Looking For A Place To Happen Lyrics

THREE DAY DRUNK LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HAPPEN
© 1998 by Jim Morris

Friday afternoon goes on forever
Sometimes I think my clock is paralyzed
I need a new career
Thank God the weekend’s here
The car is packed
The cooler’s full of beer

CHORUS:
Just a few good friends looking for some lively action
A little seaside bar kind enough to take us in
Just a three day drunk looking for a place to happen
Let the good times roll
Let the fun begin

That mescal burns a big hole in your belly
And that sweet sangria wine turns your brain to jelly
My shoes are gettin’ wobbly. I won’t be standin’ long
But keep those Coronas cold and coming on

REPEAT CHORUS

Oh so many things I can’t remember
And way too many things I can’t forget
What time does church begin? Tell the priest I’m checking in
I want to cleanse my soul so I can do it again and again and again and again

REPEAT CHORUS TWICE

GATSBY DREAMS
© 1998 by Jim Morris

The light from the doorway reveals a man so serene
That the wind takes a breath as he walks down the path to the shore
Alone in the darkness he repeats the same sad routine
As he stands on the beach and stares out to sea, nothing more

And a storm lights up the sky; his heart’s pounding like thunder
And the coolness in his eyes disguise the feelings within
And he feels an emotional tide pulling him under
She’s never coming back, in a flash it’s happened again

Once again he confronts the same steely question
Spinning around in his mind till he screams
Look at yourself
When will it stop
Watching blinking lights
Dreaming Gatsby dreams

Gnawing away at his memory is an image he can barely withstand
A sultry young girl at his bed with a drink in her hand
And this lonesome battle with demons is all that seems to remain
From the nights consumed by a passion that he’ll never regain

Once again he confronts the same steely question
Spinning around in his mind till he screams
Look at yourself
When will it stop
Watching blinking lights
Dreaming Gatsby dreams

TROPICAL DEPRESSION
© 1998 by Jim Morris

The chimes have gone berserk on my backporch
The wind is whipping up on the bay
There’s a hell of a storm off the island right now
Just might blow some palm trees away

I came here for a tropical vacation
Tiki bars and girls on the beach
The weatherman says tropical depression
I haven’t seen the sun in a week

They’re talking hurricane down at the marina
So I’m squirreling all the booze I can find
There’s a Hobie turtled out by the sandbar
That sailor must be out of his mind

I came here for a tropical vacation
Margaritas and sex on the beach
The weatherman says tropical depression
Oh I haven’t seen the sun in a week

Well, she called me Tuesday night from Atlanta
Said she tried but couldn’t get away
Something ‘bout a meeting, something ‘bout her mother
And something ‘bout nothing left to say

She left me in this tropical depression
Stronger than the winds on the bay
A blatant act of total dispossession
How many times can I get blown away

So I made it through the rain to the Fish Head Bar
Said "barmaid tell me what you got"
She studied my face, said, "you’re a pretty sad case
I guess we’d better start with the shots"

Some Turkey for that tropical depression
Suddenly the winds have died away
Tequila will help calm your aggression
Suddenly the world’s a sunny day

Oh the chimes have gone berserk on my backporch
The winds are whipping up on the bay
Gonna tell the world to cram it, take a nose dive in hammock
And watch some palm trees blow away
Gonna tell that girl to cram it, get that barmaid in my hammock
And watch some palm trees blow away

SOMETIMES I WISH
© 1998 by Jim Morris

Sometimes I wish I never left the ocean
The peace of mind, my crazy friends,
The things we did down there
Sometimes it’s the simple things that set the world in motion
A quiet walk on the beach at sunset
Gave you things to do

Thoughts like these keep running through my mind
Cause times like those are so very hard to find

Sometimes I wish I never left the island
The peace of mind, my crazy friends
The things we did down there
Every time I left the mainland I’d just break out smiling
A keg of beer on the beach with good friends
Gave you things to do

Thoughts like these keep running through my mind
Cause times like those are so very hard to find

We all left chasing different dreams
Just felt like time to go
But what it’s worth or what we’re after
We just can’t say for sure anymore, so

Sometimes I wish I never left the ocean
The peace of mind, my crazy friends
The things we did down there
Some day I’ll find a way to follow my emotions
Go back and live that carefree lifestyle
The way we used to do
Go back and live that island lifestyle
The way we used to do

THE ONLY CHINESE RESTAURANT IN BUTTE, MONTANA
© 1998 by Jim Morris

I heard that pretty voice and I looked around
Trying to remember, her face looked so familiar
Then all of those years began rushing by
I measured the time by that look in her eye
Hey sometimes shit happens and maybe it just happened again

She was pretty young and I was wildly handsome
She tried to win my heart and hold her virtue ransom
But hotter heads prevailed cause I was so deboner
It wasn’t disrespect, man, I just forgot to phone her
Hey sometimes shit happens and maybe it just happened again

I know things never seemed to work out with me
But I know that I can’t be the blame for all those things you’re taking out on me

