By: Jimmy Buffett 

1986 

For Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Allie Fox and Phil Clark 

He was a fugitive with a pseudo name 

Lost his mind in a hurricane 

Coconut upside his head 

People said he'd be better dead 

'Cause his glory days are gone 

Sits on the shore with his saxophone 

And plays 



In another place, in another time 

He was a soldier in his prime 

On the battlefield, makin' history 

Young men died for his destiny 

And their widows came each day 

'Til he was forced to run away 

From home 



So he bought a town, but he sold the sea 

Claimed a shallow victory 

On an iron ship, with a wooden crew 

They hit the reef when the moon was new 

Now he cries himself to sleep 

On a beach made of promises he meant to keep 

Long ago 



Chorus: 

Nobody speaks to the Captain no more 

Nobody talks about the war 

Hey what the hell were we fighting for 

Such a long, long time ago 



(trumpet / piccolo / saxophone instrumental) 



And now the monkeys and the iguanas 

They listen to his song 

Most uncaptive audience 

He plays to all night long 



So the story goes, he was dressed to kill 

When he jumped from the old mahogany mill 

And the jungle beasts, they were heard to wail 

As the saxophone still played the scale 

For a man we never knew who looked like me and you 

Long ago 



Nobody speaks to the Captain no more 

No one is interested in settling old scores 

Hey what they hell were we fighting for 

Such a long, long time ago 



Nobody speaks to the Captain no more 

No one is interested in settling old scores 

Hey what they hell were we fighting for 

Such a long, long time ago