12 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
A Pirate Looks at Forty Lyrics
Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You've seen it all,you've seen it all
Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam
And in your belly you hold the treasures few have ever seen
Most of them dream, most of them dream
Yes I am a pirate, two hundred years too late
The cannons don't thunder, there's nothing to plunder
I'm an over-forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late
I've done a bit of smuggling, I've run my share of grass
I made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast
Never meant to last, never meant to last
And I have been drunk now for over two weeks
I passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks
But I got stop wishing, got to go fishing, down to rock bottom again
Just a few friends, just a few friends
I go for younger women, lived with several a while
Though I ran them away, they'd come back one day
Still could manage to smile
Just takes a while, just takes a while
Mother, mother ocean, after all the years I've found
My occupational hazard being my occupation's just not around
I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown
I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You've seen it all,you've seen it all
Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam
And in your belly you hold the treasures few have ever seen
Most of them dream, most of them dream
The cannons don't thunder, there's nothing to plunder
I'm an over-forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late
I've done a bit of smuggling, I've run my share of grass
I made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast
Never meant to last, never meant to last
I passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks
But I got stop wishing, got to go fishing, down to rock bottom again
Just a few friends, just a few friends
Though I ran them away, they'd come back one day
Still could manage to smile
Just takes a while, just takes a while
My occupational hazard being my occupation's just not around
I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown
I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
This is without a doubt one of my favorite Buffett songs. The lyrics are soothing yet make you smile with the wit Buffett puts into the words. This song is NOT about Buffett. It's about Captain Tony Terricino, Key West's mayor.
I think you're wrong.... this song IS about buffett. Something like 90% of his songs are autobiographical. At one point in his life he smuggled weed into the keys on a boat. I think it was after he left Texas.
@Gimpy Jim Not about Buffett. He long ago described the guy it was about.
@Gimpy Jim Not about Buffett. He long ago described the guy it was about.
He longs to be something he can't be. He's a pirate at heart but since he was born in the present he can't be what his heart's calling him to be. It's kinda sad.. but it's an AWESOME song.
this song comes to mind whenever im leaving the coastline to return to ohio. now if thats not a reason to get drunk for two weeks i dont know what is.
Last Mango in Paris is about Captain Tony. It even says so in the song.
I don't carr who this ongs about it fuckin rocks.
I love this song.
I feel the same he does... (The entire song)
"Yes, I am a pirate two hundred years too late. The cannons don't thunder there's nothin' to plunder I'm an over forty victim of fate Arriving too late, arriving too late."
this song is about phil clarke, who worked in the chart room bar, he disappeared one day...and washed up in california. they flew his body back to the keys.
I think this is about getting older and reminiscing.
I agree with two prior commenters - I understand that the bartender at The Chart Room was the subject, and perhaps the impetus, of the song.
In his pre-song monologue from 'You Had to be There', Jimmy spoke of a friend down in Key West who could not bring himself to hold down a regular job and, instead, turned to smuggling.