☝️ Key Points
- The 'Banana Boat Song' is a traditional Jamaican folk song that describes the hard work routine of banana boat workers.
- The refrain 'Day-o' expresses the workers' longing for the end of their shift.
- The 'Tallyman' mentioned in the lyrics is the supervisor in charge of counting the number of loaded banana bunches.
- The verses 'Heave six foot, seven foot, eight foot, BUNCH!' refer to the size of the banana bunches they have to carry.
- The song includes a warning about the 'deadly black tarantula' that could be dangerous for the workers.
Interpretation
The 'Banana Boat Song' by
Harry Belafonte is a traditional Jamaican folk song that describes the hard work routine of banana boat workers. It tells the story of workers who load bananas all night and look forward to going home when the day breaks ('Day-light come and we wan' go home').
The refrain 'Day-o' is a call that announces the beginning of the day and expresses the workers' longing for the end of their shift. The 'Tallyman' in the lyrics is the supervisor who counts the number of loaded banana bunches ('Come, Mister Tal-ly-man, tal-ly me ba-na-na').
The verses 'Heave six foot, seven foot, eight foot, BUNCH!' refer to the size of the banana bunches they have to carry, with a 'Bunch' representing a large cluster of bananas.
The song also warns about the 'deadly black tarantula' that could be hiding in the banana bunches, highlighting the dangers the workers are exposed to.
Overall, the 'Banana Boat Song' is a song that puts the hard work routine, the longing for the end of work, and the associated dangers in the spotlight.