# Iko Iko translation **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 12, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015 "2005-06-12T22:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/1 "2005-06-12T22:59:38Z")
From _Iko Iko_: Iko, iko unday Jockamo feeno ai nané Jockamo fee nané What language is that, and what does it mean? Also: What is the ‘most popular’ version? That is, when one hears the song used in a commercial, film, television show, on the radio, etc., whose version is it likely to be? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/2 "2005-06-12T23:10:27Z")
The version I’m most familiar with is _The Belle Stars_’ version. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/3 "2005-06-12T23:17:12Z")
I’d always just assumed they were in Creole French or Cajun French or whatever the French people in Lousiana speak is called. James Crawford, Jr., the guy who originally sang it in the '50s, was/is an R&B musician from New Orleans. But this [MusicMatch biography](http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=1518634&TMPL=LONG#bio) of him says that “The lack of cash register jingle for the song – usually attributed to a songwriting quadrangle of James Crawford Jr., Barbara Anne Hawkins, Rosa Lee Hawkins, and Joan Marie Johnson – comes from its origins in the traditional music of Africa.” (Nobody gets the royalties from it because it’s a traditional song, basically.) So, it could be any one of thousands of African languages. Of course, the biography goes on to say that it probably evolves out of slave chants in New Orleans and that musicologists really have no idea what it means. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/4 "2005-06-12T23:55:27Z")
> [@Miss Purl McKnittington](#): > > I’d always just assumed they were in Creole French or Cajun French or whatever the French people in Lousiana speak is called. Creole and Cajun are actually two different dialects, both of which are spoken in South Louisiana. Cajun tends to be spoken by those of Canadian descent, particularly in rural areas. Creole is mainly spoken by people of African/European descent, and is a somewhat more urban dialect. This is what you usually hear Voodoo priestesses talk in movies. (IANALinguist but this is what I’ve been able to gather from living my whole life in South Louisiana.) As for the song itself, I’ve usually heard that it’s just nonsense, not a particular language. The version I’m most familiar with is the one by [The Dixie Cups](http://www.history-of-rock.com/dixie_cups.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/5 "2005-06-12T23:57:19Z")
Thanks, **Lisa**. ---
**Author:** ![gommsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@gommsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gommsn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/6 "2005-06-13T00:03:28Z")
Great song. My favorite version is by _Cyndi Lauper_ . Discovered it by accident. _Dr. John_ also does a good cover. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/7 "2005-06-13T00:15:08Z")
What verses are considered the most common. I’ve heard a zillion of them, but don’t know which ones are the “defaults.” There’s a fun version on Buckwheat Zydeco’s kids’ CD, _Choo Choo Boogaloo_, including such verses as: _My li’l boy and your li’l boy Playing catch with a tomato. Your boy missed mine’s very best throw, Made ketchup on a gator!_ _My grandmaw and your grandmaw, Sittin’ on the Bayou. My grandmaw said to your grandmaw, Let’s make some jambalay-oo._ and of course: _Make up the words to this silly song, And sing it to your sister. Rhyme any time, and you can’t go wrong, Give your sister a real tongue twister!_ 🙂 Hey Now! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/8 "2005-06-13T00:18:16Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > What verses are considered the most common. I’ve heard a zillion of them, but don’t know which ones are the “defaults” Any o fthem have translations for the non-English bit? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/9 "2005-06-13T01:14:22Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Any o fthem have translations for the non-English bit? Nope. I suspect that it’s untranslatable, as **Miss Purl** said. As a fan of the various styles of Cajun/Creole music, I’ve heard those same syllables used in a lot of songs. It seems like if someone doesn’t know what else to say, he throws a “jockamo” in there. On the other hand, the song Lady Marmalade is quite translatable. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/10 "2005-06-13T02:06:11Z")
[An earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=46612) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/11 "2005-06-13T02:34:20Z")
[url=“[http://www.jass.com/tom/next/indian.html](http://www.jass.com/tom/next/indian.html)”]I found this: > [@](#): > > Certainly the first popular song published that made liberal use of the Mardi Gras Indian chants was Sugar Boy Crawford’s November 1953 Checker recording “Jock-A-Mo.” According to a recent interview with Crawford, the original title was “Chockamo,” though through a misinterpretation of what Crawford was singing, it ended up being titled “Jock-A-Mo.” Crawford says, “It came from two Indian chants that I put music to.” “Iko Iko” was a victory chant the Indians would shout. “Jock-A-Mo” was a chant called when the Indians went into battle." Crawford, who grew up in the 1300 block of LaSalle Street, was well acquainted with the many Indian tribes in his area but did not mask as an Indian. To the casual listener not knowledgable about the Indians, a reference to “having some fun on a Mardi Gras Day,” sets the stage for the song. The song begins as a confrontation between Mardi Gras Indians might, a face-to-face meeting of Spyboys with one threatening the other by challenging that "I’m going to set your flag on fiyo (fire). The music is reminiscent of an Indian second line but for the most part is typical of the rhythm and blues songs recorded in the Crescent City at that time. The song came out for the 1954 Mardi Gras and according to Crawford “Nobody paid attention to the song…for over ten years.” Certainly as it reemerged as “Iko Iko” by the Dixie Cups, it garnered a much bigger impact… > > The opening guitars of Crawford’s version are replaced by a much more authentic sounding percussion accomplished by hitting two sticks together. The Spyboys of the original first verse become Grandmas, which points more towards a signifying episode than an Indian exchange. The Queen reference is turned into a King and was certainly not written by any New Orleans songster who would certainly say Chief. The second verse shows more understanding of Indian culture as Grandma now becomes a Flagboy… **Miss Purl** ’s link says, ‘the expression developed into local slang for “you can kiss my ass.”’ If ‘Jokomo’ is a victory cry, then I can see how it could have the meaning. From **EST** ’s link: > [@](#): > > This is very very sketchy, but I really think i recall a late night radio show that was talking about lyrics, and someone was talking about this song. I don’t remember the rest, but they said that the phrase “Jockomo fee nane” was a phrase somewhere in between “He can do as he likes, I don’t care” and “He can go f\*\*\* himself”. So it seems clear that the song is about two krewes in Mardi Gras competition. But… The words still have to mean something. Apparently they’re from an Indian dialect? If the tribe could be discovered, the line may still be translatable. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/12 "2005-06-13T02:41:32Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > The words still have to mean something. Not necessarily. I can think of at least one example (“I Zimbra” by Talking Heads) of a song whose lyrics are just made-up words. This could be similar. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iko-iko-translation/308015/13 "2005-06-13T20:13:06Z")
> [@Miss Purl McKnittington](#): > > Thanks, **Lisa**. No problem. [This](http://ccet.louisiana.edu/Cajun_French_and_Creole.html) is a pretty good link if you have any further interest in the subject.