Hi, I guess I'm a few years late, but I was searching today to find the words of that poem. Since I couldn't find them anywhere, I'll post what I think they are here; I just listened through it a bunch.


Do you have room in your heart for the five-string banjo,
        that plunking sound?
Do you have room in your heart for the five-string banjo?
        It's round.

I heard a rhapsody in its plunk and thump,
And I fell headlong, does that make me a chump?
Earl, J.D., Sonny,
I hurl myself at your cosmic excellence
Did you sell your soul for the golden pick?
        Or not?

African chant,
Plantation lament,
Ragtime rant,
Appalachian bent,
Bluegrass,
Newgrass,
Two thousand and two-grass.

Do you have room in your heart for the five-string banjo,
        that plunking sound?
Do you have room in your heart for the five-string banjo?
        It's round.


And to answer the original question, the parts that you can't understand are just the words of the poem translated into some sort of imaginary language, sort of like Pig Latin. If you listen, you can hear the words he's saying, just with extra syllables thrown in. For instance, when the main voice in the poem says "or not", you hear "OrglefoR NoglefOT" in the background. Hope this helps anyone curious about it. Fantastic album though.