Calaloo

Jimmy Buffett


Notes: Nothing in my novel suggests this song except the island ambience. Jimmy came up with it only after we had finshed the first draft of the musical, and it is quintessential Buffett, quirky imagery and a lot of truth, in a rousing song of the kitchen help. The hotel Norman Paperman takes over is called the Gull Reef Club and the cook, Sheila, who sings Calaloo, is the true soul of the place, and of the Caribbean. 
Chorus: 
Calaloo, Strange Calaloo 
Mysterious curious roux 
Try as you might to avoid the hoodoo 
Sooner or later we're all in the stew 

>From here in my kitchen 
I watch the whole seen 
Life on dis island 's 
A unique cuisine 
It simmers and bubbles 
And looks quite routine 
Till somebody spill all da beans 

Chorus: 
Calaloo, Strange Calaloo 
Mysterious curious roux 
Try as you might to avoid the hoodoo 
Sooner or later we're all in the stew 

Night after night 
On dat terrace out der 
Plays a melodrama 
Could equal Shakesphere 
Dey may tell theirself 
Dat somehow dey are not 
Best take it from me, 
We're all in the same pot 

Chorus: 
Calaloo, Strange Calaloo 
Mysterious curious roux 
Try as you might to avoid the hoodoo 
Sooner or later we're all in the stew 

Bridge: 
Hey Hey Sheila, Hey Hey Sheila 
Hey Hey Sheila, what's in dat calaloo 
Hey Sheila tell us, Hey Sheila tell us 
Hey Hey Sheila, What's in that calaloo 

We got Crab and pig tell 
Squid ink and fish scale 
Okra and dasheen leaves 
Chitchat and chatter 
Fill up the platter 
With a garnish of pure make believe 

Chorus: 
Calaloo, Strange Calaloo 
Mysterious and curious roux 
Though some might think somehow they are not 
Make no mistake we're all in the same pot 
Take it from me this is no Camelot.



Tags:  Beach beach music buffett drinking hammock music Island Jimmy Buffett parrothead seen live
Tag song with: 

Copyright: These lyrics are probably copyright and this copyright should be respected. We use the lyrics as an essential part of the process of lexically analyzing and classifying song lyrics and not for any other purpose. As all the lyrics here have been contributed by members of the public as their interpretation of the work, many will not be accurate. The artist shown is often the performer, rather than the author, of the work.