The Banana Boat Song (day-o)

The 'Banana Boat Song (Day-O)' performed by Harry Belafonte is a traditional Jamaican folk song that gained international fame in the 1950s. The song is a work chant that reflects the experience of Jamaican laborers working throughout the night until the morning light. The repeated refrain 'Daylight come and me wan' go home' expresses the workers' longing for the end of their laborious shift, highlighting the grueling nature of their work and their anticipation for rest.

The lyrics 'Work all night on a drink of rum / Stack banana till de mornin' come' vividly depict the workers' conditions, where rum might have been used to sustain them through the night. The tally man mentioned in the song is responsible for counting the bananas, which determines when the workers can finally go home. The mention of lifting 'six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch' indicates the physical demands of their job, handling large bunches of bananas. The 'deadly black tarantula' line adds a sense of danger to their work environment, emphasizing the hardships faced by the laborers.

Harry Belafonte's rendition brought the song into the limelight, and it became an emblematic piece of calypso music, a genre known for its Afro-Caribbean rhythms and social commentary. The song's catchy tune and Belafonte's charismatic delivery made it a classic, but its roots are deeply embedded in the historical context of Caribbean labor and the exploitation of workers in the banana trade. It's a song that, while upbeat, carries the weight of its cultural and historical significance.