“Going to Timbuktu”… Where is Timbuktu Anyway?
Nurcan wrote in looking for a song about going to Timbuktu. Here’s what Nurcan wrote…
Hi,
I found your website and it’s very interesting, learning a lot I didn’t know, in terms of where certain songs come from. However can you assist me? I am trying to work out a song about Timbuktu. It’s not the American version either. I believe it’s possibly old English or Australian. From memory it’s about a voyage and they’re going to Timbuktu, but it never really says where Timbuktu is, as they are always looking for it. I am Australian, heard this song in around grade 1, am 28 now but can’t remember and it’s driving me batty, lol.
Hope you can help. Thank you.
Cheers, Nurcan
This sounds very familiar to me, yet I can’t find it anywhere.
I do know that To go to Timbuktu, means to travel to the ends of the earth, or the most distant place you can imagine.
Timbuktu is a town in Mali in west Africa, on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. It was the one meeting place of the people of north Africa and the south.
It was established around 1100 AD by the Tuareg, a nomadic people of the Sahara. The name Timbuktu comes from the dialect they spoke, also called Timbuktu. It’s a dialect of a Berber language called Tamasheq.
Timbuktu was a major trading center for gold, salt and slaves, from the year 1200 AD, until at least the second half of the 16th century.
If anyone is familiar with the song Nurcan is looking for, please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
UPDATE: Nurcan wrote me again and posted the song in the comments below. It’s the Australian version of “The Sailor Went to Sea”.
July 23rd, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Hi thankyou for trying to help me, I stumbled across the song by mistake whilst singing another song lol, the song I was after was “sailor went to see see” where I got mixed up is as the lyrics go (this is just one verse happy to post full song if anyone wants it)
The sailor went to Timbuktu,
To see what he could Timbuktu
But all that he could Timbuktu
Was the bottom of the deep blue Timbuktu
The sailor went to sea, chop, knee, toe, Timbuktu
To see what he could sea, chop, knee, toe, Timbuktu
That all that he could sea, chop, knee, toe, Timbuktu
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, chop, knee, toe, Timbuktu
Cheers Nurcan
July 24th, 2006 at 12:17 am
That’d be great if you could post the full lyrics! Thanks in advance. -Lisa
July 24th, 2006 at 1:05 am
Hi Lisa,
Your welcome and thankyou for your help here, hope it is ok to post this the site that explains how this song is used (and i believe it to be correct as this is how i was taught the song) is
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Music/musicalshairs.html
The full song lyrics are as follows:
The Sailor Went to Sea
The sailor went to sea, sea, sea
To see what he could see, see, see
But all that he could see, see, see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea
The sailor went to chop, chop, chop
To see what he could chop, chop, chop
But all that he could chop, chop, chop
Was the bottom of the deep blue chop, chop, chop
The sailor went to knee, knee, knee
To see what he could knee, knee, knee
But all that he could knee, knee, knee
Was the bottom of the deep blue knee, knee, knee
The sailor went to toe, toe, toe
To see what he could toe, toe, toe
But all that he could toe, toe, toe
Was the bottom of the deep blue toe, toe, toe
The sailor went to Timbuktu,
To see what he could Timbuktu
But all that he could Timbuktu
Was the bottom of the deep blue Timbuktu
The sailor went to sea, chop, knee, toe, Timbuktu
To see what he could sea, chop, knee, toe, Timbuktu
That all that he could sea, chop, knee, toe, Timbuktu
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, chop, knee, toe, Timbuktu
July 24th, 2006 at 8:35 am
Thanks Nurcan! That link is fine. At that link you can find directions about how to play a children’s game while singing “The Sailor Went to Sea”.
February 4th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Just updating you on the origins of the name… apparently in their language Tim means well (or place) and Buktu is a womans name… the name literally means Buktu’s well (or place). Here’s an extract from an historical education site I found.
‘Timbuktu was established by the nomadic Tuareg perhaps as early as the 10th century. Its name is made up of: tin which means « place » and buktu, the name of an old Malian woman known for her honesty and who once upon a time lived in the region. Tuareg and other travellers would entrust this woman with any belongings for which they had no use on their return trip to the north. Thus, when a Tuareg, upon returning to his home, was asked where he had left his belongings, he would answer: «I left them at Tin Buktu », meaning the place where dame Buktu lived. The two terms ended up fusing into one word, thus giving the city the name of Tinbuktu which later became Timbuktu…….
………..The place name is said to come from a Tuareg woman named Buktu who dug a well in the area where the city stands today; hence “Timbuktu”, which means “Buktu’s well”.’
Apparently the language being known as Timbuktu is only a recent and western thing… the actual language is Koyra Chiini, a variety of Songhay. But given that it’s only spoken by 200 000 people, it’s often called Timbuktu by outsiders. However that is NOT where the name of the place comes from.
Just thought I’d help point out an error! :)
God bless!
fr0d0.
September 18th, 2007 at 4:17 am
Hi I’m finally teaching and for years i have been trying to get the title of the song ‘a salior went to see see see”!! thank googness for the internet and lovely ppl willing to share!!!
September 18th, 2007 at 4:23 am
btw would anybody know where i can get this song???!??
September 25th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
this is our concert song for the end of the yr… but i cant seem to find the actual song… any ideas???
December 6th, 2007 at 11:01 am
“Going to Timbuktu” is a metaphor for going to a place far away and difficult to get to. If you grew up in New York City (more specifically, Brooklyn) you would use the phrase “all the way out to Carnarsie” for the same metaphor. Carnasie is a section of Brooklyn that is on Jamaica Bay. If you have ever attempted to go to Carnasie via Subway from anywhere else in Brooklyn you would understand the metaphor. The section is named for the Carnasie Indians who lived there before the area was settled by Europeans.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:02 am
“Going to Timbuktu” is a metaphor for going to a place far away and difficult to get to. If you grew up in New York City (more specifically, Brooklyn) you would use the phrase “all the way out to Carnarsie” for the same metaphor. Carnasie is a section of Brooklyn that is on Jamaica Bay. If you have ever attempted to go to Carnasie via Subway from anywhere else in Brooklyn you would understand the metaphor. The section is named for the Carnasie Indians who lived there before the area was settled by Europeans.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Hi! I have also been searching for the title, lyrics & even the music–hopefully–about Timbuktu. I thought the song was in a Bing Crosby, Bob Hope & Dorothy Lamar “Road to” movie from the 40’s or 50’s. But I just checked the web and there wasn’t a “Road to Timbuktu”; the closet was “Road to Morocco.”
As best I recall, some of the melody went something like, “Timbuktu, da da the da da; Timbuktu, da da the da da.” Does that ring a bell with anyone–any help? Thanks!