Banana Boat Song

The origins of 'The Banana Boat Song' are not known completely and its the same for its author but we know for sure that this is a Jamaican folk song. The most interesting thing about this folk song is that it was originally sung by the banana field workers of Jamaica.

The melody was very much a calypso style of singing but different locals improvised their own lyrics from time to time often their most common reference "daylight come and we wan' go home". This song was also frequently sung by dock workers who worked during the dark shift loading bananas onto ships.

The first recorded version was took place in 1952 when Trinidadian singer Edric Conner who along with his band "The Carribeans" recorded this song onto his album 'Songs From Jamaica' and named the song "Day De Light". Song lyrics were written by Ivrine Burgie from the island of Barbados.

Daylight has come, the shift is over and they want their work to be counted up so that they can go home (this is the meaning of the lyric "Come, Mr. Tally Man, tally me banana/ Daylight come and we wanna go home"). 

The song is perhaps best known for being used in the comedy film Beetlejuice. In the dinner scene, the guests become possessed and sing and dance to the song.

Artist: Harry Belafonte

Song: The Banana Boat Song


    C                     F         C
I'm loadin' de bananaboat all night long
                   G7       C
Day de light and I wanna go home
                         F        C
Hey, all of the workmenn sing dis song
                   G7       C
Day de light and I wanna go home

Chorus
C    G   F    C                      G7       C
Day, oh, day, oh, day de light and I wanna go home


I'm loadin' de bananaboat all night long
Day de light and I wanna go home
Hey, all of de women sing dis song
Day de light and I wanna go home

Chorus

I'm loadin' de bananaboat all night long
Day de light and I wanna go home
Hey, all of the chillen sing dis song
Day de light and I wanna go home

Chorus

Banana Boat Song

 D                                  A7      D
Day-oh Day-oh Daylight come an' I wanna go home
 D                                  A7      D
Day-oh Day-oh Daylight come an' I wanna go home


 D
Six han' seven han' eight han' bunch
 D                    A7      D
Daylight come an' I wanna go home

Six han' seven han' eight han' bunch
                      A7
Daylight come an' I wanna go home


  D
Come mister tally man tally me banana
                     A7       D
Daylight come an' I wanna go home

Come mister tally man tally me banana
                     A7       D
Daylight come an' I wanna go home 

 D                                  A7      D
Day-oh Day-oh Daylight come an' I wanna go home
 D                                  A7      D
Day-oh Day-oh Daylight come an' I wanna go home 

"You can cage the singer but not the song."
Harry Belafonte

In writing today's post I am hoping you will not find this offensive in any way. I simply LOVE bananas and grow ice cream bananas on my ranch. I also like the song very much and enjoy hearing the children sing it with their precious smiles. Who doesn't like a banana?!

 

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey