Panama
Solo Harmonites Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here she comes, full blast and top down
Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue
Model citizen zero discipline
Don't you know she's coming home with me?
You'l lose her in the turn
I'll get her
Panama, Panama
Panama, Panama
Ain't nothin' like it, her shiny machine
Got the feel for the wheel, keep the moving parts clean
Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue
Got an on-ramp comin' through my bedroom
Don't you know she's coming home with me?
You'll lose her in the turn
I'll get her
Yeah, we're runnin' a little bit hot tonight
I can barely see the road from the heat comin' off of it
Ah, you reach down, between my legs
Ease the seat back
She's blinding, I'm flying
Right behind the rear-view mirror now
Got the feeling, power steering
Pistons popping, ain't no stopping now
The lyrics to Solo Harmonites' song "Panama" speak to the excitement and thrill of driving a fast car. The song starts with the sound of a revving engine ("Jump back, what's that sound"), and the singer describes a car with the top down and a "hot shoe" burning down the avenue. The driver has no discipline, but they know what they want - the woman in the car with them.
Throughout the song, the singer speaks about the sensation of driving the car, using the image of a "shiny machine" that they have a feel for. They talk about easing the seat back and feeling the heat coming off the road as they speed down it. The perspective shifts at the end of the song to describe the car itself, with "power steering" and "pistons popping."
Overall, the song is an ode to the joy of driving and the thrill of speed. It's a celebration of an experience that many people find exhilarating, and the lyrics do a great job of conveying that excitement.
Line by Line Meaning
Jump back, what's that sound
Startled by a loud noise, what could it be?
Here she comes, full blast and top down
A fast and loud car approaches with the convertible roof down
Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue
The car's tires are hot from intense acceleration down the street
Model citizen zero discipline
The driver of the car is a reckless citizen, with no regard for order or rules
Don't you know she's coming home with me?
The singer asserts his intention to take the driver as his romantic partner
You'll lose her in the turn
The singer believes he can woo the driver with his superior driving skills
I'll get her
The singer is confident of his abilities to win the driver's favor
Panama, Panama
The song's titular location is either a destination or a metaphor for adventure and excitement
Ain't nothin' like it, her shiny machine
The driver's car is unique and special
Got the feel for the wheel, keep the moving parts clean
The singer understands how to take care of and operate the car properly
Got an on-ramp comin' through my bedroom
The singer's enthusiasm for cars is so great that he dreams about having a highway exit in his home
Yeah, we're runnin' a little bit hot tonight
The car is being driven in an exciting and enthusiastic manner
I can barely see the road from the heat comin' off of it
The car is generating so much energy and excitement that the road seems blurry
Ah, you reach down, between my legs
The singer's partner plays with the car's gear stick and excites him
Ease the seat back
The partner reclines the car's seat to make the singer more comfortable
She's blinding, I'm flying
The car's speed and excitement are so great that the singer feels like he is soaring through the air
Right behind the rear-view mirror now
The singer is close enough to the driver's seat to be able to see the reflection of the driver in the rear-view mirror
Got the feeling, power steering
The use of power steering makes the car easier to handle and adds to the excitement
Pistons popping, ain't no stopping now
The car's engine is firing on all cylinders, and nothing short of an emergency can stop it now
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALEX VAN HALEN, EDWARD VAN HALEN, DAVID ROTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Margaret Donovan
OMG!!! You had to be there to catch the experience...my first Trinidad pan experience. I can still picture Clive Bradley putting the parts down, this is almost 30 years ago. It seems just like yesterday - sweet, sweet, sweet pan memories AND I still love it!!! 👏👏👏👏
Frédéric Deshuis Hypnose
Simplement merveilleux !!!
anthony hepburn
This is sweet music makes you feel to dance on and on.Clive can arrange for
any band and make them sound great.
depannist
3:50 - 5:05 .... one of the finest segments in panorama history :-)
Mervin Evertz
Wow!!! I used to beat this tune on my old pan 'bout twenty years ago. It's wonderful to hear it again. Thanks for the post guys!!
Panness
I'm so glad this is slow - this tune is A.MAZING LOVE IT - thanks 7:36 really has my soul in Heaven
Anthony C Gittens
boss tune by the legend Sir Clive Bradley..sweet for years
Michael Dookie
Solo Harmonites placed 30th in the prelims that year. Talk about sabotage as the amplification system was disconnected during the band's performance. The judges claim they do not need the amplification system to judge a band, but without the amp the band sounded like a transistor radio compared to the other bands. Thanks for the recording this preserves a great piece of music by a real legendary son of the soil. Hats off to Solo for not taking the issue to court they are no renegades.
Winston Smith
what that would have solved then
lyndon spencer
One more from the master!!! keep them coming. I need sailing bad bad bad!!