5 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Iko Iko Lyrics
My grandma and your grandma,
were sittin by the fire,
My grandma told your grandma,
I'm going to set your flag on fire,
CHORUS:
Talkin bout hey now (hey now), hey now (hey now)
Iko! Iko! an de'
Jackomo fe no nan e',
Jackomo fe nan e'
Look at my King all dressed in red
Iko! Iko! an de'
I bet you 5 dollars, he kill you dead!
Jackomo fe nan e'
[chorus]
My flagboy and your flagboy,
sittin by the fire,
My flagboy told your flagboy,
I'm going to set your flag on fire,
[chorus]
See that guy all dressed in green,
Iko! Iko! an de'
He's not a man,
he's a lovin machine!
Jackomo fe nan e'
[chorus x2]
were sittin by the fire,
My grandma told your grandma,
I'm going to set your flag on fire,
Talkin bout hey now (hey now), hey now (hey now)
Iko! Iko! an de'
Jackomo fe no nan e',
Jackomo fe nan e'
Iko! Iko! an de'
I bet you 5 dollars, he kill you dead!
Jackomo fe nan e'
sittin by the fire,
My flagboy told your flagboy,
I'm going to set your flag on fire,
Iko! Iko! an de'
He's not a man,
he's a lovin machine!
Jackomo fe nan e'
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
i'm not going to pretend like i know what this song is about when all i did was read the article in wikipedia. there's a lot of info about it on there that you can read.
but i really dig this song.
@RaineBM1185 You might want to check back to see some explainations in my comment on Iko Iko! Scotty
@RaineBM1185 You might want to check back to see some explainations in my comment on Iko Iko! Scotty
i'm not going to pretend like i know what this song is about when all i did was read the article in wikipedia. there's a lot of info about it on there that you can read.
but i really dig this song.
OK! Well to begin with this version of Iko Iko is as far as I know the first live recorded version and is just a small part of the whole song that has 16 verses of different colours and 16 verses of self position (My &, Me&). Most people also don't understand most of the lyrics because the song is a VERY old traditional Mardi Gras song from a time in history when America had slavery in the south and because the lyrics are in 4 very different languages all blended together. The 4 different languages are also of 2 different types, The European originated languages of English and French are what are known as "hard" languages as in one word or phrase has one or two very specific translatable meaning (Word = Word) and the 2 Native American languages of Cree and Yanktonia are "soft" languages (a term has many meaning that are contextual and interpersonal) With that premise in place I shall try to explain some of the terms into English as best I can from the terms that so many just don't understand at all. "Iko Iko" is typically yelled with higher emphasis on the second Iko, and roughly means " Pay Attention, PAY ATTENTION!" It expresses the importance of the message given from the speaker much like firmly striking a gavel in court. Now here is another that is mostly thought to be just a single phrase that is actually 4 different phrases with slight different intonations and what might be verbiages that I will try to use very English spellings to attempt to convey. "Jock-a-moe" in the song actually uses all 4 terms as contextual to the colour verse it is used in. "Jock-a-moe" basically would translate to "Your mind knows what your mind knows" "Jack-a-moe" basically would translate to "Your mind knows what your mind doesn't know" "Chuck-a-moe" basically would translate to "Your mind doesn't know what your mind does know" "Chock-a-moe" basically would translate to "Your mind doesn't know what your mind doesn't know" If you feel confused about this set of terms then I suggest you try to learn about the 4 positions of meta cognition. Also the "fee na-ne" is in 6 different spoken terms of which I think I could really only explain a few into any English understanding. And again I'll try to use some simulance of Emglish spelling to try to represent the intonation of the spoken term. "Fee Na-Ne" would be to express the attitude of turning to walk away saying "Whatever dude, I can dance off without caring about your attitude" "Finah Nay" would express turning away and saying "Talk to the hand cos my head can't even hear this crap from stupid you!" "Finn A Hay" would express turning away and saying "Whatever you have to say will have absolutely no matter to my people because we have no respect for you or your people!" So basically the term so often used in the song is a flip, turn, and disregard of someone or something or some idea. As I said as I started, this version of "Iko Iko" is just a small portion of the whole song and if anyone wants a few of the verses not in this version then ask me in the reply's and I will offer some of them. I'm pretty sure I remember most all of them, but you'd have to still get the Native American terms to really understand several and most are from the slaves perspective or the Creole or Cajun perspective as also often looked at as "less than privileged WHITE!
You might even ask for your favorite colour verse! Scotty
@scottyboyd wow that's very impressive. Thanks for the trouble. Would love to know the rest, if you could. I've been listening to this song for AGES and never bothered to try finding out the proper lyrics and meaning. ????????
@scottyboyd wow that's very impressive. Thanks for the trouble. Would love to know the rest, if you could. I've been listening to this song for AGES and never bothered to try finding out the proper lyrics and meaning. ????????
My daddy an yo daddy drinkin buildin fires My daddy catch you daddy, they fall into da fire! Talka now, hey now. eah now, iko IKO, whan nee, Chuck-a-moe Fenah hey!
