Star
Harry Belafonte Lyrics


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Star-o, star-o, star a come and I carry me load
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o

Star a come and I carry me load
Star a come and I carry me load
Star a come and I carry me load

Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load
Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load

Sta, this a star-o
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o
Star a come and I carry me load
Sta, this a star-o
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o

Banana ripe it smell like honey
Star a come and I carry me load
Woman sweet, she take your money
Star a come and I carry me load

Sta, this a star-o
Star a come and I carry me load
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o

Come Mister tally man and tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load
Come Mister tally man and tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load





Sta, this a star-o
Star a come and I carry me load

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Harry Belafonte's "Star-O" provide a glimpse into the life of a man living in the Caribbean islands where he is carrying loads of goods on his back amidst the backdrop of starry skies. The lyrics showcase the life of a man who is struggling to make a living in a tropical paradise, where goods such as bananas are a vital commodity. The first few lines of the song establish the theme of the song as the man's expectation of a star to rise, signaling a new day to carry on with his hard labor. The use of repetition throughout the song creates a hypnotic effect, which echoes the sense of the man's daily routine and the endless cycle of his life.


The drama heightens when the man calls upon the Tally man, the person responsible for counting and recording the number of bunches of bananas collected by the workers. The lyrics suggest that the man's livelihood depends mainly on the Tally man's count, emphasizing the pressure and tension the workers face. Despite the heavy load of hard work, the man acknowledges the beauty of his surroundings; the smell of ripe banana is a pleasant fragrance, and the women's sweetness is simply irresistible.


Overall, the song's lyrics deliver a poetic narrative about the man's day-to-day struggles in the Caribbean islands, evoking a sense of nostalgia for times long gone.


Line by Line Meaning

Star-o, star-o, star a come and I carry me load
I see the stars and feel their positive energy, as I continue with my responsibilities and duties


Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o
The stars are shining bright and reminding me of the beauty in the universe


Star a come and I carry me load
I sense the arrival of good fortune and am ready to manage my responsibilities along with it


Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
I request the tally man to take account of my harvest of bananas


Star a come and I carry me load
I acknowledge the positive energy coming my way and am ready to carry on with my duties


Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Again, I request the tally man to record my banana harvest


Sta, this a star-o
The stars are still shining brightly


Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o
I again notice the beauty of the stars and their positive presence in my life


Banana ripe it smell like honey
The smell of the ripe bananas reminds me of the sweetness of life


Star a come and I carry me load
As good things come my way, I'm prepared to handle my responsibilities


Woman sweet, she take your money
I am aware that some women can be alluring, but they may extract money from you


Star a come and I carry me load
Even with distractions, I am focused and ready to handle my responsibilities


Sta, this a star-o
The stars still shine bright as ever


Star a come and I carry me load
I embrace the good things coming my way and stay committed to fulfilling my responsibilities


Come Mister tally man and tally me banana
I repeat my request to the tally man to take account of my banana harvest


Star a come and I carry me load
I am continuously aware of the positive energy and progress coming my way




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: IRVING BURGIE, WILLIAM ATTAWAY

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

LivedRevilo

Star-o, star-o, star a come and I carry me load
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o
Star a come and I carry me load
Star a come and I carry me load
Star a come and I carry me load
Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load
Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load
Sta, this a star-o
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o
Star a come and I carry me load
Sta, this a star-o
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o
Banana ripe it smell like honey
Star a come and I carry me load
Woman sweet, she take your money
Star a come and I carry me load
Sta, this a star-o
Star a come and I carry me load
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o
Come Mister tally man and tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load
Come Mister tally man and tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load
Sta, this a star-o
Star a come and I carry me load



All comments from YouTube:

LivedRevilo

Star-o, star-o, star a come and I carry me load
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o
Star a come and I carry me load
Star a come and I carry me load
Star a come and I carry me load
Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load
Come, mister tally man, tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load
Sta, this a star-o
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o
Star a come and I carry me load
Sta, this a star-o
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o
Banana ripe it smell like honey
Star a come and I carry me load
Woman sweet, she take your money
Star a come and I carry me load
Sta, this a star-o
Star a come and I carry me load
Stars, this a stars, this a stars, this a star-o
Come Mister tally man and tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load
Come Mister tally man and tally me banana
Star a come and I carry me load
Sta, this a star-o
Star a come and I carry me load

Turk_Tofu

This is like the alternate reality version of Day-O

JudgeJulieLit

An evensong version, as stars rise. Day-O is an aubade, daybreak song.

Bruce McFarling

Start work in the evening, finish work at dawn so the banana boats can head out with their load. "Star a come and I carry me load" "Daylight come and me wanna go home".

No

Actually, No, This Is Just Nightshift.

Bruce McFarling

@No Both songs are Nightshift. Dayo is the end of the shift, Staro is the beginning. They are loading banana boats, there isn't a "day shift" in that job. The day shift is the farmers bringing the bananas in that are going to be loaded that night.

David Steere

@Bruce McFarling why then does he still sing i want to go home to hurry the tally man in this version if hes starting the shift?

5 More Replies...

Steve W

Back in the day of 78 RPM platters, this was the "B" side of "Day-O." It is most certainly the same song, just a shortened, abbreviated version with some word changes.

SuzNews

It was the B side on the 45, too.

jopie jg de wit

Prachtige muziek doet míj vroeger denken

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