Lyrics Depot is your source of lyrics to I Saw You First (Key West Intermezzo) by John Mellencamp. Please check back for more John Mellencamp lyrics.

I Saw You First (Key West Intermezzo) Lyrics

Artist: John Mellencamp
Album: Mr. Happy Go Lucky

In a hand painted night, me and Gypsy Scotty are partners
At the Hotel Flamingo, wearing black market shoes
This loud Cuban band is crucifying John Lennon
No one wants to be lonely, No one wants to sing the blues

Shes perched like a parrot, on his tuxedo shoulder
Christ, what's she doing with him, she could be dancing with me
She stirs the ice in her glass with her elegant finger
I want to be what shes drinking, yeah, I just want to be

CHORUS:
I saw you first
Im the first one tonight
I saw you first
Dont that give me the right
To move around your heart
Everyones lookin
But I saw you first

On a moon spattered road in her parrot rebozo
Gypsy Scottys driving his big long yellow car
She flies like a bird over his shoulder
She whispers in his ear, boy, you are my star

CHORUS:
I saw you first
Im the first one tonight
I saw you first
Dont that give me the right
To move around your heart
Everyones lookin

In the bone colored dawn, me and Gypsy Scotty are singin
The radio is playin
She left her shoes out in the back
He tells me a story about some girl he knows in Kentucky
He just made that story up, there aint no girl like that

CHORUS:
I saw you first
Im the first one tonight
I saw you first
Dont that give me the right
To move around your heart
Everyones lookin
But I saw you first

Comments/Interpretations

by Robert DuPree on 10/18/2008 2:27am
This is one of the greatest love songs ever, if anyone in the world believes in love at first sight, this song confirms the possibility

by Michael Martin on 1/27/2009 7:26pm
George M Green also wrote this song.

Why IS IT SO DAM HARD TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE!

Michael Martin

by Joanna on 4/30/2010 9:36pm
Every time I hear this song, I smile. Oh, the days.... 39 is just around the corner and I can still dance like 22. :)

by Tom on 10/8/2010 9:38pm
Great song. When I heard it I think Havana and rum.

by gab on 9/1/2011 11:33am
Great song. better i dont think....

by sunny on 12/4/2011 6:20am
song dont make sense

by Kevin on 1/10/2013 6:21am
Mellencamp can jam out songs like this 10 a week. He chooses to do a few that gets radio play like this one then does his own thing doing the music HE loves to write and sing. I love it all. ROCK ON JOHN!!!

by Dave on 10/4/2017 11:47pm
True a radio friendly but softly romantic and atmospheric song. He spends the night with a friend, and what might be his friends girlfriend, or they meet a beautiful woman there at a hotel party in Cuba.

It does make sense as an ode to a beautiful night and a beautiful woman.

The song is impressionistic with literal color references throughout. There is a play on words to "star light, star bright". A rebozo is a traditional Latin American scarf or Shawl, worn as a decorative accessory. This provides the parrot reference, and alludes to her "flying over his shoulder" possibly the big long yellow car gypsy Scotty is driving is a convertible, and it blows her scarf in the wind giving a parrot in flight look. There is a great feel and soul to this song, and though radio friendly is certainly no commercial sell-out song.

by Jane on 4/30/2018 6:37pm
Ahhh--lived in KW in"the wild day's, and we ABSOLUTELY had nights like this🌴🎆. Then, away from there, met my great love, a high-profile man. He told me that he said "Stand back, boys, she's mine"💓💓💓. This song wraps it up and ties it with a bow💋💋💋. Lucky me😍

by Cg on 10/4/2022 2:50am
krazy bar in st James ,pretty ky girl burns up dance floor ,when the lead signer in band ,stop singing ,jumps down from stage starts dancing with the ky girl. Oddly tho he losses out to another guy and boy did he lose ,yeah there are girls like that in ky