This song refers to the alleged ease of divorce in Haiti. It also parallels this with the ease with which some people fall into, out of, and back into love.
[Verse 1]
Babs and Clean Willie were in love they said
So in love the preacher's face turned red
Soon everybody knew the thing was dead
He shouts, she bites, they wrangle through the night, yeah
She go crazy
Got to make a getaway, Papa say
[Chorus]
Oh, no hesitation
No tears and no hearts breakin'
No remorse
Oh, congratulations
This is your Haitian divorce
[Verse 2]
She takes the taxi to the good hotel
Bon marché as far as she can tell
She drinks the zombie from the cocoa shell
She feels alright, she get it on tonight, yeah
Mister driver
Take me where the music play, Papa say
[Chorus]
Oh, no hesitation
No tears and no hearts breakin'
No remorse
Oh, congratulations
This is your Haitian divorce
[Bridge]
At the Grotto
In the greasy chair
Sits the Charlie with the lotion and the kinky hair
When she smiled, she said it all
The band was hot so
They danced the famous Merengue
Now we dolly back
Now we fade to black
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 3]
Tearful reunion in the U.S.A
Day by day those memories fade away
Some babies grow in a peculiar way
It changed, it grew, and everybody knew, yeah
Semi-mojo
Who's this kinky so-and-so? Papa go
[Chorus]
Oh, no hesitation
No tears and no hearts breakin'
No remorse
Oh, congratulations
This is your Haitian divorce
[Instrumental Outro]
Haitian Divorce was written by Walter Becker & Donald Fagen.
Haitian Divorce was produced by Gary Katz.