‘Come Mr Tally Man, tally me banana…’ goes the refrain of 'Day-O', made popular by Harry Belafonte. But before Belafonte added his touch to this tune, it was firmly rooted in a history of colonial resistance in Jamaica. Dockworkers loaded their bananas during the night shift during the height of the Jamaican banana industry and waited for their produce to be counted before returning home at day break.

The first known recording of the song was 'Day Dah Light' in 1952 by Trinidadian artist, Edric Connor. Jamaican singer, Louise Bennett then recorded her version in 1954. Followed by Belafonte's version written by Irvin Burgie and William Attaway in 1957. Belafonte's version skyrocketed to popularity reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1957. Consequent to the success of Belafonte's version, The Tarriers wrote an released a version that was performed by numerous artists including: Shirley Bassey, The Fontane Sisters, Steve Lawrence, Sarah Vaughah and a parody version by Stan Freberg.

For a detailed history of the Jamaican banana industry and the song Day-O, see: ‘Day-O! Jamaican Bananas, Jamaica Resistance’, Jamaican Museum & Cultural Centre (Atlanta).

If you had to take a licence for this song, who would you contact? This depends on:

- Which version you are using?

- When did the copyright owner(s) die (if applicable) – this is important for determining whether the song is still within the term of copyright

- Are you making a new recording or using an existing recording?

- Who wrote the lyrics and who wrote the music?

- Are you using original elements or are you using the folklore elements which should be in the public domain?

This is a complicated enquiry. But we can figure out the best route for you to avoid copyright infringement – That’s Clever, That’s Clover®. Contact us for all your music licensing needs.