C'mon take me to the Mardi Gras
Where the people sing and play
Where the dancing is elite
And there's music in the street
Both night and day

Hurry take me to the Mardi Gras
In the city of my dreams
You can legalize your lows
You can wear your summer clothes
In the New Orleans

And I will lay my burden down
Rest my head upon that shore
And when I wear that starry crown
I won't be wanting anymore

Take your burdens to the Mardi Gras
Let the music wash your soul (let it wash your soul)
You can mingle in the street
You can jingle to the beat
Of Jelly Roll

Toomba, toomba, toomba, Mardi Gras
Toomba, toomba, toomba, hey
Hey


Lyrics submitted by ms. mary ann

Take Me To the Mardi Gras Lyrics as written by Paul Simon

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Take Me to the Mardi Gras song meanings
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4 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    hm actually i'm not too fond of this song. but sounds like he just wants to forget all his troubles and go party..anyone know if "tumba" means anything?

    ms. mary annon May 28, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    A couple of the lyrics are wrong. It's "...music in the street BOTH night and day" Not a big deal, but hard to get wrong if you actually listen to the song. Secondly, it's "You can jingle to the beat OF JELLY ROLL", not "until your old". Jelly Roll referring to Jelly Roll Morton, a famous jazz musician from New Orleans.

    Yeah, there isn't much to this song. It's pretty straight forward, and pretty frickin awesome if you ask me. It's just about needing a break. Needing to get away. And N.O. gives him what he needs - dancing, music, people, libations. "When I wear that starry crown, I won't be wanting anymore". When he is out at night in N.O. he feels fulfilled and satisfied, like he is getting the antidote he needs for whatever "woes" he might have.

    I love the simple line, "Take your burdens to the Mardi Gras, let the music wash your soul", because that's what this song does for me.

    sisenoron May 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    New Orleans festival. Written when he was probably at the height of his powers. Visualising nice weather and everyone chilled out. I think he should include this in concerts on a regular basis. Doesn't seem to for some reason. For me it is one of his best songs.

    Icon6386on January 22, 2020   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    One the best from Paul Simon collection. I must have listened to it over 1000 times since I heard it first in the mid 1970s. I find the rhythm calming in some inexplicable way.

    PineapplePrinceon March 14, 2021   Link

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