I seemed to be prone to some minor indiscretions
I promised I was better; I’d finally learned my lesson
Then you caught me in the bathroom with a waitress named Susannah
In the only Chinese restaurant in Butte, Montana
Hey sometimes shit happens and maybe it just happened again

I know that things never seemed to work out with me
But I know that I can’t be the blame for all those things you’re taking out on me

You moved away to a place by the water
You married a banker and had pretty daughters
It could have been me if not for ol’ Susannah
In the only Chinese Restaurant in Butte, Montana
Hey sometimes shit happens and maybe it’s just happened
Yeah sometimes shit happens; hey, baby it just happens
Yeah sometimes shit happens and maybe it just happened again

Let's Talk Dirty In Hawaiian
(John Prine and Fred Koller)
©1988 Spoondevil Music/Pink Sky Music: Lucrative Music (BMI)

Well I packed my bags and bought myself a ticket
To the land of the tall palm tree
Aloha old Milwaukee, hello Waikiki
Just stepped off of the airplane
When I heard her say
Wacka wacka nooka licka
Wacka wacka nooka licka
Would you like a lei

Chorus:
Let's talk dirty in Hawaiian
Whisper in my ear
Kicka pooka macawa wahini
Are the words I long to hear
Lay your coconut on my tiki
What the hecka mooka mooka dear
Let's talk dirty in Hawaiian
Say the words I long to hear

Well it's a ukulele Honolulu sunset
Listen to the grass skirts sway
Drinking rum from a pineapple
Out on Honolulu bay
Steel guitars are a playing
While she's talking with her hands
Gimme gimme oka doka
Make a wish I wanta polka
Words I understand

Repeat Chorus

Well I bought a lotta junka with my mula
Sent it to the folks back home
Well I never had a chance to dance the hula
But I guess I should have known
When you're talking to the sweet wahini
Walking in the pale moonlight
Oka doka what a set of
Knocka rocka sis boom bakas
Hope I said it right

Repeat Chorus

THIN BLUE HORIZON
© 1998 by Jim Morris

There’s a thin blue horizon, clouds hang low, storm is rising
Distant sail boats leaning in the breeze
Such a soft misty morning can change your mind with no warning
And it’s so easy to be headed out again

I’ve spent hours on this seawall, staring south, heard the sea call
A voice I’ve tried so often to ignore
The sign says ninety miles to Cuba, seems so close and it’s so true
That it’s so easy to be headed out again

Bridge:
Seems like that old wanderlust has come between the two of us
But you knew I was restless from the start
It’d take the whole damned ocean to fill this hole in my heart
So hard to stay, so hard to be apart

Cross-town a girl lies sleeping unaware of trouble creeping
In her dreams she felt so safe and so secure
By evening she’ll be broken, tear- stained face, good-byes spoken
It’s not easy being left behind again

There’s a thin blue horizon, clouds hang low, storm is rising
Misty morning fading with the breeze
As the water finds it’s shimmer, the odds I’ll stay start getting slimmer
It’s so easy to be heading out again
Yes it’s so easy to be heading out again

BAR ON FRONT STREET
© 1998 by Jim Morris

Let me tell you what happened to me last Saturday night
I got set up, knocked down, lit up like a meteorite
Some stewbum cowboy told me about the place I should be
The joint looks kind of quiet, but they take they’re parties seriously, oh yeah

There’s some bad men in the back room
And you know they’re shootin’ some dice
Got the "Fat Man in the Bathtub" on the jukebox
Well they’re too high tonight

Got a barmaid named Laura
She’ll make your mouth water
Got a pair a full house couldn’t beat
Gonna get my share
Gonna take you there
To that laid back little bar on front street

Come on over baby, well we’ve got some opportunities here
Gonna order up a Grouper, get a dipper and a bucket of beer
Gonna pass around Tequila when it’s time to do Community drinks
We’ll be shakin’ and a’quakin’ aunty Em’in quicker than you think, oh yeah

There’s some bad men in the back room
And you know they’re shootin’ some dice
Got the "Fat Man in the Bathtub" on the jukebox
Well we’re too high tonight

Got a barmaid named Laura
She’ll make your mouth water
Got a pair a full house couldn’t beat
Gonna get my share
Gonna take you there
To that laid back little bar on front street

WHAT KIND OF FOOL CAN I BE
© 1998 by Jim Morris

Chorus:
What kind of fool can I be
I live in the sun by the sea
Running around taking life so easily
What kind of fool can I be

Now I’ve got a friend at the top of the game
He’s rich and his CEO knows him by name
They pay him real well cause they work him real hard
He keeps wheeling and dealing the cards

He must have a million frequent traveler miles
But he hasn’t spent time with his wife in a while
Voice mail and a fax and a portable phone
No, they won’t leave him alone

Repeat Chorus

Now I’ve got a friend with a wonderful life
Two kids and a dog and a beautiful wife
A house in the burbs overlooking a pond
And a million commitments at home

