Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime
His sister had another one she paid it for the lime

She put the lime in the coconut, she drank 'em bot' up
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank 'em bot' up
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank 'em bot' up
She put the lime in the coconut, she call the doctor, woke 'I'm up

And said "doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take?"
I said "doctor, to relieve this belly ache"
I said "doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take?"
I said "doctor, to relieve this belly ache"

Now lemme get this straight
You put the lime in the coconut, you drank 'em bot' up
Put the lime in the coconut, you drank 'em bot' up
Put the lime in the coconut, you drank 'em bot'up
Put the lime in the coconut, you call your doctor, woke 'I'm up

Said "doctor, ain't there nothing' I can take?"
I said, "doctor, to relieve this belly ache"
I said "doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take?'
I said, "doctor, to relieve this belly ache"

You put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em bot' together
Put the lime in the coconut and you'll feel better
Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em bot' up
Put the lime in the coconut and call me in the morning"

Woo-oo-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Woo-oo-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Woo-oo-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh

Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime
His sister had another one she paid it for a lime
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank 'em bot' up
She put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke 'I'm up

And said, "doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take?'
I said, "doctor, to relieve this belly ache"
I said "doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take?"
I said, "doctor, now lemme get this straight

You put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em bot'up
Put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em bot' up
Put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em bot' up
Put the lime in the coconut, you're such a silly woman

Put a lime in the coconut and drink 'em bot' together
Put the lime in the coconut, then you'll feel better
Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both down
Put the lime in your coconut, and call me in the morning

Woo, ain't there nothin' you can take?
I say, woo, to relieve your belly ache
You say, well woo, ain't there nothin' I can take?
I say woo, woo, to relieve your belly ache
You say ya, ain't there nothin' I can take?

I say wow, to relieve this belly ache
I said "doctor, ain't there nothing I can take?"
I said, "doctor, ain't there nothing I can take?"
I said, "doctor, ain't there nothing I can take?"
I said, "doctor you're such a silly woman"

Put the lime in the coconut and drink 'em both together
Put the lime in the coconut, and you'll feel better
Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em bot' up
Put the lime in the coconut and call me in the morning

Yes, you call me in the morning, you call me in the morning
I'll tell you what to do if you call me in the morning
I'll tell you what to do if you call me in the morning
I'll tell you what to do if you call me in the morning
I'll tell you what to do and if you call me in the morning
I'll tell you what to do


Lyrics submitted by Nelly, edited by seth101542, ItsnotFerr

Coconut Lyrics as written by Harry Edward Nilsson

Lyrics © Royalty Network, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Coconut song meanings
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    Song Meaning

    Maybe there's no meaning. Maybe it's just about feeling better. But, a common songwriting technique is to give everything a double meaning. I believe this artist was intelligent and may have intended a metaphor. Trigger warning: my tentative and totally speculative "analysis" is about taboo sexual themes. Again, I am not married to this interpretation but sexual innuendo and double entendre are very common things in popular songwriting, so I'm approaching this with that in mind. I have no vested interest, emotional or otherwise, in this being the accepted meaning.

    What makes this easy is that the lyrics tell a very simple story. There's not too much to dog through.

    To me it sounds like it could be about an incestuous relationship between a brother and sister that resulted in an unwanted pregnancy. Brother had one half of the equation, sister has the other. One thing went physically inside of the other. Plausible enough. Then the sister goes to the doctor, desperately wanting a solution to the "bellyache", possibly being code for pregnancy. That's really all I got.

    See? Simple, loose, reasonably plausible. Not definitive but possible. Could be a song about drinking and having a hangover and the only cure being the "hair of the dog". Sister drinks the drink, has hangover, doctor says the only way to feel better is to drink more lol. Equally plausible, but a lot more boring. Analyzing songs is fun, open to interpretation, and something we all can discuss. The beauty of lyrics is that they can and usually DO have more than one meaning, and that with well-written songs, you can usually count on there being something more than what's on the surface.

    JocundDinon February 21, 2021   Link

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