When Salome Plays The Drum 

By: Jimmy Buffett 

1981 

For Salome, Freddo and Clauvis 

When Salome plays the drum 

Crowd goes deaf and dumb 

Swept up by dark sensations 



Partially the heat 

More so it's the beat 

She moves in syncopation 

Gazelle on the run 



Skirts slit past her thigh 

Boys let out a sigh 

The beat begins to quicken 

Crowd ascends the stairs 

Climbin' on the chairs 

The plot begins to thicken 

Phasers on stun 



Chorus: 

Take them to the carnival (take them to the carnival) 

Let them hear the conga 

Tonight the tempo feels so right 

Tomorrow may be wrong-a 



(instrumental) 



Gendarme close her down 

Make her leave the town 

She caught the flight to Rio 

Nothin' to say 



Wavin' from the plane 

Pourin' pink champagne 

She toasts her loyal trio 

It was a lucrative stay 



Ooh take them to the carnival (take them to the carnival) 

Let them hear the conga 

Tonight the tempo feels so right 

Tomorrow may be wrong-a 



Oh won't you take them to the carnival (take them to the carnival) 

Let them play for hours 

Tonight the weather feels so right 

Tomorrow (tomorrow) feels like showers 



- Notes: 

Gut string guitar by Barry Chance