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Post by patapin on Apr 13, 2016 16:41:20 GMT
Hello, once again I won't ask about Bollywood, but I would like to understand an old English song (1975), called "Barbados", from Typically Tropical. A few lines are strange to me. In summer 1975, I was just 18, and went to England for my first job: waiter in a Holiday Camp, at Littlestone (Kent). Every night, I heard this song in the ballroom, and I loved it very much. First, the youtube song (click on PLUS to open the lyrics): Now my questions: 1. "I've seen too much of Brixton town in the night" Does he mean that he is fed up with London? 2. "Mary Jane met the Coconut Airplane" How can somebody meet an Airplaine Company? This sounds strange to me. I believe Mary Jane is his girlfriend, in Barbados. And then again: 3. "Now I know she loves me so" Why "now"? Because she "met Coconut Airplaine" ? Help me, please, I'm becoming crazy! Another version of the lyrics is available here: www.lyrster.com/come-back/this-is-captain-tobias-wilcox/www.elyrics.net/read/t/typically-tropical-lyrics/barbados-lyrics.htmlNow, Mary Jane is "with" coconut Airways! Maybe both versions are wrong? You who speak English better than me, maybe you can hear the real words. I stop here with my questions for the moment, but, I have some surprises coming soon...
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Post by MrB on Apr 13, 2016 17:36:45 GMT
Good to hear this one again - I loved it at the time, but it would cause howls of outrage if a couple of white boys released this sort of mock reggae song now, with its fake West Indian accent. Not to mention the hairstyles. On to your questions:
1. Yes - the singer is a West Indian immigrant to London who drives a bus, and is fed up of London. Brixton is a London suburb where a lot of West Indians settled in the 1950s and 60s, and presumably where he lives, or drives his bus/
2. He's flying on Coconut Airways, which is the name of the airline company. The "Coconut airplane" is just an aeroplane operated by Coconut Airways, which Mary Jane met, I think. I couldn't quite catch the words there.
3. I'm not clear why he knows she loves him so. Maybe just because she met the plane on arrival, or maybe she demonstrated her affection after arrival, in a way not mentioned in the song.
This is fun. Bring on the surprises...
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Post by Dil Bert on Apr 14, 2016 0:53:25 GMT
This seems like a clearer version of the song
I would guess because he has been away for a while and yet Mary Jane still met his flight.
Aside: Interesting use of Mary Jane (slang for Marijuana in the US at least) as the woman's name. Makes me wonder if the song could also be about easier access to such drugs in Barbados. Reggae and Cannabis are linked in popular culture.
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Post by patapin on Apr 14, 2016 14:59:28 GMT
1. Brixton is a London suburb where a lot of West Indians settled in the 1950s and 60s Excellent detail! Aside: Interesting use of Mary Jane (slang for Marijuana in the US at least) as the woman's name. Makes me wonder if the song could also be about easier access to such drugs in Barbados. Reggae and Cannabis are linked in popular culture. This was my surprise! I do believe that this song has hidden meanings. For instance, could "Tobias" Willcok be "will coke"? The pilot could be the dealer! The bus driver could drives along coke lines. The Coconut could be another word for "Coke". To be high is an expression for a stoned man. And of course, Mary Jane stands for Marijuana. So, when "Mary Jane" met "Coke-onut", they fly really high! But maybe I am seeing things too far! And the second surprise: my karaoke version!
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Post by Dil Bert on Apr 15, 2016 8:12:07 GMT
I wouldn't go as far as you.
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Post by patapin on Apr 15, 2016 8:55:06 GMT
Maybe I exaggerated a bit!
BTW, I edited my karaoke.
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Post by MrB on Apr 15, 2016 11:49:56 GMT
Interesting interpretation . I think I'd stop at Mary Jane myself, but very interesting.
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