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The Monkeys Have No Tails in Zamboanga


"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.

"The Monkeys Have No Tails in Zamboanga" is the official regimental march of the 27th US Infantry Regiment, 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 , 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.


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.


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Wikipedia

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