Civilization
Andrews Sisters / Bing Crosby Lyrics


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Each morning, a missionary advertises neon sign
He tells the native population that civilization is fine
And three educated savages holler from a bamboo tree
That civilization is a thing for me to see

So bongo, bongo, bongo, I don't want to leave the congo, oh no no no no no
Bingo, bangle, bungle, I'm so happy in the jungle, I refuse to go
Don't want no bright lights, false teeth, doorbells, landlords, I make it clear
(That no matter how they coax him) I'll stay right here

I looked through a magazine the missionary's wife concealed
(Magazine, what happens)
I see how people who are civilized bung you with automobile
(You know you can get hurt that way Daniel)
At the movies they have got to pay many coconuts to see
(What do they see, darling)
Uncivilized pictures that the newsreel takes of me

So bongo, bongo, bongo, he don't want to leave the congo, oh no no no no no
Bingo, bangle, bungle, he's so happy in the jungle, he refuse to go
Don't want no penthouse, bathtub, streetcars, taxis, noise in my ear
(So, no matter how they coax him) I'll stay right here

They hurry like savages to get aboard an iron train
And though it's smokey and it's crowded, they're too civilized to complain
When they've got two weeks vacation, they hurry to vacation ground
(What do they do, darling)
They swim and they fish, but that's what I do all year round

So bongo, bongo, bongo, I don't want to leave the congo, oh no no no no no
Bingo, bangle, bungle, I'm so happy in the jungle, I refuse to go
Don't want no jailhouse, (shotgun) fish hooks (golf clubs) I got my spears
(So, no matter how they coax him) I'll stay right here





They have things like the atom bomb (so I think I'll stay where I am)
Civilization, I'll stay right here

Overall Meaning

The song "Civilization" by Andrews Sisters and Danny Kaye is a satirical commentary on the idea of civilization and what it means to the people who are supposedly "civilized". The lyrics describe a missionary who is trying to convince the native population of the virtues of civilization, but the natives are uninterested. They prefer their own way of life and have no desire to trade it in for the supposed benefits of civilization.


The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "bongo, bongo, bongo, I don't want to leave the congo, oh no no no no no, bingo, bangle, bungle, I'm so happy in the jungle, I refuse to go." This is a sarcastic commentary on the way that the supposedly "uncivilized" people are perfectly content with their way of life and have no desire to adopt the supposed benefits of civilization.


The second verse of the song describes the singer looking at a magazine that the missionary's wife has concealed. The image he sees is of a person who has been "civilized" by an automobile, which has caused him injury. This is another example of the satire in the song, as the supposed benefits of civilization are shown to be harmful and even dangerous.


Overall, "Civilization" is a humorous and satirical commentary on the idea of civilization and what it means to the people who are supposedly "civilized." The song makes the point that "civilization" is a highly subjective term, and that many people who are considered "uncivilized" are perfectly content with their way of life.


Line by Line Meaning

Each morning, a missionary advertises neon sign
Every morning a missionary puts up a neon sign telling the native population how great civilization is.


He tells the native population that civilization is fine
The missionary tells the native population about how good civilization is.


And three educated savages holler from a bamboo tree
Three educated savages shout from a bamboo tree about how much they like civilization.


That civilization is a thing for me to see
The educated savages are saying they want to see civilization.


So bongo, bongo, bongo, I don't want to leave the congo, oh no no no no no
I'm happy in the Congo and don't want to leave no matter how much others try to convince me.


Bingo, bangle, bungle, I'm so happy in the jungle, I refuse to go
Despite their efforts to persuade me, I'm content in the jungle and have no desire to leave.


Don't want no bright lights, false teeth, doorbells, landlords, I make it clear
I don't want any of the things civilization has to offer, and I'm not afraid to say it.


(That no matter how they coax him) I'll stay right here
No matter how much the civilized people try to persuade me, I'm staying in the jungle.


I looked through a magazine the missionary's wife concealed
I found a magazine the missionary's wife hid.


I see how people who are civilized bung you with automobile
I noticed how they hit you with cars in civilization.


(You know you can get hurt that way Daniel)
Someone warns Daniel that he could get hurt that way.


At the movies they have got to pay many coconuts to see
To see movies, you have to pay a lot in coconuts in civilization.


Uncivilized pictures that the newsreel takes of me
The newsreel takes pictures of me that civilization considers uncivilized.


They hurry like savages to get aboard an iron train
Civilized people hurry like savages to get on trains.


And though it's smokey and it's crowded, they're too civilized to complain
Even though the trains are crowded and smoky, civilized people are too polite to complain.


When they've got two weeks vacation, they hurry to vacation ground
When they have vacation time, civilized people rush to go on vacation.


(What do they do, darling)
Someone is asking what they do on vacation.


They swim and they fish, but that's what I do all year round
People go swimming and fishing on vacation, but that's what I do every day in the jungle.


