In the United States Margaritaville reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and went to number one on the Easy Listening chart, also peaking at #13 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Billboard ranked it number 14 on its 1977 Pop Singles year-end chart. It remains Buffett's highest charting solo single.
Bare bodkin is the salient point (no pun intended) of this line, so it gets the stresses. This creates a pyrrhic/spondee/iamb/iamb/iamb rhythm. Bodkin at the time meant a sharp instrument, much like an awl, used for punching holes in leather.
Bewit (n): Leather strips which bind bells to a hawk's legs or tail. orig, OFr: buie = bond. Bind to (v): To connect with and grasp prey during flight, orig, OE: binden. Birding-piece(n): Historic word for a piece of meat used to recall a bird to the glove (see: pick-up piece)