Album: Bobby Bloom (1970)

Charted: 3 8

License This Song 

• Vernon'll meet me when the BOAC lands
  Keys to the M.G. will be in his hands
  Adjust to the driving and I'm on my way
  It's all on the right side in Montego Bay, sing out
  
  Whoa oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh oh
  Whoa oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh oh
  Come sing me la
  Come sing me Montego Bay
  Whoa oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh oh
  
  And Gillian'll meet me like a brother would
  I think I remember but it's twice as good
  Like how cool the rum is from his silver tray
  I thirst to be thirsty in Montego Bay, sing out
  
  Whoa oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh oh
  Whoa oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh oh
  Come sing me la
  Come sing me Montego Bay
  Whoa oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh oh
  
  I'll lay on a Lilo 'til I'm lobster red
  I still feel the motion here at home in bed
  I tell you it's hard for me to stay away
  You ain't been 'til you been high in Montego Bay, sing out
  
  Whoa oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh oh
  Whoa oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh oh
  Come sing me la
  Come sing me Montego Bay
  Whoa oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh oh
  
  Let's dance in the streets
  
  Yeah, sing me la (la)
  Come sing me Montego Bay
  Whoa oh, whoa-oh, whoa-oh oh
  
  Oh, what a beautiful morning
  Oh, what a beautiful day
  And I've got a beautiful feeling
  Everything's going my way Writer/s: Bobby Bloom, Jeff Barry, Robert Bloom
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 11

• Jamaican Dude from Montego Bay AmaicaDriving on the left side of the road means the controls are on the right side of the car (i.e. driver's seat, steering wheel and pedals are all on the right side). Coming from the USA, you have to remember to enter the car from the opposite door. Also, especially in the seventies where manual would be common, you will have to operate the gear stick with your other hand. So an American would be initially confused and so make note of the difference.
• Eric from CaliforniaIn the Freddy Notes cover version of the song he changes BOAC (the airline) to Boeing (the manufacturer) which is kind of funny.
• Kenny from UsTo Don from Maggie Valley: I've always assumed the singer was being playfully sarcastic and taking advantage of the word "right" having two meanings to make a pun. Yes, it can mean "the opposite of left", which is how you're taking it - or it can also mean "OK" or "acceptable". So when they say "it's all on the right side in Montego Bay", I consider it a pun. Yes, you're driving on the left but it's OK because it's all OK in Montego Bay.
• Scotty from Springfield OrI wonder if the lyrics are printed on the back of the Montego Bay album as "lyric sites" can't seem to agree on the post bridge phrase "come sing me"
• Don from Maggie Valley, North Carolina Question about this song. If I’m correct, they drive on the left side of the road in Jamaica? Both Bobby Bloom and Jeff Barry (writers) are American. After “Vernon” hands over the keys to the MG, the singer has to “adjust to the driving.” That makes sense, since Americans drive on the right side.
  
  But then the next line says “it’s all on the right side of Montego Bay”. That doesn’t make sense. If it’s on the right side, and you’re American, you don’t have to adjust. But since they do drive on the left, an American would have to adjust.
  
  Love this song. But my OCD is trying to figure this out, lol.
• Seventhmist from 7th HeavenI lived in Oklahoma when this song came and you can bet that last line made it sell better there.
• AnonymousThe line actually is, "Come sing ALOUD, come sing me Montego Bay" (not Come sing me la!...that doesn't make any sense, and I've been singing this song since I was 5!)
• Anne from HereThe line is "Vernon will meet me when the BOAC lands." BOAC was the acronym for British Overseas Airways Corporation, which flew into Montego Bay International Airport.
• Mavis from Upper MidwestHow is it this very cool song has so few comments? Crank this up and you’ve got instant summer!
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 19th 1970, Bobby Bloom performed "Montego Bay" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
  Thirteen days earlier on September 3rd it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #88; and on November 22nd, 1970 it peaked at #8 {for 1 week} and spent 16 weeks on the Top 100...
  He had three other records make the Top 100 chart and all three were in 1970; "Where Are We Going" {#84}, "Make Me Happy" {#80}, and "We're All Goin' Home" {#93}...
  May he R.I.P. {1946 - 1974}.
• Guy from Woodinville, WaThis song truly does capture the ambiance of Montego Bay and Jamaica's laid-back "no worry, mon" culture. Great early example of reggae. Maybe the first reggae on the charts...?

More Songfacts:

Livin' On A PrayerBon Jovi

Gina in Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" is based on a singer named Maria Vidal, who was working as a singing waitress using the name Gina Velvet.

Crash Into MeDave Matthews Band

The Dave Matthews Band song "Crash Into Me" seems pretty romantic, but the guy in the song is kind of a stalker. Matthews calls him "the kind of man you'd call the police on."

Heaven Is A Place On EarthBelinda Carlisle

"Heaven Is A Place On Earth" writer Ellen Shipley got the idea for the song from a gas station greeting card that said "Heaven On Earth."

Pretty VacantSex Pistols

The riff for The Sex Pistols' "Pretty Vacant" was pinched from a very unpunk song, the ABBA ballad "S.O.S."

StanEminem

Thanks to Eminem's song, the word "stan" was added to the Oxford American Dictionary in 2017. It means an obsessive fan.

SmoothSantana

Rob Thomas put some Spanish flavor in his Carlos Santana collaboration "Smooth" with the line "my muñequita," a pet name for his wife Marisol that means "my little doll."

Editor's Picks

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Jesus In Pop Hits: The Gospel Songs That Went MainstreamSong Writing

These overtly religious songs crossed over to the pop charts, despite resistance from fans, and in many cases, churches.

Matt SorumSongwriter Interviews

When he joined Guns N' Roses in 1990, Matt helped them craft an orchestral sound; his mezzo fortes and pianissimos are all over "November Rain."

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Gary LewisSongwriter Interviews

Gary Lewis and the Playboys had seven Top 10 hits despite competition from The Beatles. Gary talks about the hits, his famous father, and getting drafted.

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"They're Playing My Song

Dean's saga began with "Ariel," a song about falling in love with a Jewish girl from New Jersey.