Don't want no penthouse, bathtub, streetcars, taxis, noise in my ear
I don't want any of civilization's luxuries like a fancy apartment, bathtub, or noisy transportation.


(So, no matter how they coax him) I'll stay right here
I'm sticking to my decision to stay in the jungle, no matter how much people try to persuade me otherwise.


They have things like the atom bomb (so I think I'll stay where I am)
Civilization has things like the atom bomb, so Daniel thinks it's best to stay in the jungle.


Civilization, I'll stay right here
No matter how great civilization may be, I'm staying in the jungle.




Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB HILLIARD, CARL SIGMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Idazmi7

“Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)”
-sung by Danny Kaye and the Andrew Sisters

Each morning a missionary advertise with neon sign
He tells the native population that civilization is fine
And three educated savages holler from a bongo tree
That civilization is a thing for me to see

So bongo, bongo, bongo I don't want to leave the congo
Oh no no no no no
Bingle, bangle, bungle I'm so happy in the jungle I refuse to go
Don't want no bright lights, false teeth, doorbells, landlords
I make it clear
That no matter how they coax him
I'll stay right here

I looked through a magazine the missionary's wife concealed
Magazine? What happens?
I see how people who are civilized bang you with automobiles
You know you can get hurt that way Daniel
At the movies they have got to pay many coconuts to see
What do they see Danny?
Uncivilized pictures that the newsreel takes of me

So bongo, bongo, bong he don't want to leave the congo
Oh no no no no no
Bingle, bangle, bungle he's so happy in the jungle he refuse to go
Don't want no penthouse, bathtub, streetcars, taxis
Noise in my ear
So no matter how they coax him
I'll stay right here

They hurry like savages to get aboard an iron train
And though it's smoky and crowded they're too civilized to complain
When they've got two weeks vacation they hurry to vacation grounds
What do they do Danny
They swim and they fish but that's what I do all year round

So bongo, bongo, bongo I don't want to leave the congo
Oh no no no no no
Bingle, bangle, bungle I'm so happy in the jungle I refuse to go
Don't want no jailhouse, shotguns, fish hooks, golf clubs
I've got my spear
So no matter how they coax him
I'll stay right here

They have things like the atom bomb
So I think I'll stay where I "om"
Civilization, I'll stay right here



@loicdeniel8361

@klee .。.:*♡ It was the 40s, different sensibilities, that's why they didn't see these sounds as offensive, on top of that it was very common at the time to use such vocalization instead of using actual words.

They're not mocking at all the natives, listen to the lyrics "They hurry like savages to get aboard an iron train, and though it's smokey and it's crowded they're too civilized to complain. When they've got two weeks vacation, they hurry to vacation ground (What do they do, Darling?) They swim and they fish but that's what i do all year 'round... " I mean obviously they're not mocking the natives, they're criticizing the stressful way of life in ubranized areas, and the docility of "civilized" people in their acceptance of these living conditions. Most importantly, they are reversing the roles, the "civilized" are the "savages" here.

"I looked through a magazine the missionary's wife concealed (Magazine? What happens?) I see "how people who are civilized bang you with automobiles" Once again, clear critic, the act of concealment by the wife, and again the contrast between "civilized" and what civilized people do, here in what can be described as involuntary manslaughter.

"They have things like the atom BOMB! So i think i'll stay where i AM! Civilization... I'll stay right here! " And the conclusion. Very obviously, that's a clear-cut critic of the so-called "civilization", with their most horridly barbaric invention (still vividly in the minds of people at the time, with the full realization of the radiation effects on the japanese population and their newborns) put on display to exemplify their savagery.

TL;DR: r/wooooosh



@ejhickey

Lyrics
Each morning, a missionary advertises neon sign
He tells the native population that civilization is fine
And three educated savages holler from a bamboo tree
That civilization is a thing for me to see
So bongo, bongo, bongo,
I don't wanna leave the Congo, oh no no no no no
Bingo, bangle, bungle, I'm so happy in the jungle, I refuse to go
Don't want no bright lights,
False teeth, doorbells, landlords, I make it clear
That no matter how they coax him, I'll stay right here
I looked through a magazine the
Missionary's wife concealed (Magazine? What happens?)
I see how people who are civilized bung you with
Automobile (You know you can get hurt that way Dani
At the movies they have got to pay many
Coconuts to see (What do they see, Darling?)
Uncivilized pictures that the newsreel takes of me
So bongo, bongo, bongo,
He don't wanna leave the Congo, oh no no no no no
Bingo, bangle, bungle, he's so happy in the jungle, he refuse to go
Don't want no penthouse, bathtub, streetcars, taxis, noise in my ear
So, no matter how they coax him, I'll stay right here
They hurry like savages to get aboard an iron train
And though it's smokey and it's
Crowded, they're too civilized to complain
When they've got two weeks vacation,
They hurry to vacation ground (What do they do, Darling?)
They swim and they fish, but that's what I do all year round
So bongo, bongo, bongo,
I don't wanna leave the Congo, oh no no no no no
Bingo, bangle, bungle, I'm so happy in the jungle, I refuse to go
Don't want no jailhouse, shotgun,
Fish-hooks, golf clubs, I got my spears
So, no matter how they coax him, I'll stay right here
They have things like the atom bomb, so I think I'll stay where I am
Civilization, I'll stay right here



@GraemePryce1978

***** Well, the UK is in a pretty bad way in terms of the government and the economy at the moment but British people are still very, very tolerant of most things and religion is a much lesser part of people's lives here than it is in the US as far as I can tell.

