, and we surely do need one of those ’bout now. And second, I’m really tired tonight. I was digging into my music stash, and this came up … it set my toes to tapping, and I thought … AHA! Then I found I’d already played it, but frankly, I’m so bone-tired that it’s either this or no music, so I figured this was the better alternative. I do, however, have some trivia to offer that I didn’t have last time.
This is a traditional Jamaican song that was sung by dock workers who worked throughout the night loading bananas onto ships. It’s daylight, and they look forward to the arrival of the Tallyman (who will take inventory) so they can go home.
Belafonte’s version used lyrics adapted by Irving Burgie and William Attaway. Burgie, sometimes credited as “Lord Burgess,” is a popular Caribbean composer. Attaway was a novelist and songwriter who was friends with Belafonte. Burgie and Attaway wrote most of the songs on the Calypso album.
This remains the most popular mainstream calypso song, and the song most identified with Belafonte. It was not the first calypso hit in America, however. That honor goes to The Andrews Sisters – three white girls from Minnesota – who had a #1 in 1945 with “Rum and Coca-Cola,” a song written and originally recorded by the Trinidadian musician Lord Invader.
In 1956, folk singer Bob Gibson, who had traveled to Jamaica and heard the song, taught his version to the folk band The Tarriers. They recorded a version of that song that incorporated the chorus of “Hill and Gully Rider”, another Jamaican folk song. This release became their biggest hit, reaching number four on the pop charts, where it outperformed Belafonte’s version. The Tarriers’ version was recorded by Shirley Bassey in 1957 and it became a hit in the United Kingdom. The Tarriers, or some subset of the three members of the group (Erik Darling, Bob Carey and Alan Arkin, later better known as an actor) are sometimes credited as the writers of the song; their version combined elements of another song and was thus newly created.
Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)
Harry Belafonte
Day-o, day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Me say day, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Work all night on a drink of rum
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Stack banana ’til de mornin’ come
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Day, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
A beautiful bunch o’ ripe banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Hide the deadly black tarantula
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Day, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Day-o, day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Me say day, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Songwriters: Dave Tanner / William Attaway / Harry Belafonte / Lord Burgess
Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) lyrics © Semi, Music Sales Corporation
This one takes me right back to my childhood, such a soulful and smooth rendition. Good choice Jill.
Two notes:
1. Have you heard Stan Freberg’s version?
2. Back in the late 1980s I had my own verse when it came to the Tarantula:
‘Watch out for the Margaret Thatcher
She’ll take yer job,
And your social security she’ll snatcha
Daylight come and me wanna go home…’
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I’m glad you liked it! I hadn’t heard the Stan Freberg version, but I went in search of and found it, so I have now! Funny!!! I loved it! I also love your version from back in the day. I wonder if I could make my own verse, just change a few words …
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Go for it Jill! 😃
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I remember this clearly (and always thought that Rum and Coca Cola was a superstrange choice for the Andrews Sisters to sing, with its hints of poverty and racism and sexwork and all). I used to also love another one by him, and am spacin gon it right now–OH! ‘Carry me ackee, go a Linstead market, non dem quatty worth sell–‘
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I’m glad you remembered and liked this one, but you’ve lost me on the other one … I don’t think I’ve heard it.
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Here are three versions of it–the top one is what I recall. The very bright one is nothing like it, and I haven’t listened to the middle one yet–the top one sums it up though.
https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2857
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Thanks! No, I’m sure I never heard that before!
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We went to Catholica school and I recall the music nun that used to come in and teach us, in fifth grade. I think she was German, very dedicated, and I recall learning it in a very measured way, as if it were a waltz or something–every syllable clear. That is very funny for an islands patois song, but at least I know lots of the words.
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Just Fantastic, showed the talents of Harry Belafonte off well and he must have had a sense of humour.I was even moving along with it…….but only after I checked for the Deadly Black Tarantula.
Cwtch
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No deadly black tarantulas in your bungalow … I smited them all! Glad you moved to the music!
Cwtch
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That’s a fun song, but I sure wouldn’t want to be a banana-loading dockworker. Especially when there’s deadly tarantulas in the bananas.
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Nor would I … the very weight of the bananas would bow a person’s back. Then again … I really like bananas, and who would notice if I snuck one off the bunch every now and then? 🍌🍌🍌 🕷️
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Enjoy his music. Couldn’t resist moving to the rhythm of this one.
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It is one of those that sets the toes to tapping whether we wish it to or not! Glad you liked it!
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Vivid memories are associated with this song. My sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Fogle, expanded my awareness in so many ways, like reading “Flowers for Algernon” to us every day, and teaching us this song. I really got into singing it, and she selected me to lead the class in it when we presented it at a school assembly. I was proud and thrilled (and a bit scared) so you see why vivid memories come along with this song.
I’ll never forget Mrs. Fogle, and I’ll always be grateful to her. Best teacher I ever had (and I had several). Thanks for stirring the embers of my memories. Cheers
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What wonderful memories!!! Thumbs up to Mrs. Fogle … I well remember “Flowers for Algernon” with fondness. ‘Twas my pleasure to bring those memories to the forefront … I’m glad they were happy ones! Cheers!
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Great drinking song too. Thanks, Jill
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Hmmmm … guess I’ll have to try it to find out! 🍷 🍷🍷 🍷🍷🍷🍷 Yeah, I’d say you’re right!
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Dayooooooo.Dayoooooo come de light and I wanna go home. *Glug
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hic.
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Poor dockworker. Sounded like the tallyman never came. Guess he slowly faded into the sunrise…
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I used to think he was saying, “Eli’s coming” instead of daylight’s coming, and I just assumed Eli to be his brother. No, I think the tallyman did come, so he was able to go home and come back the next day to sing the song again.
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Lol. Eli’s Coming was a song by Three Dog Night, perhaps that is what you are remembering. The mind likes to play tricks on us seniors…
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Yeah, I do remember that one too, but I also thought this was Eli’s coming. And hey … who you callin’ a ‘senior’??? 😉
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Oky, Ms Teenybopper…
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😊
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