Somewhere Over China 

By: Jimmy Buffett 

1981 

For the Crazy Flying Tigers 

Just a semi-normal person 

Thought he had the future planned 

Then he won some silly sweepstakes 

Now he had a hundred grand 

Never stopped to think of taxes 

He was gone before they knew 

With a flair for ol' romantics 

To the Orient he flew 



When they fueled in Papeete 

Placed a call to Big Mamou 

With an honest explanation 

Just to tell the whole damn truth 

It's his one chance in a million 

Who'd deny the simple fact 

'Twas no use to talk it over 

He'd be home when he got back 



Chorus: 

Now he's somewhere over China 

Lookin' down on all the trails 

On the mountains lookin' back at him 

It's a real live fairy tale 

Put a little distance 

Between causes and effects 

Like a day old fortune cookie 

Askin' who or what comes next 



What the hell did Marco Polo think 

When he ran into the wall 

Or the crazy Flying Tigers 

Doin' spins and loops and stalls 

Just a taste for somethin' different 

Perking up a borin' day 

Now our man from Louisiana 

Feels exactly the same way 



Chorus: 

They're all somewhere over China 

Shanghai or old Peking 

On a plane or a boat in an envelope 

Real adventure has its ring 

Just to put a little distance 

Between fact and fantasy 

Still six thousand miles away from 

Where I'd really rather be 



How I would love to drive the shuttle 

Just to feel the engines roar 

And to operate the levers 

That control the payload doors 

I could buzz the Himalayas 

Barrel roll above Hong Kong 

Set her down in San Francisco 

To the clangin' of a gong 



Chorus: 

We're all somewhere over China 

Headin' east or headin' west 

Takin' time to live a little 

Flyin' so far from the nest 

Just to put a little distance 

Between causes and effects 

Like an ancient fortune teller 

Knowin' who and what comes next