Have you ever had an ear worm song (also known as sticky music) stuck in your head at night that became so loud, it woke you up from your dreams? I have been plagued by the repetitive playing of “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” in my mind for weeks now. This popular hit from the 1950’s was actually written decades earlier. It tells the story of Jamaican dock workers who toil through the night to load bananas onto the ships for transport. At sunrise, they are sent home after a tally is taken to inventory how many pounds were loaded. They work at night to avoid that harsh sun, so when “daylight comin'” they get to go home. Harry Belafonte’s velvet voice has been singing this to me for weeks now.

I suppose you could have worse songs stuck in your head. “It’s a Small World” comes to mind.

Not knowing the history and meaning of the song, I wondered why banana harvesters got to go home at daylight. I missed the whole “boat” part and thought it was strange for bananas to be cut down from trees at night, which would be a dangerous proposition. Then my sleep-deprived brain wandered into other places, like how good banana bread is and how lovely a simple banana spread with peanut butter tastes.

Daylight for me is a time of great productivity, not rest. Our beautiful sunrises here on the water wake me up with the hope and promise of a new day, and I spend my first hours of the day doing exactly what I am doing right now: reading Scripture, researching Scripture, and writing. Oh, and consuming large amounts of coffee. A friend asked me last week if I designate a certain time every day to write, and the answer is yes. I once read that Ernest Hemingway got up and wrote 500 words every day of his life and the structure and discipline of that (not to mention the results!) made an impression on me.

What do you do to welcome the new day?

Psalm 30 (English Standard Version)

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
² O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
³ O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

⁴ Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
⁵ For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

The psalmist reminds us that sunrise is a good time to extol and praise the Lord when he draws us up from sleep. Even when the sunlight floods the room at 5:30am and you can’t get back to sleep, offering God your first word of thanks and appreciation sets the tone for the rest of the day. Yesterday’s weeping is replaced by a new day’s joy and the knowledge that you get a do-over. And it beats the alternative of not waking up.

What do you do first thing in the morning? Go out in joy today, and make it count.

Day-O by Michelle Robertson