Public Relations
Jimmy Buffett
1997
From: Don’t Stop the Carnival
Herman Wouk wrote: I was bowled over when I first played the tape of this song, which Jimmy sent me very early in our work. Who on earth, I thought, could write such a song with such a title, and how could he make it come out so melodious and amusing? The hero of the novel, Norman Paperman, is indeed a Broadway press agent, and Public Relations is what he is escaping from after a nasty heart attack, to start life over on a tropical paradise. That is a dream that many people have, and Don’t Stop the Carnival tells the funny and sad tell of Norman’s awakening.
Spoken:
I was born on an island
The island of Manhattan
Dreamt all my life of a career on the
Great White way
Producer Norman Paperman
Director Norman Paperman
And I made it!
In sort of an off the wall way I found my
Calling-Listen
Singing:
Up every morning, out every evening
Hustling for headlines, that’s what I do
Table at Sardi’s, grappling for gossip
Working the press for a mention or two
I never acted like some nervous rookie
Right form the start I was hot as a cookie
I was a numero uno
What a debut
Chorus:
Public Relations, Public Relations
Boozing and schmoozing, that’s what I do
PR’s my vocation
And I’m a sensation
Public relations
Such hullabaloo
But I went full throttle
Never could slow down
Then out of nowhere a mild heart attack
Middle age crisis
Face the big questions
Had to get off of this foolish fast track
It all started out
As an ad in the paper
Now it’s turned into
A tropical caper
But it’s only public relations
And that’s what I do
Chorus:
Public Relations, Public Relations
Ego inflation, that’s what I do
Isn’t it wonderful, isn’t it fabulou
Public Relations, such hullabaloo
Iris:
Give this some thought Norman
Things can get sticky
Here in the tropics
Wine turns to glue
Norman:
I’ve never seen such a beautiful ocean
Iris:
Holy sweet Jesus, he’s got no clue
Norman:
I’ll buy this place
I am expatriating
Iris:
You as a landlord
Sounds intoxicating
Both:
It’s only Public Relations
Who’s screwing who
Chorus:
No, not that old PR
Of the yakking and quacking
Making folks happy
That’s what I’ll do
Sun shine and sea air
Palm trees, martinis
That’s what I yearn for–like you, you, and you
Just give me some time
And I’ll make it come true!
Public Relations (Reprise)
Jimmy Buffett
1997
From: Don’t Stop the Carnival
Sanders (spoken):
Mr. Paperman, go home. Listen to me. Pretend you had a nightmare, and woke up. This island is a hoodoo, there’s death in it, and this is just the beginning. Give it up. Whatever you’ve invested, forget it and go back to New York. Go home.
Norman:
I felt the ground shake
I’m out of water
Critical picture
But things ain’t that bad
We could be living
In Communist China
Wearing pajamas
And shouting comrade
I’ll fix the Gull Reef
It will be my salvation
We’re only talking
A few renovations
Goodbye to public relations
It ain’t what I do
Goodbye forever to public relations
Public relations no longer my fate
This is my life and this is my island
Starting life over is never too late
[Speaks, to Sheila]
Get Hippolyte!
This is actually two songs, the first, “Public Relations”, and then the reprise of the same. For how I feel about this song, check out my short piece, “I Want To Be Norman Paperman“.
