Music Monday: “Cowboy in the Jungle” by Jimmy Buffett (1978)
Posted By RichC on March 11, 2024
A couple of weeks ago, someone mention Jimmy Buffett and an old memory song … from back when I was really just starting to listen to music, buy albums (or often dubbed to cassette) … AND to Jimmy Buffett — it was 1978.
One of the first albums that sold me on Jimmy Buffett was Son of Son of a Sailor. The 7th and somewhat forgettable song on side B of this album was “Cowboy in the Jungle” … but for those of us who listened to the entire album regularly … we knew it by heart. 😊
Fast forward to talking about concerts and venues with someone on Twitter, now X.com. I mentioned that Jimmy Buffett did several enjoyable “chats” and played music. It was difficult not to enjoy talking about him now that he is no longer with us … and rewatching this video. 
Anyway, I was fortunate to see him perform at the “mentioned” Blossom Music Center a few times with Brenda and my friend Jeff.
Great times, great music and enjoyable memories.
So for Music Monday this week, here’s the mentioned segment:
Cowboy In The Jungle (1978)
—Jimmy Buffett
There’s a cowboy in the jungle
And he looks so out of place
With his shrimpskin boots and his cheap Cheroots
And his skin as white as pasteHeadin’ south to Paraguay
Where the gauchos sing and shout
Now he’s stuck in Porto Bello
Since his money all ran out
So he hangs out with the sailors
Night and day they’re raisin’ hell
And his original destination’s just another
Story that he loves to tell.
With no plans for the future
He still seems in control
From a bronco ride to a ten foot tide
He just had to learn to roll.Roll with the punches
Play all of his hunches
Made the best of whatever came his way
What he lacked in ambition
He made up with intuition
Plowing straight ahead come what may.Steel band in the distance
And their music floats across the bay
While American women in muumuus
Talk about all the things they did today
And their husbands quack about fishing
As they slug those rum drinks down
Discussing who caught what
and who sat on his butt
But it’s the only show in town.They’re tryin’ to drink all the punches
They all may lose their lunches
Tryin’ to cram lost years into five or six days
Seems that blind ambition erased their intuition
Plowin’ straight ahead come what may.I don’t want to live on that kind of island
No, I don’t want to swim in a roped off sea.
Too much for me, too much for me
I’ve got to be where the wind and the water are free.Alone on a midnight passage
I can count the falling stars
While the Southern Cross and the satellites
They remind me of where we are
Spinning around in circles
Living it day to day
And still twenty four hours, maybe sixty good years
It’s still not that long a stay.We’ve gotta roll with the punches
Learn to play all of our hunches
Makin’ the best of whatever comes your way
Forget that blind ambition
And learn to trust your intuition
Plowin’ straight ahead come what may.
And there’s a cowboy in the jungle.
Comments