Twelve Volt Man
Twelve Volt Man: Sparking Tales of Life's Unconventional Journey
Lyrics
Jimmy Buffett
Introduction: The singer is Jimmy Buffett.
I never got a grip in penmanship
Expressing difficulty with penmanship, struggling with making small 'l's flow.
Could never make those small l's flow
Continuing the struggle with penmanship, especially with small 'l's.
Seldom found the trick to arithmetic
Difficulty with arithmetic, humorously mentioning a mistake in three plus two.
Three plus two be faux pas
Playfully referring to a mistake in arithmetic as a faux pas (social blunder).
But ask for some palm trees
Expressing a preference for topics like palm trees or tales from the South Seas.
Or tales from the South Seas
Continuing the preference for exotic topics over academic ones.
I never had the clout to knock one out
Admitting a lack of influence or power to achieve a significant success.
But hitting was the name of my game
Stating a proficiency in hitting, possibly in a sports context.
Standing on third as the coaches conferred
Recalling a moment on the sports field, close to achieving recognition.
So close to my first claim to fame
Narrating the nearness to a personal achievement in sports.
Just give me the steal sign
Expressing a willingness to take risks or steal bases in a game.
And I'll make home plate mine
Confidently claiming success if given the opportunity to steal a base.
And I just might turn some heads
Suggesting the potential to attract attention and recognition.
Sometimes I may get a little drastic
Acknowledging occasional drastic actions or emotional expression.
Sometimes I just let my feelings show
Accepting the tendency to show feelings openly at times.
Sometimes I may be a bit sarcastic
Admitting to occasional sarcasm, noting it as part of the storyteller's nature.
Most times that's the way the story goes
Stating that sarcasm is often a characteristic of how the singer's stories unfold.
Now I know this Joe down in Mexico
Introducing a character named Joe in Mexico, known for working on his tan.
He went there to work on his tan
Explaining Joe's reason for being in Mexico and his focus on tanning.
For years he's been plugged into blenders and songs
Describing Joe as someone deeply connected to blenders and songs.
They call him the Twelve Volt Man
Referring to Joe as the "Twelve Volt Man," emphasizing his electrical connection.
He don't need no charge card
Highlighting Joe's self-sufficiency, not needing a charge card for transactions.
Just give him a die-hard
Suggesting that a die-hard battery is sufficient to energize Joe.
And he'll make sparks fly round your head
Imagining sparks flying when Joe is active, possibly metaphorical for excitement.
Or just ask for some palm trees
Reiterating the preference for topics like palm trees or South Seas tales.
Or tales from the South Seas
Continuing the association of these topics with sparking excitement.
And I'll make sparks fly round your head
Re-emphasizing the idea that sparks fly when discussing preferred topics.
Round your head
Repeating the imagery of sparks flying around one's head for emphasis.
In your head
Continuing the repetition of sparks flying imagery, now in the listener's head.
In your head
Concluding with a final repetition of sparks flying imagery in the listener's head.
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