Jockey Full of Bourbon
Tom Waits Lyrics

Edna Million in a drop-dead suit
A well-dressed woman named Edna Million catches the singer's attention

Dutch Pink on a downtown train
Another woman, possibly a prostitute, is seen on a train wearing a bright pink dress

Two-dollar pistol but the gun won't shoot
The singer is carrying a cheap gun that doesn't seem to work

I'm in the corner in the pouring rain
The artist is alone, stuck in a corner, and getting drenched in the rain

Sixteen men on a dead man's chest
Reference to a pirate song, possibly signifying the danger the artist is in

And I've been drinking from a broken cup
The singer has been drinking but his cup is broken, emphasizing his current state of lack and struggle

Two pairs of pants and a mohair vest
The singer's attire is rundown

I'm full of bourbon, I can't stand up
The artist is highly intoxicated and unable to function normally

Hey little bird, fly away home Your house is on fire, your children are alone
A warning to someone, possibly the artist himself or a loved one, to escape danger and protect family

Schiffer broke a bottle on Morgan's head
A violent act of aggression between two people

And I've been stepping on the Devil's tail
The singer feels as though he's been tempting fate

Across the stripes of a full moon's head
A reference to the American flag, possibly signifying patriotism or nationalism

And through the bars of a Cuban jail
The singer has been imprisoned in Cuba, suggesting criminal activity or a desperate situation

Bloody fingers on a purple knife
More violence or danger, with blood on a knife that could be used as a weapon

Flamingo drinking from a cocktail glass
A strange image of a flamingo bird drinking from a human-style glass, perhaps signifying absurdity or strangeness

I'm on the lawn with someone else's wife
The artist is in an illicit affair, with the wife of another man

Admire the view from up on top of the mast
A sense of superiority or control, with the artist observing the world from a higher vantage point

Yellow sheets on a Hong Kong bed
Another sexual reference, with a vivid description of bed sheets

Stazybo horn and a Slingerland ride
The mention of musical instruments likely signals the importance of music in the singer's life or the emotional tone of the song

"To the carnival" is what she said
A mysterious woman has said something about a carnival, which could be interpreted in many different ways

A hundred dollars makes it dark inside
An enigmatic line that could signal the cost of something or another warning of danger