Coconut Hotel (song)

Photo of the Coconut Hotel by Mayo Thompson, c.1966

Lyrics

Alfred Lloyd tennis shoe Suddenly I want to see you Far up the landing Clouds of spray Oh, to see the sunrise once Sailing in a banana boat Spiders in the bunches Biting can spell death Trading post in Mozamb. Bassa Seventeen one franc pieces Two ten franc notes Leather purse today

Chronology

• God Bless the Red Krayola and All Who Sail With It
  • Mayo Thompson - vocals, piano
  • Steve Cunningham - guitar?
• Shotgun Wedding

Interpretations

• The song is named after a hotel in the Canary Islands. Mayo Thompson photographed the hotel around 1966.
• The Red Crayola's long-unreleased second-recorded album was also titled Coconut Hotel
• The middle section references the song "Day-O (Banana Boat Song)" popularized by Harry Belafonte: "A beautiful bunch of ripe banana / Hide the deadly black tarantula"
• (wild speculation) The first line could be a mangling of "Alfred, Lord Tennyson"

Live recordings

Show
January 11, 1995	YouTube