Zanzibar

Song Meaning

The narrator expresses a desire for a luxurious escape to Zanzibar, starting with a "chauffeur driven black windowed limousine." This grand vision is immediately undercut by the reality of their finances: "The money's in this old food jar." The stark contrast between aspiration and meager means sets a tone of whimsical, almost absurd, longing. The core tension arises from the narrator's perceived mistreatment and the dismissive response they receive. When their initial request for luxury is met with a suggestion to "ride upon a cabbage leaf," the narrator feels insulted, interpreting it as an attempt to "make a fool of me" based on their "appearance." This suggests a feeling of being underestimated or judged. The lyrics employ a surreal, almost childlike logic to highlight this disconnect. The image of a caterpillar with "a mountain of these" cabbage leaves, stretching "from here to the coral reef," is a fantastical illustration of the absurd suggestions offered. Later, the narrator boasts of acquiring "camel trains and elephants and aeroplanes," a progression of increasingly grand modes of transport, yet pointedly states, "Where no one goes to Zanzibar," implying their ultimate destination remains elusive despite their supposed advancements. This creates an effective, if peculiar, emotional landscape. The repeated desire for Zanzibar, juxtaposed with the ridiculousness of the suggested journeys and the narrator's own escalating claims, paints a picture of someone chasing an ideal that is constantly out of reach, or perhaps, fundamentally misunderstood. The humor stems from the gap between the narrator's grand pronouncements and the humble, or even bizarre, means presented to achieve them.