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Take Me to the Mardi Gras Lyrics
Come on, take me to the Mardi Gras
Where the people sing and play
Where the dancing is elite
and there's music in the street all 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 New Orleans
And I will lay my burden down
Rest my head upon that shore
When I wear that starry crown
I won't be wanting any more
Take your burdens to the Mardi Gras
Let the music wash your soul
You can mingle in the street
You can jingle to the beat
Until you're old
Tumba, tumba, tumba Mardi Gras
Tumba, tumba, tumba day
Where the people sing and play
Where the dancing is elite
and there's music in the street all night and day
In the city of my dreams
You can legalize your lows
You can wear your summer clothes
In New Orleans
Rest my head upon that shore
When I wear that starry crown
I won't be wanting any more
Let the music wash your soul
You can mingle in the street
You can jingle to the beat
Until you're old
Tumba, tumba, tumba day
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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?
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.
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.
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.