See tha man all dressed in black, iko IKO whan nah He take you away, you nevah come back, Chock-a-moe Phenah hey!
I was in Portland, Oregon, a few years ago, hanging out with my friend Aaron when this song came on. I listened to the words and said, "I really don't know what they're talking about in this song."
Aaron replied, "I think it's pretty clear they're talking bout hey now."
It's a Mardi Gras song. The "flags" & "the King" are references to Mardi Gras, and the two grandmothers support two different Mardi Gras Chiefs so they're basically smack talking to each other that their side is going to beat the other side. =)
It's a Mardi Gras song. The "flags" & "the King" are references to Mardi Gras, and the two grandmothers support two different Mardi Gras Chiefs so they're basically smack talking to each other that their side is going to beat the other side. =)
And the Dixie Cups version is my personal favorite.
And the Dixie Cups version is my personal favorite.
@GTony you might want to check bact to my comment to gain some understanding of the song! Scotty
@GTony you might want to check bact to my comment to gain some understanding of the song! Scotty
@scottyboyd I actually understand the song pretty well, having researched it. I was telling a funny story, the point of which you seem to have missed.
@scottyboyd I actually understand the song pretty well, having researched it. I was telling a funny story, the point of which you seem to have missed.
@GTony Then I'd have to say that it's pretty sad that you think that the systems, brutality, and ugliness of slavery were as you say the subject of "a funny story" How about the verse: There big buck a shirt of tan, Iko iko han nee, He big boss' breedin man. Choch-a-moe finah nee! YES, now there is some kind of funny story about being forced to "breed" with someone for the sake of producing a child into slavery to add to the valuable possessions of the "Boss"! I guess anyone can clearly see just what you think of as...
@GTony Then I'd have to say that it's pretty sad that you think that the systems, brutality, and ugliness of slavery were as you say the subject of "a funny story" How about the verse: There big buck a shirt of tan, Iko iko han nee, He big boss' breedin man. Choch-a-moe finah nee! YES, now there is some kind of funny story about being forced to "breed" with someone for the sake of producing a child into slavery to add to the valuable possessions of the "Boss"! I guess anyone can clearly see just what you think of as "funny"!
@scottyboyd
@scottyboyd
Ok, first of all, you don't know me. When I say I've researched the song, you don't know how much I've researched or what I know. You're being rather presumptuous, unless your goal is keyboard warrioring, in which case I guess you're doing fine. I'm not the person you want to talk down to, though, because I'm very likely on your side, and will respond to new information positively. I can learn from this experience, whether or not you talk down to me.
Ok, first of all, you don't know me. When I say I've researched the song, you don't know how much I've researched or what I know. You're being rather presumptuous, unless your goal is keyboard warrioring, in which case I guess you're doing fine. I'm not the person you want to talk down to, though, because I'm very likely on your side, and will respond to new information positively. I can learn from this experience, whether or not you talk down to me.
I never said the song was a "funny story"; I was talking about my story of...
I never said the song was a "funny story"; I was talking about my story of me and my friend being clueless. How you took that to mean I thought the song was a "funny story", I have no idea. The song itself is not funny, and your outrage is appropriate. Had I known the background you're talking about, would I have commented in a way that is blind to that? Hell no. My flippancy, and willing to indulge in word play - not mockery of slavery - is a result of having looked only a little bit into the history of the song, and knowing that it had something to do with Mardi Gras. When I claimed to understand the song pretty well, that was clearly the Dunning Kruger effect, having its way with me. If you've never screwed up like that, good job.
Now that you've told me more about the song, I have an entirely different opinion about it. Thank you for the education.
@GTony My me-maw an yo maw-maw dancin round a fire. My me-maw see yo maw-maw step into that fire! Talka now eh now, eh now Iko IKO Wah-nee. Jock-a-moe finah neh, Jock-a-moe finah neh!
@GTony My me-maw an yo maw-maw dancin round a fire. My me-maw see yo maw-maw step into that fire! Talka now eh now, eh now Iko IKO Wah-nee. Jock-a-moe finah neh, Jock-a-moe finah neh!
Here Maw-Maw an Big Maw-Maw they hair all white Iko IKO, whan eh. They love yous whit a big might, Choke-a-moe phen ah hay. Choke-a-moe phen ah hay!
Here Maw-Maw an Big Maw-Maw they hair all white Iko IKO, whan eh. They love yous whit a big might, Choke-a-moe phen ah hay. Choke-a-moe phen ah hay!
My sista an your sista, walkin by the bayou. My sista an your sista jest jump into that bayou! Talka now, hey now, hey now. Iko IKO whan neeh, chuck-a-moe fenah hey! Chuck-a-moe fenah hey!
My sista an your sista, walkin by the bayou. My sista an your sista jest jump into that bayou! Talka now, hey now, hey now. Iko IKO whan neeh, chuck-a-moe fenah hey! Chuck-a-moe fenah hey!