Abortion is a deep one, not sure I would go there! Womens rights . . . hmm. Not really an issue here so I've never looked at that one either.

I don't think you should give up on the US of A though. The politics, internal disputes, energy bills, mortgages etc - these things take over your life when you live in a place but I can tell you, from the outside a lot of people ( an all the Brits I know ) have great respect for the USA  - and we both know where most nations will come running to when they need their arses rescuing from an army of fanatics or something.

I got a lot more patriotic when I learned a bit about the first and second world wars. 

It's like both times Britain and France got together and said 'We're not having this, we're getting Uncle Sam.' lol

The UK and France deserve respect for the way they held on against impossible ( almost ) odds and then the USA deserves respect for standing up and saying 'You know what, it's obvious what side we should be on and obvious what we should do.' 

They then proceeded to teach the whole world what a whole new level of industrial military might looked like. Britain was the first country to defeat the Germans but the US absolutely smashed them. You must be proud of that surely? lol

The good people who achieved stuff like that are still there - it's just a shame we seem to have let the bad ones make up our governments and institutions. It all seems to be about money nowadays eh?

Soz, I got carried away there. :-o



@TheBerzekerC

Each morning a paladin advertise with neon guns
He tells the native population that Brotherhood is fine
And three educated wanderers holler from a bongo settlement
That Brotherhood is a thing for me to see

So bongo, bongo, bongo I don't want to leave the wasteland
Oh no no no no no
Bingle, bangle, bungle I'm so happy in the wasteland I refuse to go
Don't want no bright guns, armors, implants, bunkers
I make it clear
That no matter how they threat him
I'll stay right here

I looked through a magazine the Elder's wife concealed
(Magazine? What happens?)
I see how people who are civilized shoot you with mini nikes
(You know you can get hurt that way Daniel)
At the library they have got to pay many bottlecaps to see
(What do they see Danny?)
Uncivilized pictures that the courier takes of me

So bongo, bongo, bungle he don't want to leave the wasteland
Oh no no no no no
Bingle, bangle, bungle he's so happy in the wasteland he refuse to go
Don't want no neat room, sinker, clean food, gun gal
rads in my ear
So no matter how they threat him
I'll stay right here

They hurry like sissys to get away from NCR
And though they are traped and entrenched they're too civilized to complain
When they've got two weeks missions they hurry to assingment grounds
(What do they do Danny)
They fight for their lives but that's what I do all year round

So bongo, bongo, bongo I don't want to leave the wasteland
Oh no no no no no
Bingle, bangle, bungle I'm so happy in the wasteland I refuse to go
Don't want no patrols, robots, lasers, choppers
I've got my Bat
So no matter how they threat him
I'll stay right here

They have things like the fattie man
So I think I'll stay where I "om"
Brotherhood, I'll stay right here



All comments from YouTube:

@clonecommander2600

Me sneaking past raiders:

My pip-boy: SO BONGO BONGO BONGO I DONT WANNA LEAVE THE CONGO NONONONONONO

@emilymeredith3845

Same! 🤣🤣🤣🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

@ChickenMaster-sd4pv

Oml yes, who else have done that besides me?

@bullettime8760

Same, haha especially when you're so close behind them

@charlie-yp2oq

[Hidden]
Me: confused screaming

@amongusfan6462

Nah butcher pete

48 More Replies...

@arnaldomontoya4281

My grandmother used to say, "what hoppened?" and "bingo bango bongo," but I never knew the reference until I played Fallout 3. Thank you Bethesda Softworks!

@alexcorral622

Really?

@TS-ev1bl

Yeah, my dad was a young man in the '40s and he used to say "Wot hoppened?" long after that when I was a kid in the '60s (and a lot of other old slang that I thought was hilarious). It was a WW2 things among soldiers that apparently originated in British slang. UK troops advancing across Europe would write joking complaints like "Wot, no sugar?" or "Wot, no (fill in the blank)?" on ruined walls and etc. One Brit troop glider had "Wot, no engines?" written on it. A popular comic strip picked up on the craze in the early '40s and "Wot hoppened?" became a catch phrase for one of the characters. In reality it probably predates the '40s by decades.

@matshuhtamaa8314

Damn your grandma played fallout 3???

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