volcano
Jimmy and the Parrots Lyrics
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I don't know
I don't know where I'm-a gonna go
When the volcano blow
Let me say now, I don't know
I don't know
I don't know where I'm-a gonna go
Ground she's movin' under me
Tidal waves out on the sea
Sulfur smoke up in the sky
Pretty soon we learn to fly
Let me hear ya now, I don't know
I don't know
I don't know where I'm-a gonna go
When the volcano blow
Now my girl quickly say to me
"Mon, you better watch your feet
Lava come down soft and hot
You better lava me now or lava me not"
Let me say now, I don't know
I don't know
I don't know where I'm-a gonna go
When the volcano blow
Mr. Utley
No time to count what I'm worth
'Cause I just left the planet Earth
Where I go I hope there's rum
Not to worry, mon, soon come
Now, I don't know
I don't know
I don't know where I'm-a gonna go
When the volcano blow
One more now, I don't know (ah, he don't know)
I don't know (he don't know, mon)
I don't know where I'm-a gonna go
When the volcano blow
But I don't want to land in New York City
I don't want to land in Mexico (no, no, no)
Don't want to land on no Three Mile Island
I don't want to see my skin aglow (no, no, no)
Don't want to land in Commanche Sky Park
Or in Nashville, Tennessee (no, no, no)
Don't want to land in no San Juan airport
Or the Yukon Territory (no, no, no)
Don't want to land no San Diego
Don't want to land in no Buzzards Bay (no, no, no)
Don't want to land on no Ayatollah
I got nothing more to say
I don't know
I don't know
I don't know where I'm-a gonna go
When the volcano blow
Just a one more, I don't know (ah, he don't know, man)
I don't know (I don't know, man)
I don't know where I'm-a gonna go
When the volcano blow
The song "Volcano" by Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band tells a story about a man who doesn't know where he's going to go when the volcano near his home erupts. The lyrics capture the panic and uncertainty that come with such a natural disaster. The first verse highlights the man's sense of confusion and fear, as he doesn't know where to go when the volcano blows.
The following verses describe the various effects of the eruption, including the ground shaking and the sky filling with smoke. Interestingly, the lyrics suggest that one might learn to fly when faced with such a cataclysmic event. The man's girlfriend warns him about the danger, but he makes a joke about it, saying that she should either "lava me now or lava me not."
The song then takes a somewhat darker turn, as the man suggests that he has nothing left to lose and doesn't care where he ends up after the eruption. He mentions several places he doesn't want to land, including New York City, Mexico, and Three Mile Island. Overall, "Volcano" is a humorous, but also somewhat poignant, portrayal of the unexpected and uncontrollable forces of nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I don't know
The singer is uncertain about what will happen next
I don't know where I'm a gonna go
The singer is unsure of where they should go in response to the volcano eruption
When the volcano blow
Refers to the eruption of a volcano
Ground she's movin' under me
The earth is shaking and moving beneath the artist's feet
Tidal waves out on the sea
There are large waves occurring in the ocean
Sulfur smoke up in the sky
The sky is filled with smoke from the volcano, which is emitting sulfur gases
Pretty soon we learn to fly
Refers to the turbulent conditions during a volcano eruption and the singer's feeling of chaotic displacement
Now my girl quickly say to me
The artist's partner warns him of the dangers around him
Mon you better watch your feet
The artist's partner encourages him to be careful and attentive
Lava come down soft and hot
Lava from the volcano is flowing down and it is extremely hot
You better lava me now or lava me not
A wordplay on 'love me now or love me not.' The line signifies the urgency of staying together in a life-threatening situation
No time to count what I'm worth
In a situation where life is at risk, it is not important to evaluate one's own worth
'Cause I just left the planet earth
The singer feels as if they have left the world as they knew it behind
Where I go I hope there's rum
The singer hopes to land in a place where there is rum, a form of alcohol
Not to worry soon come
The singer isn't too worried about what will happen next; everything will be alright soon enough
Don't want to land in New York City
The artist does not want to land in a populated area
Don't want to land in Mexico (no no no)
The artist does not want to land in Mexico
Don't want to land on no Three Mile Island
The singer does not want to land in a place associated with a nuclear accident
Don't want to see my skin aglow (no no no)
The singer does not want to be exposed to radiation that would cause his skin to glow
Don't want to land in Commanche Sky Park
The artist does not want to land in a park in Texas
Or in Nashville, Tennessee (no no no)
The artist does not want to land in Nashville, Tennessee
Don't want to land in no San Juan airport
The artist does not want to land in an airport in Puerto Rico
Or the Yukon Territory (no no no)
The singer does not want to land in the Yukon Territory of Canada
Don't want to land no San Diego
The artist does not want to land in San Diego, California
Don't want to land in no Buzzards Bay (no no no)
The singer does not want to land in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
Don't want to land on no Ayatollah
The singer does not want to land in an area affected by political conflict
I got nothing more to say
The singer has expressed his disdain for several locations and does not have any more to add
Just a one more, I don't know (he don't know)
The artist reiterates that he is uncertain of what will happen next
I don't know (I don't know, man)
The artist continues to express uncertainty
I don't know where I'm a gonna go
The singer remains unsure of where they should go in response to the volcano eruption
When the volcano blow
The final reference to the eruption of a volcano, ending the song with the same line it began with
Lyrics © MUD BLUFF MUSIC
Written by: Dailey Harry Marshall, Elroy Keith Sykes, Jimmy Buffett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind