Have you ever had trouble understanding any JB lyrics?

[bestseller92]

Yes, I know, most of JB's lyrics are clear as bells. But....

I never could understand the line just after "Lately" in "Boat Drinks" until I looked it up on the internet. Had it wrong for over 20 years, since buying "SYKBH" in 1985.

"Lately, newspaper mentioned cheap airfare/ I gotta fly to St. somewhere...."

Heck, now that I know what he's saying, I like the song even more. That's a beaucoup cool line .

Anyone else ever miscontrued or misunderstood any JB lyrics?

[ph4ever]

only when I was drunk, or back in the 70's had an altered state of mind

[bestseller92]

Back in the Seventies I often had an "altered state of mind" because I used to eat whole cans of frosting as a kid.

Ewwww....

[ragtopW]

[allucaneatbuffett]

Funny you bring this up. I have been a Buffett nazi for 20 years. My wife, about 10 years as a fan. Earlier this year, she was singing A Pirate Looks at Forty in the shower. I heard her say:

"but I Kissed it away so fast" as part of the lyrics. I "corrected" her that it was "p***" it away so fast. She laughed hysterically telling me how dumb I was and how could I possibly not know the lyrics and claim to be such a fan. She bet me breakfast in bed for a whole weekend.

Once I got online and showed her the lyrics in print, I put in my order for 3 eggs sunnyside up, bacon, and a bagel toasted with cream cheese.

[phjrsaunt]

OH HECK YES. It was only a few weeks ago I realized the "correct" lyrics to a song that's ages old (I'll think of the title right now...listening to something else and my brain can only hold so much at one time)

[bestseller92]

It also (and I hesitate to bring this example up) took me a while to figure out that the lady in "Son" hails from Trinidad (not "Trembladell", wherever that might've been), and that the island has "salt for your meat" (not "soft re-u-neet", whatever that might've been).

Well, perhaps confession, like mortal sin, is "good for the soul".

[ragtopW]

Went to the Libary to look up the Goddess
Aramora.. (must be a sea goddess I never heard of)

uh .. no... "she feels like A remora"

[palmettopirate]

And of course there's always the "munster" / "mustard" confusion.

[Conolulu]

When "Fins" first came out....my best friend and I were riding around and she was singing at the top of her lungs...

"Dance to the Left, Dance to the Right....."

[flipflopgirl]

one of my friends thought the line was "I don't know where i'm a gonna go when the bar comes to close!"

[Conolulu]

one of my friends thought the line was "I don't know where i'm a gonna go when the bar comes to close!"

"You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here"....


I may have heard that a few times in my years....

[flipflopgirl]

one of my friends thought the line was "I don't know where i'm a gonna go when the bar comes to close!"

"You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here"....


I may have heard that a few times in my years....

me too!

[phjrsaunt]

OH HECK YES. It was only a few weeks ago I realized the "correct" lyrics to a song that's ages old (I'll think of the title right now...listening to something else and my brain can only hold so much at one time)

Thought of it! It's from the song " I Will Play for Gumbo"---

what I thought the line was:
"done ate binets till my sugar ran low"

what the actual line is;
"don't eat binets-too much sugar and dough"

One day recently I was listening to it, and just had me one of those V8 moments..literally smacked myself on the head and laughed out loud!!

[Wino you know]

Anyone else ever miscontrued or misunderstood any JB lyrics?

HELL YES.
When I heard the song "FINS" for the first several times (until I READ the acutal lyrics somewhere), I thought he was singing "DANCE to the left, DANCE to the right."

W.D.W.G.D.A.S.,
I thought he was singing "They say you are a SNUB queen."
(It's acutally "SNUFF" queen).

And, like so many others have stated, in the song "Frank & Lola," I thought he was singing "They stopped at several WAL MARTS, where they slurped a dozen each."
As we all NOW know, it's "RAW BARS."

[Staredge]

what I thought the line was:
"done ate binets till my sugar ran low"

what the actual line is;
"don't eat binets-too much sugar and dough"

Beignets. Great with cafe au lait.



THink you might have heard of this place in a Buffett song or two. (definitely in a book)

[parrothead3282]

I have 2

I always thought in CIP he said "worth every dime that I sacrifice" instead of "damn bit of sacrifice".

And in SOASOAS.... "Shake the hand of the Mango Man as he greets you at the border" Couldn't ever figure out anything for what was said here.

[parrothead3282]

W.D.W.G.D.A.S.,
I thought he was singing "They say you are a SNUB queen."
(It's acutally "SNUFF" queen).

Just now realized that myself

[HockeyParrotHead]

My SIL used to think the line "Stepped on a pop-top" was "Stepped on a Pop-tart" in the national anthem.

[bravedave]

Yes, I know, most of JB's lyrics are clear as bells. But....

I never could understand the line just after "Lately" in "Boat Drinks" until I looked it up on the internet. Had it wrong for over 20 years, since buying "SYKBH" in 1985.

"Lately, newspaper mentioned cheap airfare/ I gotta fly to St. somewhere...."
Heck, now that I know what he's saying, I like the song even more. That's a beaucoup cool line .

Anyone else ever miscontrued or misunderstood any JB lyrics?

For years I misconstrued the very same line.
I thought it said, "I got a plot of sand somewhere..."
As if recalling a long-unused beach property...