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Reservation at Preservation Hall

by Jimmy Buffett

Unreleased song performed by Jimmy on March 13, 1974 in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the only known version and reference of the song.

Lyrics

You never used to need a
Reservation at the Preservation Hall
Now it’s just a restaurant
it’s got paintings all over the walls
I used to walk home every morning
i could hear sweet Emma call
You never used to need a Reservation at the Preservation Hall

Well now old Bill Baxter he played the bass
And people through money all over the place
A dollar for a request
Five dollars for The Saint’s go marchin’ in
And the ceiling fans they would flutter
And those old benches sure would shutter
But it seems like those things
gone and never gonna come again

Chorus

It was the kind of place I’d say
A little informal you might think
Everybody came from miles around
And it didn’t matter who you were
When you got there you took the cure
Took what’s good of little Sweet Emma
And the old boys sound

You never used to need a
Reservation at the Preservation Hall
Now it’s some kinda silly restaurant
it’s got paintings all over the walls
I used to walk home every morning
i could hear sweet Emma call
You never used to need a Reservation at the Preservation Hall

Before the buildings all got tall
You never used to need a Reservation
I used sweat some respiration
And I got some good vibrations from the preservation hall