He tries to find time for himself now and then
But it’s hard to relax with that guilt kicking in
Would love to play golf, finding time might be hard
Can’t do nothing till he mows the backyard

Repeat Chorus

Now my friends all think my life is a walk in the park
I write a few lines and I fish until dark
I take time to read and I make time to think
But mostly I just daydream and drink

So I haven’t enjoyed the success of my friends
I’ve got little to show for the miles that I’ve been
My life is quite simple and fairly carefree
Oh what kind of fool can I be

Repeat Chorus

HE SAID SO LONG
© 1998 by Jim Morris

His friends all say it’s such a crazy scheme
We all have dreams, but that’s just all they are my friend
But he doesn’t have another year to spend
He can’t fault what they’re doing, but he knows how that story ends
He said so long
He said so long

Now you might find him in St Thomas, and he’s living on a boat
Chasing all the ladies, drinking hard and taking notes
He’s got an eye on the horizon and a thirst for moving on
He said so long
He said so long

Now the world turns at different speeds for everyone
Something ‘bout time flying when you’re having lots of fun
Some take their chances living day to day
Some focus on a shaky dream some thirty years away
He said so long
He said so long

Now his friends all talk about the man they knew so long ago
He just may have the answer, moving fast but living slow
Got an eye on the horizon and a thirst for moving on
He said so long
He said so long

Now it’s an empty life if lived without romance
Just doing what’s familiar, afraid to take a chance
Take a gamble on the life you’re dreaming of
It’s amazing how the money comes when you’re doing what you love
He said so long
He said so long

Now you might find him in Alaska; it’s a party every night
Or you might catch him on a talk show; they read everything he writes
You better hope you find out early if you feel you don’t belong
Just say so long
Just say so long
He said so long

Nothing was planned it just happened
A face in the crowd at a place by the water
He got her to laugh and she gave him her number
He saw her that night in his dreams

She thought that it might break the boredom
An innocent lunch at a place by the ocean
But two bottles of wine can sure change your perspective
Now she doesn’t want to go home

And it’s just another story ‘bout some rich man’s wife
Neglected, alone and a little bit crazy
Someone comes along maybe once in your life
When you know that it’s wrong
But she touches your heart
And you’ve got to go back
Again and again and again

Her neighbors all think that she’s crazy
Out on the town with some handsome young stranger
What does she think that she’s doing
Running around like a kid

Her friends all think that she’s crazy
Wasting her time in such a bad marriage
If she’s having herself an adventure
Then it’s about time that she did

And it’s just another story ‘bout some rich man’s wife
With time on her hands and plenty of money
And someone comes along maybe once in your life
When you know that it’s wrong
But she touches your heart
And you’ve got to go back
Again and again and again

She sees who he is and she sees who he’s not
She sees what he lacks and she sees what he’s got
She can’t decide on who goes or who stay
So she makes up her mind just to have it both ways

Chorus:
Come on over get your membership in the hammock club
Learn the secret handshake
Memorize the pledge
Take your clothes off and we’ll make love
I’ve got a certified handmade Pawley’s Island Hammock
Hung under the stars above
Come on over get your membership in the hammock club

It’s the perfect situation when the tourists arrive in June
A new batch hits the island every Sunday afternoon
You can see them down at the Winn-Dixie walking down the aisles
The ones in need of a suntan with those big vacation smiles

Oh you try to be so helpful while taking your best shots
Gonna tell them ‘bout the local customs and show them all the spots
When they’ve eaten in all the restaurants and had a drink in all the pubs
They might want to come on over and join the hammock club

Repeat Chorus

The Pledge:
I, state your name, being of sound mind and exquisite body, do solemnly swear to faithfully (or unfaithfully as the case may be) encourage the pursuit of sensual pleasures in yonder hammock and not breathe a word of it.

Now I think you might find that this is the best initiation that you’ve ever had
You might get a few rope imprints on your back, but, hey, that ain’t so bad
And if you like our little band of rascals, I’ll tell you what you can do
Come on back and renew your membership in a week or two

Repeat Chorus twice

THE BIG BAMBOO
(Traditional)

Asked my lady what could I do
To make her happy and to keep her true
Said only one thing I want from you
Is a little bitty piece of that big bamboo

Chorus:
She want the big bamboo, always long
The big bamboo grows so bold and strong
The big bamboo stands so straight and tall
The big bamboo pleases one and all

Gave my lady two coconuts
She said to me this is ok, but
I know you want to be nice to me
But what good are the nuts without that tree

Repeat Chorus

Gave my lady a sugar cane
Sweets to the sweet I did explain
Gave it back to my surprise
Said she liked the flavor but not the size

Repeat Chorus

Gave my lady a banana plant
She said to me this is elegant
It's much to nice to go to waste
Cause it's much too soft to suit my taste

Repeat Chorus

There was a China man named Lip Long Lo
He went and married down in Mexico
His wife divorce him very quick
Because she want bamboo and not chop stick

Repeat Chorus

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