Civilization Lyrics

Danny Kaye Civilization

Each morning a missionary advertise with neon sign
He tells the native population that civilization is
fine
And three educated savages holler from a bongo tree
That civilization is a thing for me to see

So bongo, bongo, bongo I don’t want to leave the congo
Oh no no no no no
Bingle, bangle, bungle I’m so happy in the jungle I
refuse to go
Don’t want no bright lights, false teeth, doorbells,
landlords
I make it clear
That no matter how they coax him
I’ll stay right here

I looked through a magazine the missionary’s wife
concealed
(Magazine? What happens?)
I see how people who are civilized bang you with
automobiles
(You know you can get hurt that way Daniel)
At the movies they have to pay many coconuts to see
(What do they see Danny?)
Uncivilized pictures that the newsreels take of me

So bongo, bongo, bong he don’t want to leave the congo
Oh no no no no no
Bingle, bangle, bungle he’s so happy in the jungle he
refuse to go
Don’t want no penthouse, bathtub, streetcars, taxis
Noise in my ear
So no matter how they coax him
I’ll stay right here

They hurry like savages to get aboard an iron train
And though it’s smoky and crowded they’re too civilized
to complain
When they’ve got two weeks vacation they hurry to
vacation grounds
(What do they do Danny)
They swim and they fish but that’s what I do all year
round

So bongo, bongo, bongo I don’t want to leave the congo
Oh no no no no no
Bingle, bangle, bungle I’m so happy in the jungle I
refuse to go
Don’t want no jailhouse, shotguns, fish hooks, golf
clubs
I’ve got my spear
So no matter how they coax him
I’ll stay right here

They have things like the atom bomb
So I think I’ll stay where I “om”
Civilization, I’ll stay right here