By 1996 he was thoroughly bored by European dance music and moved to Santiago, Chile to explore Latin music. He quickly adopted the intentionally ridiculous Señor Coconut moniker, and soon released El Gran Baile, finding time afterwards to do a little remix work for Towa Tei, formerly of the multi-national Deee-Lite.
His next release, in 2000, was the delightful Latin-Kraftwerk fusion of El Baile Alemán. The album featured several Kraftwerk classics reworked with Latin instrumentation and rhythm. The LP was intended as a salute to, and a parody of Kraftwerk as evidenced by the intro to Autobahn which features the sound of a car that won't start.
Smooth Operator
Señor Coconut Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We move in space with minimum waste and maximum joy
City lights and business nights
When you require streetcar desire for higher heights
No place for beginners or sensitive hearts
When sentiment is left to chance
No place to be ending but somewhere to start
No need to ask
He's a smooth operator
Smooth operator, smooth operator
Smooth operator
Coast to coast, LA to Chicago, western male
Across the north and south, to Key Largo, love for sale
Face to face, each classic case
We shadow box and double cross
Yet need the chase
A license to love, insurance to hold
Melts all your memories and change into gold
His eyes are like angels but his heart is cold
No need to ask
He's a smooth operator
Smooth operator, smooth operator
Smooth operator
Coast to coast, LA to Chicago, western male
Across the north and south, to Key Largo, love for sale
Smooth operator, smooth operator
Smooth operator, smooth operator
Smooth operator, smooth operator
Smooth operator, smooth operator
Smooth operator, smooth operator
The song "Smooth Operator" by Señor Coconuts is a classic example of sophisticated pop-jazz music from the 1980s. The song describes a slick and confident man, who is a smooth operator and moves smoothly through life with minimal waste and maximum joy. He is a diamond life lover boy who loves the city lights and business nights, and he is always ready for streetcar desire to take him to greater heights. The lyrics are a commentary on the fast-paced, high-energy lifestyle in big cities during the 80s.
The song's chorus repeats the man's smooth operator status, and how he moves effortlessly across the country from coast to coast. The song talks about his eyes being like angels, but his heart being cold, which could be interpreted as a warning to any potential lovers to be cautious of his charms. The song's title, "Smooth Operator," is a phrase that has now become part of the popular vernacular, used to describe someone who is cool, collected, and charming.
Line by Line Meaning
Diamond life, lover boy
We live an extravagant life, my love.
We move in space with minimum waste and maximum joy
We travel gracefully without any unnecessary baggage and with utmost pleasure.
City lights and business nights
We love the hustle and bustle of city life and often work during the night.
When you require streetcar desire for higher heights
When you crave a passionate romance that can take you to greater emotional heights.
No place for beginners or sensitive hearts
This lifestyle is not suited for the inexperienced or emotionally fragile.
When sentiment is left to chance
When you leave your heart to fate.
No place to be ending but somewhere to start
This journey has no clear end, only a new beginning.
No need to ask
No explanation is required.
He's a smooth operator
He is a charming and slick individual.
Coast to coast, LA to Chicago, western male
We travel across the United States from the west to the east coast, where our suave partner hails from.
Across the north and south, to Key Largo, love for sale
We travel extensively throughout the country to sell our romantic wares, even to the sunny shores of Key Largo.
Face to face, each classic case
We meet people and interact with them directly and frequently, which is a common occurrence.
We shadow box and double cross
We engage in manipulative and deceitful behavior.
Yet need the chase
We still crave the excitement and thrill of the chase, despite our jaded nature.
A license to love, insurance to hold
We have the freedom to love who we want, but we also need to protect ourselves.
Melts all your memories and change into gold
Our experiences turn into something precious and valuable, even the painful memories.
His eyes are like angels but his heart is cold
Our partner may seem innocent and kind, but they are actually emotionally detached.
Smooth operator
Our partner is still a smooth talker, just as we described earlier.
Smooth operator
Our partner is still a smooth talker, just as we described earlier.
Smooth operator
Our partner is still a smooth talker, just as we described earlier.
Smooth operator
Our partner is still a smooth talker, just as we described earlier.
Smooth operator
Our partner is still a smooth talker, just as we described earlier.
Smooth operator
Our partner is still a smooth talker, just as we described earlier.
Writer(s): Raymond William St.john, Sade Adu
Contributed by Asher G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.