Zamboanga
Oh, the carabao have no hair in Mindanao -
Oh, the carabao have no hair in Mindanao -
Now, the carabao have no hair,
And they run around quite bare -
For the carabao have no hair in Mindanao.
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 -
Yes, they have undershirts In Iloilo.
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.
Oh, the birdies have no feet In Mariveles
Oh, the birdies have no feet In Mariveles
The birdies have no feet,
They were burnt off by the heat -
Oh, the birdies have no feet in Mariveles.
Oh, we'll all go up to China In the springtime -
Oh, we'll all go up to China. in the sprin- n- ng
Oh, we'll hop aboard a liner,
I can think of nothing finer -
And we'll all go up to China In the spring.
Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai In the fall-
Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai In the fall-
When we all get down to Shanghai,
Those champagne corks will bang high -
Oh, we'll all go down to Shanghai in the fall.
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 bad to hold our noses -
When we lived ten thousand years in old Chefoo .
This can easily be recognized as the song of the Americans stationed in Philippine posts or serving in the Asiatic Squadron. In the spring the Squadron customarily went north, and in the autumn it went south. China and Japan were the favorites sojourning places of those lucky mortals who found time and opportunity to go there. Other verses hint of the unpopularity of certain locations where the singers found things not quite up to the comforts of home. This is one of those songs adapted by each singer to fit his own particular requirements.