Jackson was born to Joseph Eugene Jackson and Ruth Musick in Newnan, Georgia, and has four older siblings. As a youth, Jackson listened primarily to gospel music. Otherwise he was not a major music fan. However, a friend of his introduced him to the music of Gene Watson, John Anderson and Hank Williams Jr. Jackson attended the local Elm Street Elementary and Newnan High School, starting a band after high school. After a time, he and his wife of six years, Denise Jackson, moved from Newnan to Nashville where Jackson hoped to pursue music full-time.
Jackson sang in church as a child. He, his father, mother, and four sisters lived in a small home. At one point, his bed was in the hallway for lack of room. His mother lives in the home to this day. His first job, at 12, was in a shoe store. He wrote his first song in 1983.
In Tennessee, Jackson got a job in The Nashville Network's mailroom. Denise got him connected to Glen Campbell, who helped him jumpstart his career. Jackson eventually signed with Arista.
His first album, 1989's Here in the Real World, was a major hit, as was his second (1991) album, Don't Rock the Jukebox. His 1992 album, A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'Bout Love) was a success, spawning five major singles. Also in 1992, Randy Travis charted three singles co-written by Jackson: "Forever Together", "Better Class of Losers", and "I'd Surrender All". Conversely, Travis co-wrote Jackson's single "She's Got the Rhythm (And I Got the Blues)".
In 1994 Jackson left his management company, Ten Ten Management, which had overseen his career up to that point, and switched to Gary Overton.
It was around this time that Jackson began also gaining fame for his song-writing skills. Other country music artists who have charted with songs co-written by Jackson, including Clay Walker ("If I Could Make a Living"), Chely Wright ("Till I Was Loved By You")[5] and Faith Hill ("I Can't Do That Anymore").
His first album, 1990's Here in the Real World, was a major hit, as was his second (1991) album, Don't Rock the Jukebox. His 1992 release, A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'Bout Love) was a smash success, spawning five major singles with "Chattahoochee" being the most enduring and successful. After a few more hit albums, Jackson again rocketed to fame with "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," a song about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which became a hit single and briefly propelled him into the mainstream spotlight; the song was even the subject of parody on the popular animated series South Park, in the episode A Ladder To Heaven.
The Long Way To Go Songfacts states that on January 20, 2011 Alan Jackson and his record label, Sony, parted ways after over 20 years. Three months later a new joint venture between Capitol's EMI Records Nashville and ACR (Alan's Country Records) was announced. His debut single from the new deal was Long Way To Go, which was shipped to Country radio on June 13, 2011.
Although Jackson has been characterized as a "hat act", his influences go deep into the roots of country music and his songs have been recorded by some of the greats like Charley Pride, who recorded "Here In The Real World". He has sung with George Jones on the award-winning "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair". His sense of humor comes through in "Gone Country" with the satirical description of the wannabes who cynically jumped on the country music bandwagon in the 1990s: "Everybody's gone country/Yeah we've gone country/The whole world's gone country."
He has been credited for popularizing a Neotraditional Country sound.
It's Five O' Clock Somewhere
Alan Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Workday passes like molasses in wintertime, but it's July
I'm gettin' paid by the hour, and older by the minute
My boss just pushed me over the limit
I'd like to call him somethin', I think I'll just call it a day
Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's five o'clock somewhere
Well this lunch break is gonna take all afternoon and half the night
Tomorrow morning I know there'll be hell to pay, hey, but that's all right
I ain't had a day off now in over a year
My Jamaican vacation's gonna start right here
If the phone's for me, you can tell 'em I just sailed away
And pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve, but I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere
I could pay off my tab
Pour myself in a cab and be back to work before two
At a moment like this, I can't help but wonder
What would Jimmy Buffett do?
Funny you should ask Alan
I'd say, "Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve but I don't care"
Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve but I don't care
He don't care
And I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere
What time zone am I on? What country am I in?
It doesn't matter, it's five o'clock somewhere
It's always on five in Margaritaville, come to think of it
I heard that
You been there haven't you?
