From the recording The Land of Yangalele
Siama singing, guitar, mbira / Dallas singing, toy piano / David Tullis drums
The middle section (sung in Kikongo) is a traditional children’s song. Dallas wrote the story in English so you can sing along.
Lyrics
MONKEY GAME
Guitar chords: D A
Monkey Game, Monkey Game. Do ya wanna play Monkey Game? (repeat)
One day three children in the Bas Congo went to play Monkey Game in the jungle.
Laughing, swinging, jumping all around, they didn’t notice when the sun went down. Tralalalala.
Didn’t notice when the sun went down.
Singin’ Monkey Game, Monkey Game.
Do ya wanna play Monkey Game? (repeat)
The jungle is scary when tis dark and you're a kid but’cha gotta keep your head together and that's what they did.
They followed a trail that the cows had laid.
Got to home to eat the dinner Mama made. Tralalalala.
Got to home to eat the dinner Mama made.
Yangalele. Yangalele. Yangalele, Mama! Yangalele. Yangalele, Mama! (repeat)
Monkey Game, Monkey Game. Do ya wanna play Monkey Game? (repeat)
Lumbu kimosi bana batatu, bele muyimbila nzebo.
Bubele nzila yibavilakene.
Kuma kubua mpimpa, tralalalala.
Buba kotele mu mampuya ma ngombe.
Mampuya ma ngombe o nitu yiyangalele mama.
Yangalele. Yangalele. Yangalele, Mama! (repeat)
Monkey Game, Monkey Game. Do ya wanna play Monkey Game? (repeat)
Next day three children in the Bas Congo went to play Monkey Game in the jungle.
Laughing, swinging, jumping all around, they went home before the sun went down. Tralalalala.
They went home before the sun went down.
Singin’ Yangalele. Yangalele. Yangalele, Mama! (repeat)
Monkey Game, Monkey Game. Do ya wanna play Monkey Game? (repeat)