Coconut
Jimmy and the Parrots Lyrics


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Tuesday on the island
Not much goin' on
The parties are all over
They ended just past dawn
But the jungle drums are beating
With the tales from late last night
Cause the stories bear repeating
For everyone's delight

You can hear it on the coconut telegraph
Can't keep nothin' under their hat
You can hear 'em on the coconut telegraph
Sayin' who did dis and dat
Dis and dat dis and dat

Now I'm not one to deal in gossip
But was he that big of fool?
To do a belly buster high dive
And miss the entire pool?
Now what's the word on sweet Melissa?
And the kid nobody knew
Did Ricardo ever find her?
I swear it's just between me and you

You can hear it on the coconut telegraph
By now everybody knows
You can hear it on the coconut telegraph
Just who comes and goes
Comes and goes comes and goes

It's humpday on the island
And the lines have all gone dead
All the juicy news is history
I guess everything's been said
But when the eagle flies on Friday
And the boys break out the rum
Then the joint begins to jumpin'
And you'll hear those hot lines hum

Put it on the coconut telegraph
All the celebration and the stress




Put it on the coconut telegraph
In twenty-five words or less

Overall Meaning

The song Coconut by Jimmy and the Parrots describes the island life and the gossip that circulates on it. The lyrics depict a Tuesday on the island where there aren't any parties going on, and the jungle drums are beating with tales from the previous night. The song suggests that despite the partying and the fun, everyone keeps a keen eye on others and their actions. The lyrics emphasize the power of the coconut telegraph, whereby nothing can be kept under wraps, and everyone seems to know the latest news, including who did what, and where they did it. The gossip ranges from a missed belly buster high dive to the whereabouts of sweet Melissa and the kid nobody knew.


The song suggests that people love stories and that the latest gossip is always something that people are interested in. As the days go by, and the lines have gone dead, the juicy news becomes history, and everything has already been said. But the song suggests that when the boys break out the rum on Friday, and the joint starts jumping, you'll hear those hot lines hum again. The song emphasizes the power of the coconut telegraph and how it influences everyone's life on the island.


Line by Line Meaning

Tuesday on the island
It's a quiet day on the island


Not much goin' on
There's not much activity


The parties are all over
Past parties have ended


They ended just past dawn
The parties ended very late


But the jungle drums are beating
The rumors are circulating


With the tales from late last night
People are sharing stories from the previous night


Cause the stories bear repeating
The stories are interesting enough to be retold


For everyone's delight
Everyone enjoys hearing the stories


You can hear it on the coconut telegraph
The rumors are spreading quickly


Can't keep nothin' under their hat
People can't keep secrets


Saying who did dis and dat
Revealing who did what


Now I'm not one to deal in gossip
The singer claims to not be a gossiper


But was he that big of fool?
The singer is questioning someone's actions


To do a belly buster high dive
Someone attempted a dangerous dive


And miss the entire pool?
The person failed to land in the pool


Now what's the word on sweet Melissa?
The singer is asking for information on someone named Melissa


And the kid nobody knew
Asking about someone unknown to many


Did Ricardo ever find her?
Questioning if someone named Ricardo found Melissa


I swear it's just between me and you
Claiming to keep information confidential


By now everybody knows
Everyone is aware of the latest gossip


Just who comes and goes
Knowing who is around at the moment and who isn't


It's humpday on the island
It's Wednesday on the island


And the lines have all gone dead
There's no recent news to report


All the juicy news is history
Past events are no longer interesting


I guess everything's been said
Assuming there's nothing left to discuss


When the eagle flies on Friday
Referring to the weekend approaching


And the boys break out the rum
The men start drinking


Then the joint begins to jumpin'
The party starts to get lively


And you'll hear those hot lines hum
The latest news and gossip is being spread


Put it on the coconut telegraph
Spread the news through word of mouth


All the celebration and the stress
Including happy events and difficult situations


In twenty-five words or less
Keep it short and to the point




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JIMMY BUFFETT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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