Buffett began playing guitar during his first year at Auburn University before continuing his college years at Pearl River Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi. He began his musical career in Nashville, Tennessee, during the late 1960s as a country artist and recorded his first album, the country-tinged folk rock record "Down to Earth" in 1970.
Moving to FLorida, Buffett's second release was 1973's A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean. Albums Living & Dying in 3/4 Time and A1A both followed in 1974, Havana Daydreamin' appeared in 1976, and Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes followed in 1977, which featured the breakthrough hit song "Margaritaville".
Buffett's album License to Chill, released on July 13, 2004, topped the U.S. pop albums chart for the first time in his career.
Buffett continued to tour regularly until shortly before his death, although later in his career, he shifted to a more relaxed schedule of around 20–30 dates, with infrequent back-to-back nights, preferring to play only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This schedule provided the title of his 1999 live album.
In August 2006, he released the album Take the Weather with You.
On April 20, 2010, a double CD of performances recorded during the 2008 and 2009 tours, called Encores, was released.
In 2020, Buffett released Songs You Don't Know by Heart, a fan-curated collection of his lesser-known songs rerecorded on his collection of notable guitars.
Illness and death:
In May 2023, Buffett was hospitalized to "address some issues that needed immediate attention" and rescheduled tour dates. In late August, he entered hospice care and had a final meeting with family and friends, in which his last words to his sister were "have fun". Buffett died on September 1, 2023, age 76, at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, due to complications from Merkel-cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer, with which he had been diagnosed four years earlier. He was surrounded by his family, friends, music, and dogs at the time of his death.
Gypsies In The Palace
Jimmy Buffett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wish that we could come along, we'd love to hear you sing
The limo's here, your bags are packed, the list is by the phone,
Me and Snake will watch your place and treat it like our own
Look at all this liquor
Look at all this food
It's only gonna go to waste
But the good stuff's in his closet, I swear he wouldn't mind
Hell, we''ll just shoot the lock off, I do it all the time
We're gypsies in the palace, he's left us here alone
The order of the sleepless knights will now assume the throne
We ain't got no money, we ain't got no right
But we're gypsies in the palace, we got it all tonight
There's damsels in distress out there and we got all this beer
We'll free them from their condos and bring them over here
We'll show them his Gold Records
We'll play his music loud
We'll party just like Bubba does
We'll do the old man proud
We're gypsies in the palace, there ain't no wrong or right
We're gypsies in the palace, and we're going wild tonight.
He's the greatest guy to work for, man, he's really cool
Hey Snake, this party's getting dull, throw someone in the pool
Hey, let's all take our clothes off and form a conga line
Watch out for that broken glass, hey Snake, we need more wine
We're gypsies in the palace, there ain't no wrong or right
We're gypsies in the palace and we're raising hell tonight, hey
Oh, hi there Boss, what's goin' on?
You say you're coming when?
I'll send Snake to pick you tomorrow night at ten, okay
Everybody out of here, the show is closing down
We've got to find someone to clean this up,
He's coming back to town
Hi there boss, we waxed your car, we raked and mowed
your lawn
We couldn't find enough to do in the short time you
were gone
Man it sure is peaceful here, you really got it all
If you ever hit the road again, give me and Snake
a call
We're gypsies in the palace, he's left us here alone
The order of the Sleepless Knights will now assume
the throne
We ain't got no money, we ain't got no right
But we're gypsies in the palace, we got it all tonight
Hello?
Hey, Jimmy, it's Glenn
Glenn, How ya doing?
Fine man, I'm going on the road, do you know anyone who
could house sit for me?
I got these two great guys that look after my place man,
they're the best.
The song "Gypsies in the Palace" by Jimmy Buffet tells the playful story of two friends, referred to as "Me and Snake," who are entrusted by their boss with the job of watching his place while he goes on the road to perform. The pair revels in this opportunity, and the song is infused with their anarchic and hedonistic spirit. Lyrics like "Look at all this liquor / Look at all this food / It's only gonna go to waste / We're not really being rude" reflect their devil-may-care attitude, and these lines are reinforced later on with "We're gypsies in the palace, there ain't no wrong or right / We're gypsies in the palace, and we're going wild tonight." The titular phrase, "gypsies in the palace," suggests a sense of adventurousness and spontaneity, which perfectly captures the mood of the song.
