Calypsos for Cruisers

BOAT - This song was written based on the joke that BOAT is an acronym and not a word. Over the years, I have found that this is not a joke but a reality.

It’s Your Fault – This is common among couples. Someone has to take the blame. In the cruising community, you see a lot of this especially while anchoring. The idea for this song was suggested to me by another Yachtie.

Life On The Hard – A song that depicts life on a boat while the boat is in dry dock (on the hard) for repairs. It’s not easy living in a boat while it is on the hard but the song looks at a humorous view of some of the problems we encounter. It’s a necessity every few years.

Don't Come A Knocking – A childhood friend in Trinidad used to joke about not wanting to come on-board because the boat was rocking and he was not sure that the rocking was from the waves. One day the thought came to me to write a song about it.

The Menu – One of my wife’s favorite sayings as I sit down to eat, is to enjoy it now because they won’t be serving it in the coronary care unit. She finds my food is too rich in fat and calories.

One More Carnival – While at a family gathering in California, everyone kept asking when I would be leaving Trinidad with my boat to head back to the USA. I kept telling them I was going to remain in Trinidad for one more carnival. As the evening went along, I found myself repeating the phrase over and over during conversations. On the way home, a forty-minute drive, I composed the song and lyrics.

Call Jesse – This is the song that started it all. While in Trinidad, The BOCA Enterprise sponsored a calypso competition and asked the cruisers to compose songs to compete along with the locals. We decided to write a song on Jesse James (yes, that’s his real name) a local taxi driver / tour guide, who’s services are invaluable to the cruisers in Trinidad. We won the competition and many cruisers encouraged me to write other songs regarding the cruising life. Life On The Hard and It’s Your Fault were written on their suggestions. You can read more about Jesse James by visiting his website www.membersonlymaxitaxi.com

Little White Lies - This song came about after some friends and I were talking about the questions our wives would ask that we did not want to answer truthfully. Once I got started on this it just flowed. I ended up with about eight verses and chose five for the CD. I’m sure you can come up with many more questions. One day I may do a part II to this song.

Liming Crew – This is one of the songs that took the longest to complete. I composed the tune while I was cruising to Trinidad in 1999. I initially was trying to find words to praise my boat, Sarah Noble, which was protecting me from the fury of the sea but the lyrics would not come together. After winning the calypso competition, events in the boat yard dictated that I write a song and the lyrics fit into most of the tune. Part of the tune did not go with the lyrics and is used as the opening segment of the tune.

Tribute To Jimmy Buffet - Some very good friends of mine are avid Jimmy Buffet fans. One day I sat down and wrote down the titles of all his songs and decided to try and write a song based on the song titles. See how many titles you recognize in the lyrics of this song.