They enjoyed working together so much that they decided to create an album together. Co-written by all the group members, the songwriting and recording were accomplished over a ten-day period at Dave Stewart's house, as Dylan was due to go out on tour. Their first studio album, Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 was released on October 18, 1988. The band members were credited under various pseudonyms, all sons of a fictional Charles Truscott Wilbury, Sr. The album was immediately dubbed as one of the top 100 albums of all time by Rolling Stone, and was a critical and commercial success, spawning several successful singles and eventually reaching triple-platinum sales status in the US. Additionally, it was nominated for several awards and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1989.
The death of Orbison on December 6, 1988 prevented further full collaborations, and the band continued without him. In 1990, they released a second studio album titled Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3. The intentional misnumbering is attributed to Harrison's sense of humor; additionally, the pseudonyms for all members were changed. The album met with less success than its predecessor, and the group eventually disbanded in 1990, their final released recording being the song "Nobody's Child", the title track of a benefit album released to benefit Romanian orphans.
In 2007, a compilation of both albums was released, entitled The Traveling Wilburys Collection. As well as both of the original albums, the release included bonus tracks and music videos; additionally, previously uncredited session drummer Jim Keltner, who appeared in some of the group's music videos, was listed as a member of the group, as was Dhani Harrison, the son of George who had assisted in some parts of the overdubbing of the previously unreleased material.
Margarita
Traveling Wilburys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Margarita, ah
It was in Pittsburgh late one night
I lost my hat, got into a fight
I rolled and tumbled till I saw the light
Went to the big apple, took a bite
Down from the blue into the gray
Where I stood, I saw you walk away
You danced away
I asked her what we're gonna do tonight
She said, "Cahuenga langa-langa-shoe box soup"
We better keep tryin' till we get it right
Tala mala sheela jaipur dhoop
She wrote a long letter on a short piece of paper
Oh Margarita
This song is about a man who travels to different places while searching for his lost love, Margarita. The lines "It was in Pittsburgh late one night, I lost my hat, got into a fight" set the scene for a wild night out. The singer then travels to New York City where he sees Margarita and watches her walk away from him. The lyrics "Still, the sun went down your way, down from the blue into the gray" create a sense of melancholy and longing.
Later in the song, the singer asks Margarita what they should do that night, and she responds with the nonsensical phrase, "Cahuenga langa-langa-shoe box soup." This could represent the chaos of their relationship and the sense of confusion the singer feels while trying to find his way back to Margarita. The phrase "Tala mala sheela jaipur dhoop" adds to this sense of confusion and represents the difficulty of communication between the two lovers.
In the end, the singer receives a letter from Margarita, but it is short and doesn't provide much information, which adds to the frustration and confusion he feels while trying to reconnect with her. The repetition of her name throughout the song emphasizes the importance of his search for her and the persistence he has in finding her.
Line by Line Meaning
Margarita, ah
The song starts off by repeating the name of the title, which is Margarita.
It was in Pittsburgh late one night
The singer describes a specific moment in time when he was in Pittsburgh late one night.
I lost my hat, got into a fight
There was an incident that occurred where the singer lost his hat and got into a fight.
I rolled and tumbled till I saw the light
After the fight, the artist continued to roll and tumble around until he saw the light.
Went to the big apple, took a bite
The artist then went to New York City and experienced the city by taking a bite out of it, possibly meaning that he explored and had a good time.
Still, the sun went down your way
The sun went down in an area in which the singer was not a part of, and may be referring to missing something or someone.
Down from the blue into the gray
The transition from the blue to the gray is a poetic metaphor for a shift from a happier moment to a darker moment.
Where I stood, I saw you walk away
The artist saw someone walk away from where he was standing.
You danced away
The person who walked away did so while dancing.
I asked her what we're gonna do tonight
The artist is inquiring about plans for the night to someone else, referring to a second person as 'her'.
She said, 'Cahuenga langa-langa-shoe box soup'
The response from the person the singer asked is a nonsensical phrase, indicating that there perhaps is no plan or things aren't clear to her.
We better keep tryin' till we get it right
The artist is suggesting that they should continue trying until they get things right.
Tala mala sheela jaipur dhoop
Another nonsensical phrase is spoken, possibly to indicate confusion or a lack of clear direction.
She wrote a long letter on a short piece of paper
Despite the contradiction in length, the person refers to writing a letter on a short piece of paper, perhaps meaning the letter needs to be concise.
Oh Margarita
The singer repeats the title again as a final send-off and ending to the song.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind