Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, NYC, on 1 Ma… Read Full Bio ↴Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, NYC, on 1 March 1927; died 25 April 2023) was an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Caribbean-American pop star, he popularized Jamaican mento folk songs which was marketed as Trinbagonian Calypso musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso, released in 1956, was the first million-selling LP by a single artist.

Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O". Throughout his career, he was an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes.

Belafonte won three Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honors. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's 6th Annual Governors Awards and in 2022 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category and was the oldest living person to have received the honor.

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Fare Thee Well
Harry Belafonte Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I had wings like Noah's dove
I'd fly up the river just to see the woman that I love
Fare thee well oh my honey
I say fare thee well

When I woke up this morning
It was drizzling rain all around my heart
Oh there was an aching pain

Fare thee well oh my honey, I say fare thee well

Now when you wore your apron low
You couldn't keep me
No you couldn't keep me from around your door
Fare thee well oh my honey, I say fare thee well

Now you wear your apron high
You say you never, oh you never
You scarcely ever see me passing by
Farewell oh my honey I say fare thee well

Goodbye woman I know I done you wrong
Oh fare thee well

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Harry Belafonte's "Fare Thee Well" express the heartbreak and longing of a man who must bid farewell to the woman he loves, possibly for good. The first stanza sets the stage for the whole song, with the singer lamenting his inability to be physically close to his beloved. He wishes he had wings like Noah's dove, which flew off the Ark to find dry land, just so he could soar up the river to see the woman he loves.

In the second stanza, the singer wakes up to find that the weather outside mirrors his inner turmoil. The rain that drizzles around his heart emphasizes the sadness and pain he feels at having to say goodbye. This verse also shows that the woman in the song has changed, and not for the better. Her apron used to be low, which the singer implies meant she was more open and inviting. But now she wears her apron high, indicating that she wants to keep the singer at a distance.

The final verse of "Fare Thee Well" begins with the singer acknowledging that he has done wrong by the woman he loves, essentially admitting fault for their separation. He then repeats the refrain of "farewell oh my honey, I say fare thee well" for one last time, emphasizing the finality of the situation. The lyrics to this song are poignant and universal, capturing the heartache and desperation that comes with a lost love.

Line by Line Meaning

If I had wings like Noah's dove
If I had the ability to fly like a bird, I would travel up the river just to see the woman I love.

I'd fly up the river just to see the woman that I love
I would take any means necessary to be with the woman I love, even if it means traveling up the river.

Fare thee well oh my honey
Goodbye, my dear.

I say fare thee well
I bid my final farewell.

When I woke up this morning
Upon rising from slumber today,

It was drizzling rain all around my heart
I was feeling an intense sadness, akin to rain obscuring sight and hearing.

Oh there was an aching pain
The emotional pain I felt was completely overwhelming.

Now when you wore your apron low
Back when you carried yourself in a humble manner,

You couldn't keep me
I could not resist my desire to be with you.

No you couldn't keep me from around your door
I was always near your doorstep, ignoring your attempts to keep me at bay.

Now you wear your apron high
But now, you carry yourself with a sense of superiority.

You say you never, oh you never
You claim that you never, ever,

You scarcely ever see me passing by
You hardly ever notice me as I walk past.

Farewell oh my honey I say fare thee well
Goodbye my sweet love, I am saying my final farewell.