Chingo!

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Robert Hunter, Malcolm Welbourne (Papa Mali), Bill Kreutzmann, George Porter Jr

Originally written by Robert Hunter in the 1980s. Subsequently re-done by 7 Walkers in 2010.

Robert Hunter introduced an early version of this song on 25 September 1986:

I'm going to be playing New Orleans in a couple of weeks, and I wrote a new song especially to play in New Orleans and I'd like to test it out on you

The lyrics in "Box Of Rain" are:

Long come a Witchman chew on an onion
Sing to the spider sat on this thumb
Great big stars like blood red diamonds (note 1)
Brew in the bucket, now give me one

Baia bell-a-ringo
Chingo!
Look out, Monkeyman
Buck and run
Horse and rider
Pale blue lightning
Rose-red thunder
You're the one

I'm in love with the Witchman's daughter
Aggravates my soul to say
Once in the cane I nearly caught her
She turned to a bird and flew away

Baia bell-a-ringo
Chingo!
Dark of the morning
Look out, Monkeyman
Here come Shango
Knife and bow
And whip and gun

Been too long on Dead Man's Hill
Feet won't move but I can't lay still
Monkeyman, I come for your daughter
Give her up of your free goodwill

Baia bell-a-ringo
Chingo!
Look out, Monkeyman
Buck and run
Horse and rider
Pale blue lightning
Tell your daughter
Her time has come

Baia bell-a-ringo
Chingo! Chingo!
Baia bell-a-ringo
All night long
Baia bell-a-ringo
Chingo! Chingo!
Look out Monkeyman
I'm your son
Baia bell-a-ringo
Chingo! Chingo!
Baia bell-a-ringo
All night long

Notes
(1) see also the lyric Blood Red Diamonds.

Versions of Chingo! circulate from 25 and 26 September 1986 and are very different. A lot of the lyrics seem to be semi-improvised patois that I haven't tried to transcribe. This is the (longer) version from 25 September:

Star on the balcony, a heart beats strong
Start like a melody, and end like a song
Spin another bottle round, out goes you
Seven in the circle, now love be true

Star on the balcony, a heart beats strong
Start like a melody and end like a song
Spin another bottle round, out goes you
Seven in the circle, now love be true

Baia bell-a-ringo, jhango jhango
Gela hary lingo, all night long
Here come the witchy man, chingo chingo
Baia bell-a-ringo, witching song

Along come your moma, chewing on a onion
Singing to a spider sitting on her thumb
Sun rise early but the moon rise here
Dying like a ruby in a dead man's tear

Baia bell-a-ringo, jhango jhango
Gela hary lingo, all night long
Here come the witchy man, chingo chingo
Baia bell-a-ringo, witching song

Baia bell-a-ringo, chingo chingo

Here come the monkey man, chingo chingo
Hair like a woman and a face like death
Chuck a little red rum down his chin
A trickle of blood driven catch your breath

Baia bell-a-ringo, jhango jhango
Gela hary lingo, all night long
Here come the monkey man, chingo chingo
Gala hary legs and a baia bell-a-ringo

[improvised patois/syllables not transcribed]
Throw it out the window

Then another bottle now
[patois not transcribed]
Out goes you
[patois not transcribed]

Here come the witchy walla, alla counta rue
Daughter of a crocodile, 'gator and a cockatoo
Hither over yonder, the moon shines blue
I may go with her but I still love you

Baia bell-a-ringo, jhango jhango
Gela hary lingo, all night long
Here we go, sit around, beating on a conga
[Power] of the kettle or a human hair

[patois not transcribed]
Seven little indians on a [?]
Floating in a floater on a basketball
Hundred in a dungeon, hundred in a dungeon
You can't have fun with a hundred in a dungeon
A hundred in a dungeon, eleven feet tall
Four feet above me and a belly at all
[patois not transcribed]

Here come your mama, chewing on an onion
Spin another bottle round, out goes you
Chingo, chingo
[patois not transcribed]

Star on the balcony, a heart beats strong
Beat like a melody and ending like a song
Spin another bottle round, out goes you
Seven in the circle, now love be true

This is the re-written version played by 7 Walkers in 2010.

Long come a Witchman chew on an onion
Sing to a spider sat on his thumb
Great big stars like blood red diamonds
Brew in the bucket of a setting sun

Give me your Asson snake bone rattle
Cemetary dirt and a talking drum
Madam Bridgette by the weeping willow
Told me to tell you your time has come

Baia bell-a-ringo Chingo!
Dumballah wedo
Baia bell-a-rango Shango!
Look out monkey man, here he come
Baia bell-a-ringo Chingo!
Dumballah wedo, all night long

Lord of the thunder, shango, shango
Axe and a knife and a tin pan drum
Bells on his feet go jingo jango
Dark of the moon and a pint of rum

Grab you by your banderillero
Crack your bones and suck the marrow
Give me your daughter to be my wife
And I'll beg shango to spare your life

Baia bell-a-ringo Chingo!
Dumballah wedo
Baia bell-a-rango Shango!
Look out monkey man, here he come
Baia bell-a-ringo Chingo!
Dumballah wedo, all night long

I'm in love with the houngan's daughter
Aggravates my soul to say
Once in the cane I nearly caught her
She turned to a bird and she flew away

Next time I go, gonna set a snare
Mirror and a ribbon for her hair
Charcoal from the hounfor fire
Bid her to do my heart's desire

Baia bell-a-ringo Chingo!
Dumballah wedo
Baia bell-a-rango Shango!
Look out monkey man, here he come
Baia bell-a-ringo Chingo!
Dumballah wedo
All night long
All night long
All night long

Maitresse Erzulie riding on the mumbo
Blow on the couch horn loud and long
Down to alegba, Ti-Jean Petro
Ain't no singer, just the song

Rum for Agwe, strolling through the veve
Lord of the ocean, drink your fill
Monkey man I come for your daughter
Give her to me of your own free will

Baia bell-a-ringo Chingo!
Dumballah wedo
Baia bell-a-rango Shango!
Look out monkey man
Baia bell-a-ringo Chingo!
Dumballah wedo
Baia bell-a-ringo Chingo!
Look out monkey man
Look out monkey man
Look out monkey man
Here he come

All night long

Recordings
	Date	Album	Recorded By
	2010	Seven Walkers	Seven Walkers

Further Information
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography