Iko Iko – 1965 (Jock-A-Mo 1954)

Rhythm solo 4/4 C / / G My grandma and your grandma, were sittin’ by the fire, G7 / / C My grandma told your grandma, I’m gonna set your flag on fire.

C / Chorus: Talkin’ ‘bout hey now (hey now), hey now (hey now) G7 / / / C Iko, iko un-day. Jock-a-mo feeno ai na-ne, Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne.

C / / G Look at my king all dressed in red, Iko, iko, un-day. G7 / / C I betcha five dollars he kill you dead. Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne.

C / Chorus: Talkin’ ‘bout hey now (hey now), hey now (hey now) G7 / / / C Iko, iko un-day. Jock-a-mo feeno ai na-ne, Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne.

C / / G My flag boy and your flag boy, sittin’ by the fire. G7 / / C My flag boy told your flag boy, I’m gonna set your flag on fire.

C / Chorus: Talkin’ ‘bout hey now (hey now), hey now (hey now) G7 / / / C Iko, iko un-day. Jock-a-mo feeno ai na-ne, Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne.

Iko Iko (cont.)

C / / G See that guy all dressed in green, Iko, iko, un-day. G7 / / C He’s not a man, he’s a lovin’ machine, Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne.

C / Chorus: Talkin’ ‘bout hey now (hey now), hey now (hey now) G7 / / / C Iko, iko un-day. Jock-a-mo feeno ai na-ne, Jock-a-mo fee-na-ne.

Repeat chorus

“Iko Iko” was like a victory chant that the Indians would shout. “Jock-A-Mo” was a chant that was called when the Indians went into battle. I just put them together and made a song out of them. Really it was just like “.” That was a phrase everybody in used.

Iko Iko (as well as other songs such as Big Chief, Hey Pokey-Way, New Suit, Fire Water) has a very specific meaning. They are all New Orleans Mardi Gras songs about the Black Indians. Black Indians are parade crewes (tribes) that parade through the New Orleans streets on Mardi Gras wearing extravagant ceremonial Indian clothes. They face off when they meet and have battles of clothing, dancing, and singing. The Spy Boy is a ceremonial position (the front runner who scouts out other tribes to do battle with) as is the Flag Boy, Wild Man, and Big Chief. Friends and family who follow are in the "second line" and are therefore second liners. So lines like "My spy boy to your spy boy, I'm gonna set your tail on fire" are ceremonial challenges to the other tribe.

"Joc-a-mo-fee-no-ah-nah-nay, Joc-a-mo-fee-nah-nay" is a ritual chant used by the Mardi Gras Indians which has been around for so long the words are no longer clearly distinguishable, and it has a well understood meaning of its own. Very, very loosely translated it signifies "we mean business" or "don't mess with us". Originally it would have been Cajun (a liberal mix of French and English) and literally translates to "the fool we will not play today." 1/20/2021