Saturday Music Post - Iko Iko

Originally titled "Jock-a-Mo," the song now known as "Iko Iko" was written and released by Chess Records' Checker subsidiary in 1953 by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford. It tells the story of competition between two bands of Mardi Gras parade "Indians." The lyrics are just random chants -- as Crawford explained in an interview -- although some have tried to impute meaning to them. Crawford's record didn't chart, but the Dixie Cups had a hit with an a cappella version in 1965. One of them had evidently only heard her grandmother singing it and, unaware of Crawford's release, and believing it to be a traditional song, claimed the copyright. (Evidence, btw, that such copyright claims were common at the time, and not only by Pete Seeger.) Litigation followed, with Crawford mostly prevailing.

"Iko Iko" has been closely identified with New Orleans, though many of the numerous covers have been by non-NOLA artists, whose clips you can enjoy at The Faculty Lounge.