The Monkeys Have No Tails in Zamboanga
Encyclopedia
"The Monkeys Have No Tails in Zamboanga" (Roud
12598) is a song, probably written during the Spanish American War or the Moro Rebellion
. It was popular with US soldiers in the Pacific in World War II.
, as the "Wolfhound March". The lyrics of this official version were written in 1907 in Cuba by G. Savoca, the regimental band leader (Died 1912), after the regiment was formed in 1901 to serve in the Philippines. According to Harry McClintock
, the tune was borrowed from an official march of the Philippine Constabulary
Band, as played at the St. Louis
Exposition in 1904. One version was collected as part of the Gordon "Inferno" Collection. As with many folk songs with military origins (such as Mademoiselle from Armentières from World War I, the song becomes a souvenir of the campaign for those who served.
The Monkeys Have No Tails in Zamboanga
Oh, the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga,
Oh, the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga,
Oh, the monkeys have no tails,
They were bitten off by whales,
Oh, the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga.
Chorus:
Oh, we won't go back to Subic anymore,
Oh, we won't go back to Subic anymore,
Oh, we won't go back to Subic
Where they mix our wine with tubig*,
Oh, we won't go back to Subic anymore.
* Filipino for water
Chorus
Oh, the carabao have no hair in Mindanao
,
Oh, the carabao have no hair in Mindanao,
Oh, the carabao have no hair,
Holy smoke! But they are bare,
Oh, the carabao have no hair in Mindanao.
Chorus
Oh, the fishes wear no skirts in Iloilo
,
Oh, the fishes wear no skirts in Iloilo,
Oh, the fishes wear no skirts,
But they all have undershirts,
Oh, the fishes wear no skirts in Iloilo.
Chorus
They grow potatoes small in Iloilo,
They grow potatoes small in Iloilo,
They grow potatoes small,
And they eat them skins and all,
They grow potatoes small in Iloilo.
Chorus
Oh, the birdies have no feet in Mariveles
,
Oh, the birdies have no feet in Mariveles,
Oh, the birdies have no feet,
They were burned off by the heat,
Oh, the birdies have no feet in Mariveles.
Chorus
Oh, we'll all go up to China in the spring time,
Oh, we'll all go up to China in the spring time,
Oh, we'll hop aboard a liner,
I can think of nothing finer,
Oh, we'll all go up to China in the spring time.
Chorus
Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai in the fall,
Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai in the fall,
Oh, we'll all get down to Shanghai,
Those champagne corks will bang high,
Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai in the fall.
Chorus
Oh, we lived ten thousand years in old Chefoo
.
Oh, we lived ten thousand years in old Chefoo.
And it didn't smell like roses,
So we had to hold our noses,
Oh, we lived ten thousand years in old Chefoo.
Some verses were updated and sung by U.S. Army and Navy personnel and families in Manila, Philippines, and back in the States after WWII. The song mentions islands in the Philippine chain, attributing amusing or unflattering characteristics to their flora and fauna, and humans. As there are many islands, there are no doubt many more verses.
Oh, the ladies wear no teddies in Manila,
Oh, the ladies wear no teddies in Manila,
Oh, the ladies wear no teddies,
They're a bunch of ever-readies,
Oh, the ladies wear no teddies in Manila.
Oh, the men they wear no pants on Luzon,
Oh, the men they wear no pants on Luzon,
Oh, the men they wear no pants,
They're afraid to miss a chance,
Oh, the men they wear no pants on Luzon.
>
Roud Folk Song Index
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
12598) is a song, probably written during the Spanish American War or the Moro Rebellion
Moro Rebellion
The Moro Rebellion was an armed military conflict between Moro revolutionary groups in the Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan and the United States military which took place in the Philippines as early as between 1899 to 1913, following the Spanish-American War in 1898...
. It was popular with US soldiers in the Pacific in World War II.
History
The Monkeys Have No Tails in Zamboanga is the official regimental march of the 27th US Infantry Regiment27th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 27th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the Wolfhounds, is a unit of the United States Army established in 1901, that served in the Philippine-American War, in the Siberian Intervention after World War I, and as part of the 25th Infantry Division during World War II, the Korean War, and later the...
, as the "Wolfhound March". The lyrics of this official version were written in 1907 in Cuba by G. Savoca, the regimental band leader (Died 1912), after the regiment was formed in 1901 to serve in the Philippines. According to Harry McClintock
Harry McClintock
Harry Kirby McClintock , also known as "Haywire Mac," was an American singer and poet. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, "the son of a railroad cabinetmaker and nephew of four boomer trainmen. His drifting began when he ran away from home as a boy to join a circus...
