Lyrics:

By: jimmy buffett

1974

Whoa, lookin' back at my background

Tryin' to figure out how I ever got here

Some things are still a mystery to me

While others are much too clear

I'm just livin' in the sunshine

Stay contented most of the time

Yeah listenin' to murphy, walker, and willis

Sing me their texas rhymes


Most of the people who retire in florida

Are wrinkled and they lean on a crutch

And mobile homes are smotherin' my keys

I hate those bastards so much

I wish a summer squall would blow them all

The way up to fantasy land

Yeah they're ugly and square, they don't belong here

They looked a lot better as beer cans


Chorus:

Yeah, and that's why it's still a mystery to me

Why some people live like they do

So many nice things happenin' out there

They never even seen the clues

Whoa but we're doin' fine, we can travel and rhyme

I know we been doin' our part

Got a caribbean soul I can barely control

And some texas hidden here in my heart


Well now I might have joined the merchant marine

If I hadn't learned how to sing

And on top of all that I got married too early

'cost me much more than a ring

But now those crazy days are over

Just gotta learn from the wrong things you done

I came off the rebound, started lookin' around

Figured out it's time to have a little fun


Chorus:

Yeah, and that's why it's still a mystery to me

Why some people live like they do

So many nice things happenin' out there

They never even seen the clues

Whoa but we're doin' fine, we can travel and rhyme

I know we been doin' our part

Got a caribbean soul I can barely control

And some texas hidden here in my heart


Well now if I ever live to be an old man

I'm gonna sail down to martinique

I'm gonna buy me a sweat-stained bogart suit

And an african parakeet

And then I'll sit him on my shoulder

And open up my trusty old mind

I gonna teach him how to cuss, teach him how to fuss

And pull the cork out of a bottle of wine


Chorus:

Yeah, and that's why it's still a mystery to me

Why some people live like they do

So many nice things happenin' out there

They never even seen the clues

Yeah but we're doin' fine, we can travel and rhyme

I know we been doin' our part

Got a caribbean soul I can barely control

And some texas hidden here in my heart


Coda:

Yeah, got a caribbean soul I can barely control

And some texas hidden here in my heart (yodelling...)