The 1920s Song Inspired by Greek Fruit Sellers in America and Became a Hit

“Yes! We Have No Bananas,” the silly 1920’s song, based connected a Greek effect seller, became a smash deed and has remained culturally applicable ever since. Credit: Public Domain

The opus “Yes! We Have No Bananas,” which was based connected Greek effect sellers, became an improbable but timeless deed aft it was released for the archetypal clip successful March of 1923.

The tune was written by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn, who were spurred connected to constitute it aft an brushwood with a Greek effect seller who had the unsocial signifier of “beginning each condemnation with a ‘Yes,'” arsenic Silver explained to Time Magazine.

“I americium an American, of Jewish ancestry, with a woman and a young son…About a twelvemonth agone my small orchestra was playing astatine a Long Island hotel,” Silver recalled. “To and from the edifice I was wont to halt astatine a effect basal owned by a Greek, who began each condemnation with ‘Yes.’ The jingle of his idiom haunted maine and my person Cohn. Finally I wrote this verse and Cohn fitted it with a tune.”

Upon its release, the opus was an improbable deed with its silly, yet endearing, lyrics. Renditions of “Yes! We Have No Bananas” were recorded by immoderate of the biggest stars of the day, including Billy Jones, Billy Murray, Arthur Hall, and Irving Kaufman.

“Yes! We Have No Bananas”

The opening lyrics, which mightiness beryllium considered a tad violative today, read:

“There’s a effect store connected our street—It’s tally by a Greek. And helium keeps bully things to eat,
But you should perceive him speak! When you inquire him anything, helium ne'er answers “no.” He conscionable yeses you to death, and arsenic helium takes your dough. He tells you…”

Then, the refrain, which has present go iconic, reads: “Yes, we person nary bananas, we person nary bananas today. We’ve drawstring beans, and onions, cabbages, and scallions, and all sorts of fruit and say…We person an old-fashioned to-mah-to, a Long Island po-tah-to, but yes, we person nary bananas. We person nary bananas today.”

The 1920s opus inspired by Greek effect sellers played a relation successful history

Some person theorized that Silver’s acquisition with the Greek effect seller and his deficiency of bananas whitethorn person been the effect of an outbreak of Panama disease, a works illness that wiped retired overmuch of the banana crops astatine the time.

Due to its popularity some successful the US and internationally, the opus became the halfway of galore iconic humanities and popular civilization moments.

In Northern Ireland, the opus was a rallying outcry during the Outdoor Relief Protests successful Belfast successful 1932. The movement, which was dedicated to securing societal information and payment benefits, was 1 of the lone successful the country’s past that included some Catholics and Protestants protesting connected the aforesaid side. They utilized “Yes! We Have No Bananas” arsenic a rallying cry, arsenic it was 1 of the fewer non-sectarian songs that members of some groups knew.

The song’s rubric was wide displayed successful effect shops successful the UK during World War II, arsenic the state banned imports of bananas for 5 years during rations. Fruit sellers displayed the operation to support up morale erstwhile they sold lone locally-produced foods, providing immoderate wit during the war.

The opus has besides featured prominently successful galore books, tv shows, and movies implicit the years, including “Tender is the Night,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the movie Sabrina successful which the prima Audrey Hepburn sings the opus to Humphrey Bogart portion they cruise Long Island Sound connected a sailboat.