Somewhere Over China

When salome plays the drum
By: jimmy buffett
1981
For salome, freddo and clauvis
When salome plays the drum
Crowd goes deaf and dumb
Swept up by dark sensations

Partially the heat
More so it's the beat
She moves in syncopation
Gazelle on the run

Skirts slit past her thigh
Boys let out a sigh
The beat begins to quicken
Crowd ascends the stairs
Climbin' on the chairs
The plot begins to thicken
Phasers on stun

Chorus:
Take them to the carnival (take them to the carnival)
Let them hear the conga
Tonight the tempo feels so right
Tomorrow may be wrong-a

(instrumental)

Gendarme close her down
Make her leave the town
She caught the flight to rio
Nothin' to say

Wavin' from the plane
Pourin' pink champagne
She toasts her loyal trio
It was a lucrative stay

Ooh take them to the carnival (take them to the carnival)
Let them hear the conga
Tonight the tempo feels so right
Tomorrow may be wrong-a

Oh won't you take them to the carnival (take them to the carnival)
Let them play for hours
Tonight the weather feels so right
Tomorrow (tomorrow) feels like showers

- notes:
Gut string guitar by barry chance

Lip service
By: jimmy buffett, michael utley
1981
For anyone who loves creole cookin' and new orleans music
Talk-a, talk-a, talk until your jaws turn blue
But you never really tell me what you're gonna do
Seem to keep it all locked up inside
I can't help but start to thinkin'
You've got somethin' to hide
Why the pain
What's your game
You're drivin' this boy insane
Oooh what a voodoo, nobody can do like you do

Your bitchin' and your cryin' finally got to me
So i thought i'd take you baby on a shoppin' spree
You bought a space age watch and an antique hat
Hell now it's digital this and digital that
What a pain
Silly games
Still drivin' your man insane
Oooh what a voodoo, nobody can do like you do

Chorus:
Oh darlin' oh darlin'
All i ever get is lip service from you
Oh darlin' oh darlin', i'm through
'cause all i ever get is lip service from you

(instrumental)

So listen to me baby
You got to change your ways
Or i'm off to pascagoula in a few more days
I'll leave you and your poodle and all the mess he makes
Find some other fool to man your shovel and your rake
No more pain
End of game
You're drivin' yourself insane
Ooh what a voodoo, nobody can do like you do

Chorus:
Oh darlin' oh darlin'
All i ever get is lip service from you
Oh darlin' oh darlin', i'm through
'cause all i ever get is lip service from you

Lip service from you (lip service)
Lip service from you-hoo
Lip service from you (lip service)
Lip service from you-hoo
Lip service from you (lip service)
Lip service from you-hoo

- notes:
Lead guitar: josh leo

I heard i was in town
By: jimmy buffett, michael utley
1981
For the people of key west
Past, present and future
Came to see friends
Walk old streets again
Grab a bite and a beer by the sea
It caught my attention
The old town has grown
That's why i came alone

I've been treated well
I raised all kinds of hell
When a full tank was only a fin
Ain't it quite funny how things turn around
I heard i was in town

Madman in a pickup truck
So many years ago
Changes have come like the storms of the season
But time here still moves slow

Passed the old joints
My favorite haunts
We'd stay for twelve or ten
Ain't it quite funny word gets around
I heard i was in town

(instrumental)

I was a madman in a pickup truck
So many years ago
Changes have come like the storms of the seasons
Time here still moves slow

Came to see friends
Walk old streets again
Maybe strike up a tune with the moon
Don't it seem funny
Word gets around
I heard i was in town

Coda:
Ain't it quite funny
Word gets around
I heard i was in town

- notes:
Acoustic lead guitar by barry chance

If i could just get it on paper
By: jimmy buffett
1981
For william faulkner
If i could just get it on paper
The things that have happened tonight
That seems to me to be the big key
I'm havin' too good a time to ever turn
Out the lights

Go to bed wake up with a clear head
Recallin' what made it a ball
Yes if i could just get it on paper
I might make some sense of it all

If i could tell half of the stories
The funny way most things begin
Figure ways to disguise all the half-truths and lies
Find the heart of my song with the point of a pen

Simple words can become clever phrases
And chapters could turn into books
Yes if i could just get it on paper
But it's harder than it ever looks

(instrumental)

All alone on the edge of the water
Hidin' out by the sea of cortez
With my sketch pads and flairs
Tapes and battery spares
It's just no comprehendo to what everyone says

Time alone seemed to work well for faulkner
Time away seems to work for the kid
Life and ink they run out at the same time
Or so said my old friend the squid

Yes if i could just get it on paper tonight
I could tell you what i think i did

On a slow boat to china
By: frank loesser
1948
To spike jones and the city slickers and darlene vare
-- spoken:
"and now from the grand ballroom"
"the s.s. ???? proudly presents our boy singer: jimmy boofey"
"take it away jim"

I'd love to get you
On a slow boat to china
All to myself alone

Get you and keep you
In my arms ever more
Leave all your lovers
Weepin' on a far away shore (waiter!)

Out on the briny
With the moon big and shiny
Melting your heart of stone
Honey i'd love to get you
On a slow boat to china
All by myself alone

-- spoken:
"who's steering the boat?"
"who's steering this boat?"
"waiter!"
"may i get a drink around here, now uh...?"
"you ever been on a cruise?"
"neither have i!"

(instrumental)

"...isn't that a good one?"
"yes, can i see you later, you bet!"
"excuse me, i have to go back to the bandstand now"

I'd love to get you
On a slow boat to china
All to myself alone
A twist in the rudder
And a rip in the sails
Driftin' and dreamin'
Honey throw the compass over the rail

Out on the ocean
Far from all the commotion
Melting your heart of stone
Honey i'd love to get you
On a slow boat to china
All by myself alone

(i have to go now)
(wait! don't leave!)
Honey i'd love to get you
On a slow boat to china
All to myself alone

-- spoken:
"you know our last set is at two"
"i get off after that"
"what you doin'?"
"would you like to take a stroll around the upper deck?"
"see you then"
"maybe, oo-hoo"

- notes:
Special effects: exotic productions

This album is dedicated to bill williams, my old boss, who told me a
Long time ago that he knew that i knew that i could. love, j.b.