Harry Belafonte’s 1956 classic “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” is a traditional Jamaican folk song, originally written in the early 1900s. The song’s upbeat sound often overshadows the meaning of its lyrics, which actually tell a story of hard work and struggle. It’s a call-and-response work song about the end of a long, difficult night for Jamaican dock workers.
Below is a section-by-section interpretation of the lyrics in “The Banana Boat Song.”
- Song: Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)
- Artist: Harry Belafonte
- Songwriters: Harry Belafonte, William Attaway, Lord Burgess
- Released: 1956
- Album: Calypso
- Genre: Mento, Calypso
“The Banana Boat Song” Meaning: Line by Line
Chorus: The End of the Night Shift
Day-o, day-ay-ay-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
The workers are calling out to the new day, or “day-o,” announcing that dawn has arrived.
They’re done with the night shift and love seeing the sun because it means it’s finally time to go home.
Verse 1: Working Through the Night
Work all night on a drink a rum
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
The workers endure a full night of labor, fueled only by a little rum.
Their pay is so low that a single drink is all they can afford after hours of strenuous work, which shows their impoverished status.
Stack banana ’til the mornin’ come
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
The work is monotonous but physically demanding, stacking bananas until sunrise. The long hours make every night exhausting.
Verse 2: Waiting to Be Paid
Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
The workers need to get their bananas counted by the tallyman, the person responsible for keeping track of how much each worker loaded, so they can receive their wages and finally go home.
They rely on this person to do his job since their freedom and pay for the night depend on him.
Verse 3: The Counting Process
Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot, bunch
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
The tallyman is counting the bunches of bananas, not one by one, but by their size.
Listing the size of the bunches shows the large weight and scale of the load the workers are handling. It’s meant to give us an idea of how tough this job is, why they’re exhausted, and why they want to go home.
Verse 4: Hidden Danger
A beautiful bunch of ripe banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
He takes a moment to appreciate the fruit. The workers take pride in their hard labor, even when it is difficult and dangerous.
Pointing out the fruit’s quality also shows why they are there in the first place, putting their lives at risk to handle a valuable product.
Hide the deadly black tarantula
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
The workers have to watch out for the venomous tarantulas that can be hiding in the bunches of bananas. This is a very real threat, as venomous spiders are known to live in banana shipments.
He’s saying that their work isn’t just physically difficult, but also potentially life-threatening. It’s yet another reason why they want to go home.
“The Banana Boat Song” Song Meaning: The Long Night of Labor and Hope
“Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” is about the hard work of the dock workers and their longing for the end of a long, exhausting night shift. It’s a joyful tune, but it’s also a realistic depiction of the lives of laborers who face grueling work, low wages, and even dangers. Its famous chorus is a call for a new start, a break from the hardship, and a hope that when the sun rises, they will finally be free to rest.
This type of song was often used by workers to keep their spirits up, to pass the time, and to coordinate their movements while working together. So, while the lyrics describe the hardship of their lives, the music itself is a tool for survival, a way to make a hard job just a little bit easier by sharing the burden and finding strength in community.
Songs Like “The Banana Boat Song”
Here are a few songs that share a similar theme of hard work or struggle:
1. “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford
“Sixteen Tons” tells the story of a coal miner stuck in endless debt to the company he works for. No matter how much he labors, he never gets ahead.
2. “Take This Job and Shove It” by Johnny Paycheck
This classic country song is about a man who’s had enough of being treated badly at work and finally quits. He’s bitter and frustrated after doing a job that’s worn him down.
Related: Best Songs About Work
3. “Workin’ Man Blues” by Merle Haggard
“Workin’ Man Blues” is about a blue-collar worker who puts in long hours and barely gets by. He stays committed to his family while facing the daily grind of work.
Conclusion: The Everyday Struggle
“The Banana Boat Song” is about the relatable eagerness to go home after a long day of work. It’s a glimpse into the life of Jamaican dock workers, with its physical demands, low pay, and even danger.
The song is a classic for its catchy sound, but it’s also a piece of social commentary, describing a particular kind of labor and the people who performed it.
You can listen to “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” on Spotify and Amazon.
Check out more Folk Song Meanings!
