Ali dances and the audience applauds
Though he's bathed in sweat he hasn't lost his style
Ali don't you go downtown
You gave away another round for free

Me, I'm just another face at Zanzibar
But the waitress always serves a secret smile
She's waiting out in Shantytown
She's gonna pull the curtains down for me, for me

I've got the old man's car
I've got a jazz guitar
I've got a tab at Zanzibar
Tonight that's where I'll be, I'll be

Rose, he knows he's such a credit to the game
But the Yankees grab the headline every time
Melodrama's so much fun
In black and white for everyone to see

Me, I'm trying just to get to second base
And I'd steal it if she only gave the sign
She's gonna give the go head
The inning isn't over yet for me, for me

I've got the old man's car
I've got a jazz guitar
I've got a tab at Zanzibar
Tonight that's where I'll be

Tell the waitress I'll come back to Zanzibar
I'll be hiding in the darkness with my beer
She's waiting out in Shantytown
She's gonna pull the curtains down for me, for me

I've got the old man's car
I've got a jazz guitar
I've got a tab at Zanzibar
Tonight that's where I'll be


Lyrics submitted by ruben

Zanzibar Lyrics as written by Billy Joel

Lyrics © TONIGHT MUSIC, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Zanzibar song meanings
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    General Comment

    Supposedly this song was written as a response by Billy to the Steely Dan album, The Royal Scam. There are some really wierd (for Billy Joel) chord progressions in it that apparently were an homage to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (Steely Dan)

    magpi1on January 18, 2006   Link

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