The song contains a lot of humorous and playful elements, and these are conveyed through the lyrics and the way in which they are sung. Lines like "Hey Snake, this party's getting dull, throw someone in the pool" or "Hey, let's all take our clothes off and form a conga line" are meant to be taken tongue-in-cheek, and the overall tone of the song is one of light-hearted mischievousness. Nevertheless, the song also captures a certain sense of freedom and abandon, and Buffet's lyrics touch on themes like the pursuit of pleasure, the joy of living in the moment, and the freedom that comes from letting go of one's inhibitions.
Line by Line Meaning
So long Boss, knock 'em dead, don't worry 'bout a thing
Farewell to the Boss, wishing him luck and asking him not to worry, if only we could go along and enjoy his performance.
Wish that we could come along, we'd love to hear you sing
Expressing desire to be part of the Boss's performance and to enjoy his singing.
The limo's here, your bags are packed, the list is by the phone,
The Boss is ready to leave, his transport is ready, and he has left a list for us to follow.
Me and Snake will watch your place and treat it like our own
Promising to take care of the Boss's place and treat it as if it's our own while he's gone.
Look at all this liquor
Noticing the abundance of alcohol present.
Look at all this food
Noticing the excess of food present.
It's only gonna go to waste
Acknowledging that the liquor and food will go to waste if not consumed.
We're not really being rude
Asserting that we're not being impolite despite our actions.
But the good stuff's in his closet, I swear he wouldn't mind
Recognizing that the best quality items are in the Boss's closet and believing that he won't mind if we use them.
Hell, we'll just shoot the lock off, I do it all the time
Expressing a willingness to break the lock to access the closet and stating that it's not a big deal.
We're gypsies in the palace, he's left us here alone
Stating that we feel free to act as we please since the Boss has left us alone in his palace.
The order of the sleepless knights will now assume the throne
Appointing ourselves as a new order of sleepless knights and declaring that we will now rule the palace.
We ain't got no money, we ain't got no right
Admitting that we don't have the resources or authority to act in such a way.
But we're gypsies in the palace, we got it all tonight
Emphasizing that we're acting like gypsies with all the pleasures of the palace at our disposal tonight.
There's damsels in distress out there and we got all this beer
Noticing the female guests who might appreciate some company and the abundance of beer to share with them.
We'll free them from their condos and bring them over here
Suggesting that we'll rescue the distressed damsels from their separate living arrangements and bring them to join us here.
We'll show them his Gold Records
Offering to showcase the Boss's gold records to impress the damsels.
We'll play his music loud
Promising to play the Boss's music loud for all to hear.
We'll party just like Bubba does
Deciding to party in the same style as the Boss's friend Bubba.
We'll do the old man proud
Assuming that the Boss will be pleased with our behavior, as if we were his children.
He's the greatest guy to work for, man, he's really cool
Expressing admiration for the Boss and his cool personality.
Hey Snake, this party's getting dull, throw someone in the pool
Bored with the party, suggesting that we liven things up by throwing someone into the pool.
Hey, let's all take our clothes off and form a conga line
Proposing a fun activity of taking clothes off and forming a conga line, which would undoubtedly lead to more excitement.
Watch out for that broken glass, hey Snake, we need more wine
Reminding everyone to be careful of broken glass and requesting more wine.
We're gypsies in the palace, there ain't no wrong or right
Emphasizing again that, in our minds, we have the freedom to act without respect to right or wrong within the palace.
We're gypsies in the palace and we're raising hell tonight, hey
Noting that we're making the most of our freedom in the palace, raising some hell in the process.
Oh, hi there Boss, what's goin' on?
Greeting the Boss upon his return.
You say you're coming when?
Asking the Boss about his return plans.
I'll send Snake to pick you tomorrow night at ten, okay
Offering to send Snake to pick up the Boss from his arrival point.
Everybody out of here, the show is closing down
Announcing that the party must end, getting everyone out of the palace.
We've got to find someone to clean this up,
Acknowledging the cleanup that needs to occur after our wild party.
He's coming back to town
Further emphasizing the Boss's imminent return.
Hi there boss, we waxed your car, we raked and mowed your lawn
Informing the Boss about the extra work we did to maintain his property while he was gone.
We couldn't find enough to do in the short time you were gone
Explaining that we didn't have enough to do in his absence, so took the time to clean up and maintain the property instead.
Man it sure is peaceful here, you really got it all
Expressing a peaceful feeling about the Boss's property, noting how much he has in life.
If you ever hit the road again, give me and Snake a call
Offering to care for the property again if the Boss needs it but implying that this might happen without permission next time.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GLENN LEWIS FREY, JIMMY BUFFETT, WILL JENNINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind