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.
http://singyoursongthemovie.com
Jump Down Spin Around
Harry Belafonte Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale of cotton
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale of cotton
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale of cotton
I saw 'skeeter on my head,
Blinked his eye and I killed him dead
Gotta jump down, spin around and weed a patch o'turnip
Gotta jump down, spin around and weed a patch a day
Gotta weed a patch o' turnip
Gotta jump down, spin around and weed a patch o'turnip
Gotta jump down, spin around and weed a patch a day
I saw a gal in calico,
She tripped and fell, and she didn't say hello
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a mess o'greens
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a pot a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a mess o'greens
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a pot a day
Gotta cook a a pot a day
Gotta spin around, spin around and jump down
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a mess o'greens
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a pot a day
I got a pig who's nice and greasy,
All you ladies shake it easy
Gotta jump down, spin around and tote a pail o' water
Gotta jump down, spin around and tote a pail a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and tote a pail o' water
Gotta jump down, spin around and tote a pail a day
Little Sally jump down
Gotta tote a pail a day
Little Joe jump down
Gotta tote a pail a day
Little Sally jump down
Little Joe jump down
Gotta tote a pail a day
Gotta jump down
Gotta tote a pail a day
Gotta jump down
Gotta tote a pail a day
Gotta jump down, spin around tote a pail a day
Gotta jump down, spin around tote a pail a day
I don't know but I've been told,
A gopher really don't live in a hole
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail o' water
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail o' water
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail a day
Gotta sweat a pail a day?
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a mess o'greens
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a pot a day
Spin around, spin around, spin around, spin around
Spin around, spin around, spin around, spin around
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail o' water
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail o' water
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail a day
The lyrics in Harry Belafonte's "Jump Down Spin Around" are rooted in the African American folk song "Pick a Bale of Cotton," which originated in the southern United States. In this song, the repetitive chant of "gotta jump down, spin around, and pick a bale of cotton" represents the oppressive and demanding work that enslaved African Americans were forced to do on cotton plantations. The song also features other labor-related tasks, such as weeding turnips, cooking greens, and hauling water, emphasizing the grueling physical labor that was required of slaves.
Throughout the song, there are elements of humor and playfulness amidst the seriousness of the subject matter. For example, the line "I saw 'skeeter on my head, blinked his eye and I killed him dead" represents the strain of mosquito-borne diseases that plagued the southern U.S., while also highlighting the resilience of the people who lived in these conditions. Similarly, the line "All you ladies shake it easy" references the sexual objectification of black women during slavery, but is subverted in the context of the song to be a fun, light-hearted line.
Overall, "Jump Down Spin Around" serves as a reminder of the painful history of slavery in the United States, while also highlighting the creativity, humor, and resilience of the people who lived through it.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale of cotton
I have to work hard and pick a lot of cotton every single day
I saw 'skeeter on my head, blinked his eye and I killed him dead
I saw a mosquito on my head and quickly killed it
Gotta jump down, spin around and weed a patch o'turnip
I have to do the difficult and tiring task of weeding the turnip patch every day
I saw a gal in calico, she tripped and fell, and she didn't say hello
I saw a woman in a rustic dress who fell but didn't even say hello
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a mess o'greens
I have to cook a lot of greens every day
I got a pig who's nice and greasy, all you ladies shake it easy
I have a greasy pig and I am telling the ladies to take it easy
Gotta jump down, spin around and tote a pail o' water
I have to carry a heavy pail of water every day
Little Sally jump down, gotta tote a pail a day
Even Little Sally has to work hard and carry a pail of water every day
I don't know but I've been told, a gopher really don't live in a hole
I've heard that gophers don't live in holes, but I don't really know
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail o' water
I have to work hard and sweat a lot while carrying heavy pails of water every day
Spin around, spin around, spin around, spin around
I have to keep spinning around despite the exhaustion and fatigue
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILL ATTAWAY, HARRY BELAFONTE, NORMAN LUBOFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@katjaburghardt7368
😀👍 Kindheitserinnerung
@Herbert19531
Ja auch ich kann mich an so manche Party Erinnern, es war so in den 90 Jahren , da hat das ganze Haus mitgemacht, im Trppenhaus rauf unt runter, ich liebe diesen Song
@eileenrawlings4353
I the albums you have are fantastic , which is not saying it highly enough. Thankyou.,,,,,,,,
@nancyhahn4182
I have two of Mr. Belafonte's albums...listened to them a lot growing up. Thanks for sharing!
@mannad1005
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale of cotton
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale of cotton
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale of cotton
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale of cotton
Gotta jump down, spin around and pick a bale a day
I saw `skeeter on my head,
Blinked his eye and I killed him dead
Gotta jump down, spin around and weed a patch o`turnip
Gotta jump down, spin around and weed a patch a day
Gotta weed a patch o` turnip
Gotta jump down, spin around and weed a patch o`turnip
Gotta jump down, spin around and weed a patch a day
I saw a gal in calico,
She tripped and fell, and she didn`t say hello
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a mess o`greens
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a pot a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a mess o`greens
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a pot a day
Gotta cook a a pot a day
Gotta spin around, spin around and jump down
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a mess o`greens
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a pot a day
I got a pig who`s nice and greasy,
All you ladies shake it easy
Gotta jump down, spin around and tote a pail o` water
Gotta jump down, spin around and tote a pail a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and tote a pail o` water
Gotta jump down, spin around and tote a pail a day
Little Sally jump down
Gotta tote a pail a day
Little Joe jump down
Gotta tote a pail a day
Little Sally jump down
Little Joe jump down
Gotta tote a pail a day
Gotta jump down
Gotta tote a pail a day
Gotta jump down
Gotta tote a pail a day
Gotta jump down, spin around tote a pail a day
Gotta jump down, spin around tote a pail a day
I don`t know but I`ve been told,
A gopher really don`t live in a hole
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail o` water
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail o` water
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail a day
Gotta sweat a pail a day?
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a mess o`greens
Gotta jump down, spin around and cook a pot a day
Spin around, spin around, spin around, spin around
Spin around, spin around, spin around, spin around
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail o` water
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail a day
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail o` water
Gotta jump down, spin around and sweat a pail a day
@tess20121
so catchy ;)
@aeroxkiller1357
Kylie Minogue - Dancing
@rrpk
wat?
@Jimmylenaze
she thinks that bothers me