Yes sir
I've seen your boat there
I've been to Margaritaville a few times
All right, well that's good
Stumbled my way back
Okay, well we just wanna make sure you can keep it between the navigational beacons
Between the buoys, I tell you
All right, well, it's five o'clock, let's go somewhere
I'm ready, crank it up
Let's get out of here
I'm gone
"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" by Alan Jackson featuring Jimmy Buffett is a song about the monotony of a workday and the freedom that comes with the end of the day. Jackson sets the scene of how hot and slow-moving the day is while he works, and how his boss is pushing him beyond his limits. In the chorus, he sings about drinking to chase away his frustration, as it's always 5 o'clock somewhere in the world, which makes him think about taking a holiday.
The song shows us how people can get caught up in a cycle of work and the lifeline that happy hour and alcohol are for folks that need a break. It deals with work-related stress, exhaustion & frustration many of us experience, and how we ultimately look for ways to unwind, escape, and recharge.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun is hot and that old clock is movin' slow and so am I
It's a hot summer day and time seems to be crawling by. I am feeling sluggish too.
Workday passes like molasses in wintertime, but it's July
The workday is going by excruciatingly slowly, even though it's summer.
I'm gettin' paid by the hour, and older by the minute
I am paid hourly, but I feel like I am aging by the minute.
My boss just pushed me over the limit
My boss has finally pushed me past my limit of patience and it's time to call it a day.
I'd like to call him somethin', I think I'll just call it a day
I want to curse at my boss, but I am going to go home instead.
Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Pour me a drink that is big and potent.
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
Make me a strong drink that will calm me down before I lose my mind.
It's only half past twelve, but I don't care
Even though it's only noon, I am ready for a drink and to not care about time.
Well this lunch break is gonna take all afternoon and half the night
This lunch break is going to last a long time, well into the night.
Tomorrow morning I know there'll be hell to pay, hey, but that's all right
I know I will face consequences tomorrow, but I don't care right now.
I ain't had a day off now in over a year
I have not had a single day off in over a year.
My Jamaican vacation's gonna start right here
I am going to start my vacation right now by relaxing and having a drink.
If the phone's for me, you can tell 'em I just sailed away
If someone calls me, you can say that I have left and am not available.
I could pay off my tab / Pour myself in a cab and be back to work before two
I could finish my drink and pay my bill, take a cab, and be back to work before 2 pm.
At a moment like this, I can't help but wonder / What would Jimmy Buffett do?
In this moment, I can't help but think about what Jimmy Buffett would do in this situation.
Funny you should ask Alan
It's amusing that you should ask that, Alan.
He don't care / And I don't care / It's five o'clock somewhere
Neither of us care about the time because it's five o'clock somewhere and time is relative.
What time zone am I on? What country am I in? / It doesn't matter, it's five o'clock somewhere
I am unsure of my time zone and location, but it doesn't matter because it's five o'clock somewhere.
It's always on five in Margaritaville, come to think of it / I heard that / You been there haven't you? / Yes sir / I've seen your boat there / I've been to Margaritaville a few times
It's always five o'clock in Margaritaville, which I have visited a few times and even saw your (Jimmy Buffett's) boat.
Okay, well we just wanna make sure you can keep it between the navigational beacons / Between the buoys, I tell you / All right, well, it's five o'clock, let's go somewhere / I'm ready, crank it up / Let's get out of here / I'm gone
Let's make sure we stay on course, but now that it's five o'clock, let's go somewhere and start having fun, because I'm ready to go and let's leave now.
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Don Rollins, Jim Brown
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dylanrobbins7141
Rest in peace Jimmy, an indisputable legend.
@williamflinchum-qo6ch
Amen, he was a party Personified,and a hip cat! I had the honor of seeing him in 1989/ let,s just say I had a hard time finding the car afterwards? Lol RIP Jimmy
@555dino
The music will flow forever be a legend like Jimmy in ya life 🫡💪🏼💚
@dannypatterson6271
Rip Jimmy sure gonna miss ya fly high my friend
@johnnyrod9262
May God rest his soul
@kingzeus9532
He will be missed
@CammieInOz
Rest in Peace, Jimmy Buffett!
Thank you for your wonderful music, love from Australia 🇦🇺 😢
@johnmarston2616
I just heard too. He was a national treasure. Rest in peace old friend!
@alexiiii6079
I just want to hear “ what would jimmy buffet dooooo, funny you should ask Alan “ 😢
@liambloom3262
I'm from Australia too and I'm absolutely devastated and heartbroken. He was truly one of a kind and I'm thankful for the joy his music brought me. RIP Jimmy Buffett 🇦🇺 😭