THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
390-Harry Belafonte-Day-O(The Banana Boat Song.)
1957-Number 2 single.
Best Bit-At 2.36.This genre of music is known as ‘Mento,’ it is a style of Jamaican Folk Music that predates and has greatly influenced Ska and Reggae music.
The song originated as a Jamaican folk song,probably sung by Jamaica banana workers and probably created around the start of the 20th Century.
The song tells the story of dock workers who would work throughout the night loading bananas onto ships.As daylight approaches they await the arrival of the ‘Tallyman’ who will take inventory so they can go home.
The first official recording of the song was in 1952 by Trinidadian singer Edric Connor,it was on his version that Harry Belafonte based his recording.The song has become his signature and appears on his 1956 Album ‘Calypso,’which became the first ever Album to sell 1 million copies.
‘Work all night on a drink of rum,daylight come and me wan’ go home.’
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The countdown continues tomorrow at 1.0.pm.