, the tune was borrowed from an official march of the Philippine Constabulary
Philippine Constabulary
The Philippine Constabulary ' was the oldest of four service commands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It was a gendarmerie type para-military police force of the Philippines established in 1901 by the United States-appointed administrative authority replacing the Guardia Civil...
Band, as played at the St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
Exposition in 1904. One version was collected as part of the Gordon "Inferno" Collection. As with many folk songs with military origins (such as Mademoiselle from Armentières from World War I, the song becomes a souvenir of the campaign for those who served.
Lyrics
Oh, the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga,
Oh, the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga,
Oh, the monkeys have no tails,
They were bitten off by whales,
Oh, the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga.
Chorus:
Oh, we won't go back to Subic anymore,
Oh, we won't go back to Subic anymore,
Oh, we won't go back to Subic
Where they mix our wine with tubig*,
Oh, we won't go back to Subic anymore.
* Filipino for water
Chorus
Oh, the carabao have no hair in Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
,
Oh, the carabao have no hair in Mindanao,
Oh, the carabao have no hair,
Holy smoke! But they are bare,
Oh, the carabao have no hair in Mindanao.
Chorus
Oh, the fishes wear no skirts in Iloilo
Iloilo
Iloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique Province to the west and Capiz Province and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is Guimaras Province,...
,
Oh, the fishes wear no skirts in Iloilo,
Oh, the fishes wear no skirts,
But they all have undershirts,
Oh, the fishes wear no skirts in Iloilo.
Chorus
They grow potatoes small in Iloilo,
They grow potatoes small in Iloilo,
They grow potatoes small,
And they eat them skins and all,
They grow potatoes small in Iloilo.
Chorus
Oh, the birdies have no feet in Mariveles
Mariveles, Bataan
Mariveles is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 102,844 people in 19,460 households...
,
Oh, the birdies have no feet in Mariveles,
Oh, the birdies have no feet,
They were burned off by the heat,
Oh, the birdies have no feet in Mariveles.
Chorus
Oh, we'll all go up to China in the spring time,
Oh, we'll all go up to China in the spring time,
Oh, we'll hop aboard a liner,
I can think of nothing finer,
Oh, we'll all go up to China in the spring time.
Chorus
Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai in the fall,
Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai in the fall,
Oh, we'll all get down to Shanghai,
Those champagne corks will bang high,
Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai in the fall.
Chorus
Oh, we lived ten thousand years in old Chefoo
Yantai
Yantai is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Located on the southern coast of the Bohai Sea and the eastern coast of the Laizhou Bay, Yantai borders the cities of Qingdao and Weihai to the southwest and east respectively.The largest fishing...
.
Oh, we lived ten thousand years in old Chefoo.
And it didn't smell like roses,
So we had to hold our noses,
Oh, we lived ten thousand years in old Chefoo.
Some verses were updated and sung by U.S. Army and Navy personnel and families in Manila, Philippines, and back in the States after WWII. The song mentions islands in the Philippine chain, attributing amusing or unflattering characteristics to their flora and fauna, and humans. As there are many islands, there are no doubt many more verses.
Oh, the ladies wear no teddies in Manila,
Oh, the ladies wear no teddies in Manila,
Oh, the ladies wear no teddies,
They're a bunch of ever-readies,
Oh, the ladies wear no teddies in Manila.
Oh, the men they wear no pants on Luzon,
Oh, the men they wear no pants on Luzon,
Oh, the men they wear no pants,
They're afraid to miss a chance,
Oh, the men they wear no pants on Luzon.
>
Recorded versions
- Two jazz versions were recorded in 1939, as "The Monkeys Have No Tails in Pago Pago". By Abe LymanAbe LymanAbe Lyman was a popular bandleader from the 1920s to the 1940s. He made recordings, appeared in films and provided the music for numerous radio shows, including Your Hit Parade....
8-29-1939, (Bluebird 10321) and by the Milt HerthMilt HerthMilton "Milt" Herth was an American jazz organist, known for his work on the Hammond organ soon after it was introduced in 1935. Herth's work is available from his recordings of the 1930s and 1940s.-Biography:...
