# I'm looking for a particular Island song.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445 "2013-05-27T03:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445/1 "2013-05-27T03:08:40Z")
It starts with a few verses about a young Caribbean man asking his father about marrying a girl. His dad tells him that he was cheating on his mother and the girl is really his sister, so he shouldn’t marry her, but don’t tell Mom because she doesn’t know. This continues for two, three, or a hundred times. The final, and spoiler verse, is that he goes to his mother and tells her about his frustration that he can’t find a girl to marry and repeats his father’s story. Mom tells him that none of these girls are his sister because his father isn’t really his Dad, but he doesn’t know. It’s a great fun song… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445/2 "2013-05-27T04:13:13Z")
[I heard it as an Irish song. “Johnny Be Fair” And it was a girl who found she had a bunch of “brothers.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RdIg431a8w) A Carribbean-flavored version sounds like it could be fun. Link it if you find it. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445/3 "2013-05-27T04:22:07Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > It starts with a few verses about a young Caribbean man asking his father about marrying a girl. His dad tells him that he was cheating on his mother and the girl is really his sister, so he shouldn’t marry her, but don’t tell Mom because she doesn’t know. This continues for two, three, or a hundred times. > > The final, and spoiler verse, is that he goes to his mother and tells her about his frustration that he can’t find a girl to marry and repeats his father’s story. Mom tells him that none of these girls are his sister because his father isn’t really his Dad, but he doesn’t know. > > It’s a great fun song.. It’s called **Shame and Scandal in the Family** …by Trini Lopez. You’re welcome! ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445/4 "2013-05-27T04:23:07Z")
I don’t know the song you’re looking for but blues musician R.L Burnside tells the same tale in the form of a joke/story on his 2001 live album _Burnside on Burnside_. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445/5 "2013-05-27T04:27:12Z")
Looks like it’s been recorded by a lot of people. > **[Shame and Scandal in the Family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shame_and_Scandal)** > > "Shame and Scandal in the Family", also known as "Shame & Scandal" for short, is a song written by calypso singer Sir Lancelot for the movie I Walked with a Zombie in 1943 and originally titled "Fort Holland Calypso Song". Sir Lancelot issued his recording of it in the late 1940s. The Sir Lancelot version was covered by folksingers Odetta and Burl Ives. In 1962, Trinidadian calypsonian Lord Melody wrote new lyrics for the verses while keeping the melody and the chorus. The Histori In Sir Lancelo... ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445/6 "2013-05-27T12:01:37Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > It’s called **Shame and Scandal in the Family** …by Trini Lopez. > > You’re welcome! Excellent! Downloaded from Amazon. “Woe, is me! Shame and scandal in the fam-i-lee” 🙂 Barefoot man is the best, because he uses Island accents… ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445/7 "2013-05-27T13:59:24Z")
There’s an Appalachian equivalent by Mike Cross [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpsTj4ijnkw&feature=player_detailpage#t=117s). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445/8 "2013-05-27T14:56:05Z")
Written by calypso legend Sir Lancelot. Fun fact: the song was adapted by Sir Lancelot for the horror film **[I Walked with a Zombie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mna6IdRKRqA)** ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445/9 "2013-05-27T15:06:37Z")
Hey, Hey! I once asked this very question! As I’d only heard the song sung by the brother of a uni roomie from the Bahamas, and could remember scarce little of the lyric, I thought my chances rather slim. However, just like here, the Straight Dope did not disappoint! ---
**Author:** ![plankter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ba0ec/32.png) [@plankter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plankter)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445/10 "2013-05-27T17:19:36Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Hey, Hey! I once asked this very question! As I’d only heard the song sung by the brother of a uni roomie from the Bahamas, and could remember scarce little of the lyric, I thought my chances rather slim. > > However, just like here, the Straight Dope did not disappoint! :eek: I was thinking of this song last week. Now I know! Seconding the praise for the Straight Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-particular-island-song/659445/11 "2013-05-28T03:47:42Z")
YouTube says this is the original: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5rIKIvZVj7M/hqdefault.jpg "Shawn Elliott - Shame And Scandal In The Family - Roulette RECORDS") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rIKIvZVj7M)