The Budapest Banana-Boat Song

POST #98
PASTICHE with parody-lyrics: parodysitism?

RECIPIENT SONG (music): "Budapest", 2013, George Ezra.

INVADING SONG (lyrics): "The Banana Boat Song (Day -O)" The Tarriers, Harry Belafonte, 1955 (adapted from earlier recordings from 1952).   

PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, September, 2015.

KEYWORDS:  modernsong, mishmash

George Ezra presumably wrote the original song before ever visiting the city of Budapest. No one seems to understand the “Castillo” reference; the word means castle in Spanish, but capitalized as in his lyrics it seems to be a proper name, possibly a brand-name. Others have been less ready than George to give up home and possessions, as in this calypso song harking back to the 50s.  

BUDAPEST BANANA-BOAT SONG

(to the tune of "Budapest")

Come mister tally-man come, come tally me banana

  Golden eight-foot bunches, ripe beautiful Chiquitas

Daylight come, me wan’ go home.

Me load banana boat de whole night long

Work 'til de morning on just one drink of rum

Me say day-oh! day-oh, me wan’ go home

Me say day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go home.

Give me one good reason why we

Should not get higher pay -

Deadly black tarantula -

One bite and you might slip away.

De work conditions here

No one would like.

We should get unionized and stage a strike

Daylight come, oh! me wan’ go home

Me say day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go home

Give me one good reason why we 

Should not get higher pay -

Deadly black tarantula -

One bite and you might slip away.

If I could get some money, I’d quit and go to sea,

For now I stack banana, ripe beautiful Chiquita

Daylight come, oh! me wan’ go home

Me say day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go home.

Give me one good reason why we 

Should not get higher pay -

Deadly black tarantula -

One bite and you might slip away.

Come mister tally-man come, come tally me banana

  Golden eight-foot bunches, ripe beautiful Chiquitas

Day-oh! day-oh, me wan’ go home

Me say day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go home.

Performing Notes

Best solo play technique involves a reggae beat with striking the soundbox on beats 1 and 3, strumming on beats 2 and 4.
If you have a 2nd player, incorporate the riffs in the chorus, and in all the verses except the first and last.

INTRO:  | F |x4

[F] Come mister tally-man come, come tally me banana

  Golden eight-foot bunches, ripe beautiful Chiquitas

[Bb] Daylight come, me wan’ go [F] home.

[F] Me load banana boat de whole night long

Work 'til de morning on just one drink of rum

Me say [Bb] day-oh! day-oh, me wan’ go [F] home

Me say [Bb] day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go [F] home.

Riff on F:      F, G, F, C, F
Riff on Bb:    F, G, F, D, F 

[C] Give me one good reason why

We should not get higher [F] pay -

[C] Deadly black tarantula
- One [Bb] bite, and you might slip a[F]way.

Riff starting at end of 2nd line:  C,C,C, Bb, A

....

Final verse: No riffs: sparse playing, mostly a cappella

[F]! Come mister tally-man come, come tally me banana

  Golden eight-foot bunches, ripe beautiful Chiquitas

 [Bb]! Day-oh! day-oh, me wan’ go [F]! home

Me say [Bb]! day-oh! day-oh! Me wan’ go [F]! home.