Trio 10-19-1939 (DECCA 2964A) - Harry McClintockHarry McClintockHarry Kirby McClintock , also known as "Haywire Mac," was an American singer and poet. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, "the son of a railroad cabinetmaker and nephew of four boomer trainmen. His drifting began when he ran away from home as a boy to join a circus...
recorded a version under the title Subic on Haywire Mac, Cook Records, 1950
- An orchestral version is the B-side of the film tie-in single of The High and the Mighty.
- Oscar BrandOscar BrandOscar Brand is a folk singer, songwriter, and author. In his career, spanning over 60 years, he has composed at least 300 songs and released nearly 100 albums, among them Canadian and American patriotic songs...
as Zamboanga on Every Inch a Sailor and on Four Albums of Military Song from Oscar Brand 2006
Cinema and television
- "Night Waitress" (1936), in which it is attributed to Don RayeDon RayeDon Raye , born Donald MacRae Wilhoite, Jr., in Washington, D.C., was an American vaudevillian and songwriter, best known for his songs for the Andrews Sisters such as "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar", "The House of Blue Lights", "Just For A Thrill" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy."While known for...
, Vic SchoenVic SchoenVictor "Vic" Schoen was an American bandleader, arranger, and composer whose career spanned from the 1930s until his death in 2000...
, Jerry Seelen and Hy ZaretHy ZaretHy Zaret was an American Tin Pan Alley lyricist and composer best known as the co-author of the 1955 hit "Unchained Melody", one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.-Biography:... - "They Were ExpendableThey Were ExpendableThey Were Expendable is a 1945 American war film directed by John Ford and starring Robert Montgomery and John Wayne. The film is based on the book by William L. White, relating the story of the exploits of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three, a PT boat unit defending the Philippines against Japanese...
" (1945) director John FordJohn FordJohn Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath... - It was sung by "the Beaver" in the TV series "Leave It To BeaverLeave It to BeaverLeave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood...
" in the episode "Lonesome Beaver" (1958) - A Hole in the HeadA Hole in the HeadA Hole in the Head is a comedy film released by United Artists. It was directed by Frank Capra and featured Frank Sinatra, Edward G. Robinson, Eleanor Parker, Keenan Wynn, Carolyn Jones, Thelma Ritter, Dub Taylor and Joi Lansing. The film introduced the song "High Hopes", a Sinatra standard used...
(1959) directed by Frank CapraFrank CapraFrank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s... - "Donovan's ReefDonovan's ReefDonovan's Reef is a 1963 American film starring John Wayne. It was directed John Ford and filmed on location on Kauai, Hawaii.The cast included Elizabeth Allen, Lee Marvin, Dorothy Lamour, and Cesar Romero. The film marked the last time Ford and Wayne ever worked together on a...
" (1963) also directed by John Ford, starring Lee MarvinLee MarvinLee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
and John WayneJohn WayneMarion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height... - "The Virgin SuicidesThe Virgin Suicides (film)The Virgin Suicides is a 1999 American drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola, produced by her father Francis Ford Coppola, starring James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, and A.J...
" (1999)
Literary use
- Two published books share their title with the song, one by S.P. Meek (1935) and one by Reese Wolfe (1959)
Related songs and parody versions
- "No te vejas a Zamboanga" a Chavacano song written by Juan Cuadrado, Sr. Later spawned the English song Zamboanga, popular with Filipinos with the following lyrics "Don't you go, don't you go to far Zamboanga." (a variant)
- The song later became a Philippine brass band favorite in both civilian and military bands. One YouTube sample by a local Philippine band The Malabon Brass Band:
- The Freshmen Up at Yale Get No TailThe Freshmen Up at Yale Get No Tail"The Freshmen Up at Yale Get No Tail" is a humorous song historically sung by Yale University's Ivy League rivals. The song questions the sexual prowess of Yale students and suggests that they frequently self-gratify with masturbation...
External links
- Roud Folk Song Index, versions collected by FolkwaysFolkways RecordsFolkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
and Alan LomaxAlan LomaxAlan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of... - Music, lyrics, and a discussion of the song http://www.zamboanga.com/monkey/information/frame.htm
- 27th US Infantry History http://www.kolchak.org/Admin/Wolfhoundmarch.htm
- Additional lyrics, collected by Robert Winslow GordonRobert Winslow GordonRobert Winslow Gordon was born September 2, 1888 in Bangor, Maine. Educated at Harvard, he joined the English faculty at the University of California at Berkley in 1918. He was the founding head of the Archive of American Folk Song at the Library of Congress in 1928, later the Archive of Folk...
: http://sirendesign.net/folklore.htm#3801-oh-the-caribous-have-no-hair-in-merivales