Jimmy won't you please come home where the grass is green and the buffaloes roam
Come see Jimmy your uncle Jim your auntie Jimmie and your cousin Jim
Come home Jimmy because you need a bath
And your grandpa Jimmy is still gone daft
Now there's buffalo Jim and buffalo Jim
And Jim buffalo now didn't you know
Jim' Jim' Jimmy it's your last cigarette
But there's buffalo piss and it's all kind of wet
Jambo Jimmy you'd better hold your nose
All roads lead to roam with the buffaloes
Buffaloes used to say be proud of your name
Buffaloes used to say be what you are
Buffaloes used to say roam where you roam
Buffaloes used to say do what you do
Hey! you've gotta have a wash but you can't clean your name
You're now called Jimmy you'll be Jimmy just the same
The keys are in a bag in a chest by the door
One of Jimmy's friends has taken the floor
Jimmy won't you please come home where the grass is green and the buffaloes roam
Dear old Jimmy you've forgotten you're young but you can't ignore the buffalo song
Buffaloes used to say be proud of your name
Buffaloes used to say be what you are
Buffaloes used to say roam where you roam
Buffaloes used to say do what you do
If you remember you're unknown
Buffaloland will be your home...
Come see Jimmy your uncle Jim your auntie Jimmie and your cousin Jim
Come home Jimmy because you need a bath
And your grandpa Jimmy is still gone daft
And Jim buffalo now didn't you know
Jim' Jim' Jimmy it's your last cigarette
But there's buffalo piss and it's all kind of wet
Jambo Jimmy you'd better hold your nose
All roads lead to roam with the buffaloes
Buffaloes used to say be what you are
Buffaloes used to say roam where you roam
Buffaloes used to say do what you do
You're now called Jimmy you'll be Jimmy just the same
The keys are in a bag in a chest by the door
One of Jimmy's friends has taken the floor
Jimmy won't you please come home where the grass is green and the buffaloes roam
Dear old Jimmy you've forgotten you're young but you can't ignore the buffalo song
Buffaloes used to say be what you are
Buffaloes used to say roam where you roam
Buffaloes used to say do what you do
Buffaloland will be your home...
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
How has no one commented on this song yet? It's amazing, though sadly under the radar. One of Moriarty's best songs in my opinion.
Guess it would clear things up if Buffaloes as the family name were capitalized all through the lyrics. My personal perception of this song is longing for simple, natural, and at the sane time divine living at the frontier. But most possibly I'm mistaken. PS Is there a chance to see here the Bacon lyrics? I'm dying to see interpretations of this song, like it so much musically.
I think it's about Moriarty's (Jim Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes' Nemesis) early years, where he came from and how he came to be a criminal.
It's a nice, welcoming family, with uncles, aunties, cousins, "where the grass is green and the buffaloes roam" (buffaloes being his family, of course) ...But under the clean surface lies a darker side ("daft" grandpa, mental illness ?)
There are two contradictory messages sent by the buffaloes to our young Jimmy : never let others get you down, be proud of yourself and what you are ("be what you are, do what you do", etc) ; but also the necessity of belonging to the group, not rocking the boat ("All roads lead to roam with the buffaloes"). It would be contradictory to Moriarty, because he has such a brilliant mind he doesn't want to be just like any other man, or he wouldn't be true to his nature, he wouldn't be fulfilling what he feels is his destiny, and this is why he can't belong in his family. Whichever way he chooses, he just ends up with a disappointing life, a feeling of incompleteness ("there's buffalo piss, and it's all kind of wet" gives me the impression of a disappointing life)
Driven by this inner conflict and dissatisfaction, he turns to a life of crime, and finds out there's no going back ("you can't clean your name", "One of Jimmy's friends has taken the floor"). Jimmy has "forgotten he's young" (= forgotten his youth, forsaken his innocence, turned his back to his family).
And the last call from his family is for him to "remember he's unknown", put his ego aside to finally come home in buffaloland, with his family, but Moriarty can't do that any more, which ends the song on a very tragic note.