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"Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" is a traditional Jamaican folk song. The song has mento influences, but it is commonly classified as an example of the better known calypso music . It is a call and response work song , from the point of view of dock workers working the night shift loading bananas onto ships.
Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) is a traditional Jamaican mento folk song, the best-known version of which was sung by Harry Belafonte.
- 8 Born and Raised in Harlem
- 7 His Mentor Paul Robeson
- 6 His Support For MLK
- 5 He Bailed MLK Out of Birmingham Jail
- 4 He Bankrolled Most of The Civil Rights Movement
- 3 His Apartment Was A Meeting Hall For Dr. King
- 2 He Continued with Activism
- 1 He Is Still Fighting Today
Belafonte was born in Harlem in 1927 to Jamaican immigrant parents. He began his career in music as a nightclub entertainer and during this time would work with other musical legends like the jazz greats Charlie Parker and Miles Davis.
As his musical career grew, Belafonte found a mentor and friend in Paul Robeson, one of the most successful black entertainers of the early 20th century. Robeson was an activist and a socialist and his friendship with Belafonte influenced the calypso singer into becoming a political activist as well. Both Belafonte and Robeson would be temporarily ...
As Belafonte’s career gained momentum and his political activism became a prominent part of his life, Belafonte would use his money and celebrity to support the efforts of civil rights leaders and black activists organizing the fight against racism and segregation, especially in the South. He eventually became a close confidant to Martin Luther Kin...
As a friend of Martin Luther King Jr. he was also a patron of King’s work. Belafonte would pay for King’s bail out of the Birmingham Jail,where King wrote one of his most famous letters, and he would financially support King, who only made a measly $8000 a year which was hardly enough to both support his family and cover the expenses required to le...
As well as his financial support for King, Belafonte was also the financial benefactor of the 1961 Freedom Rides, and he provided $60,000 in cash to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the group which organized the famous anti-segregation sit-ins of the 50s and 60s. He also raised $50,000 to help bail out the other protesters from the Bi...
As a friend and confidant of King, he provided every resource he could to assure the man had what he needed to plan his fight for liberation. Along with King, actor Sidney Portier, and trade unionist A. Phillip Randolph, Belafonte hosted these and other men in his Harlem apartment where they planned the 1963 March on Washington.The march would beco...
After King was murdered in 1968, a setback for the fight for equality, Belafonte continued being an advocate for civil rights, the working class, and black liberation. During the 1980s, he was a vocal opponent to South African apartheid and became a UN goodwill ambassador in 1987. He also helped organize the multi-racial collaborative song “We Are ...
Despite his advanced age of 94, Belafonte continues to fight for his beliefs. He works closely with the American Civil Liberties Union, he campaigned for Bernie Sanders in both his runs for president and was a harsh critic of the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump. Belafonte also organized controversial trips to Cuba an...
Jul 3, 2024 · “Day-O” is a repeated phrase throughout the song, which derives from the Jamaican term “daylight come and me wan’ go home.” This phrase represents the desire for daylight to come, signaling the end of a long night shift and the workers’ yearning to return to their homes.
- Ken Chamberlain
Sep 16, 2023 · The Banana Boat Song, also known as Day-O, is a popular Jamaican folk song that was made famous by the American singer Harry Belafonte in the 1950s. This lively and catchy tune has since become an iconic representation of Caribbean music and culture. But what is the meaning behind this beloved song? Table of Contents.
Apr 26, 2023 · “Banana Boat (Day-O)” is said to have originated around the turn of the 20th century in Jamaica. Dockworkers who loaded shipping vessels with bananas would work all through the night until...
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What is Day-O a Jamaican Song?
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Apr 24, 2024 · When you hear “Day-O” or “Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana,” you know you’re about to listen to one of the most famous calypso songs ever recorded. The Banana Boat Song, also known as Day-O, has been covered by many musicians worldwide since its release in 1956.
