IKO
Glass Candy Lyrics


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IKO!

My grandma
Your grandma
My grandma & your grandma
Sittin' by the fire
My grandma told your grandma
"I'm gonna set your flag on fire"

See my king all dressed in red,
Iko Iko un day
I betcha five dollars he'll kill you dead
Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne

Iko, Iko,
Iko Iko un day
Jock-a-mo fee-no ai na-ne
Jock a mo fee-na-ne

See my king all dressed in red,
Iko Iko un day
I betcha five dollars he'll kill you dead
Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne
Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne

My bad boy
My bad boy
My bad boy & your bad boy,
Sittin' by the fire
My bad boy told your bad boy
"I'm gonna set your flag on fire"

See that guy all dressed in green
He's not a man he's a lovin' machine

Hey now, hey now,
Iko Iko un day
Jock-a-mo fee-no ai na-ne
Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne





Hey now! Hey now!
Iko Iko un day!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Glass Candy's song "Iko" are derived from a traditional New Orleans street parade chant from the 1950s. The song was originally written by James Crawford and became a hit in 1965 for The Dixie Cups. The repetitive chant-like structure of the song creates a lively and upbeat feel that is appropriate for a parade. Glass Candy, in their interpretation of the song, has added their own unique elements, making it an entirely new entity. The song has several references to flag-burning, which was a controversial topic during the time the original song was written. The lyrics, "My grandma told your grandma 'I'm gonna set your flag on fire'" and "My bad boy told your bad boy 'I'm gonna set your flag on fire'" allude to the political tensions of the time.


The song's references to a king dressed in red and a man dressed in green seem to be symbolic rather than literal. The phrase, "I betcha five dollars he'll kill you dead" creates a sense of danger, and the repeated phrase, "Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne" is thought to be either a nonsense phrase or has African roots. The song's precise meaning is open to interpretation and debate, which makes it an enduring and fascinating piece of music. Overall, Glass Candy has taken a traditional song and infused it with new life, making it their own and introducing it to a new generation of listeners.


Line by Line Meaning

My grandma
The singer references their grandmother


Your grandma
The singer references the listener's grandmother


My grandma & your grandma
The singer references both their own and the listener's grandmother


Sittin' by the fire
The grandmothers are seated beside a fire


My grandma told your grandma
The artist's grandmother said something to the listener's grandmother


"I'm gonna set your flag on fire"
The singer's grandmother threatens to burn something belonging to the listener's grandmother


See my king all dressed in red,
The singer points out a person dressed in red who they refer to as a king


Iko Iko un day
The phrase 'Iko Iko un day' is a nonsensical refrain used throughout the song


I betcha five dollars he'll kill you dead
The artist bets that the person dressed in red will harm the listener


Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne
Another nonsensical refrain used throughout the song


Iko, Iko,
The phrase 'Iko Iko' is repeated


Jock-a-mo fee-no ai na-ne
A variant of the refrain 'Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne'


Jock a mo fee-na-ne
A repetition of the 'Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne' refrain


My bad boy
The singer refers to a person they know as their 'bad boy'


My bad boy & your bad boy,
The singer references both their own and the listener's 'bad boy'


Sittin' by the fire
The 'bad boys' are also seated beside the fire


My bad boy told your bad boy
The artist's 'bad boy' said something to the listener's 'bad boy'


"I'm gonna set your flag on fire"
The singer's 'bad boy' threatens to burn something belonging to the listener's 'bad boy'


See that guy all dressed in green
The song now references a person dressed in green


He's not a man he's a lovin' machine
The person in green is described as not being a human, but a machine created for loving


Hey now, hey now,
The refrain 'Hey now' is repeated


Iko Iko un day
The refrain 'Iko Iko un day' is repeated once again


Jock-a-mo fee-no ai na-ne
The refrain 'Jock-a-mo fee-no ai na-ne' is repeated once again


Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne
The refrain 'Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne' is repeated again to close out the song


Hey now! Hey now!
The refrain 'Hey now' is repeated again


Iko Iko un day!
The final refrained repetition of 'Iko Iko un day'




Contributed by Ian L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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