The Banana Boat Song (Day-O) - Harry Belafonte - MP3 instrumental karaoke

"The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)" is a traditional Jamaican folk song famously performed by Harry Belafonte and released in 1956. The songwriters include Irving Burgie, also known as Lord Burgess, and William Attaway. Its popularity skyrocketed after Belafonte's rendition on his album Calypso, which became the first LP to sell over a million copies. The song peaked at Number 5 on the Billboard charts, marking a milestone in the introduction of Caribbean music to mainstream audiences. It's essentially a work song, reflecting the hardships of dockworkers laboring long into the night loading bananas onto boats. Musically, "The Banana Boat Song" embodies the rhythmic, upbeat style of Calypso music. Its infectious chorus, with Belafonte's call "Day-O" and the response of an unseen dockworker choir, evokes a sense of communal endurance amidst hardship. In 1988, "The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)" gained new life after being featured in Tim Burton's fantasy horror comedy Beetlejuice, which exposed the song to a whole new generation of listeners.