While its roots are in heavy labor, the song has achieved massive recognition through modern media:
: It is famously featured in the dinner party possession scene in Tim Burton's 1988 film Beetlejuice .
: The repeated refrain "Daylight come and me wan' go home" literally describes the workers waiting for the sun to rise so their grueling shift can end.
: The "Mister Tally Man" was a real figure who inventoried the load; workers could only leave once he had finished counting their tally.
While its roots are in heavy labor, the song has achieved massive recognition through modern media:
: It is famously featured in the dinner party possession scene in Tim Burton's 1988 film Beetlejuice .
: The repeated refrain "Daylight come and me wan' go home" literally describes the workers waiting for the sun to rise so their grueling shift can end.
: The "Mister Tally Man" was a real figure who inventoried the load; workers could only leave once he had finished counting their tally.
