Day O

Click the title above to see Gwen Ifill's recent TV interview on the PBS Newshour with one of my favorite singers, Harry Belafonte. Hope to see him in Berkeley soon.

Harry is making the rounds promoting his autobiography, My Song. Imagine at 84 and being able to travel and interview and plug a book? What I love about this interview is that he reveals how he was an activist first, then an actor, and that the singing came out of his amazing skill as actor.

You can find his lyrics online. You can also buy ringtones to Harry's songs.


Photo by Carl Van Vechten



The Banana Boat Song
By Harry Belafonte

Day-o, Day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Me say day, me say day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan' go home

Work all night on a drink a' rum
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Stack banana till the 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

It's 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-ay-ay-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 a' ripe banana
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Hide the deadly black tarantula
Daylight come and me wan' go home

It's six foot, seven foot, eight foot BUNCH!