That track won a Grammy Award and became an international 40 hit in many countries while also being featured in several films. Later singles with significant airplay include "You All Dat", "Move It Like This", and "Best Years of Our Lives" among others. Yet their commercial fortunes came in fits and starts after the 2002 album 'Move It Like This'. While barely releasing any more material, they toured often during the past decade, finally becoming a dormant project over the past several years as its members pursued other endeavors. This changed in October 2015 when a rejuvenated group released the album 'Ride With Me'.
Website: http://www.bahamen.com/
Kokomo
Baha Men Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go
Jamaica, off the Florida Keys
There's a place called Kokomo
That's where you wanna go
To get away from it all
Bodies in the sand
Tropical drink melting in your hand
We'll be falling in love
To the rhythm of a steel drum band
Down in Kokomo
Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take you to
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby, why don't we go
Ooh, I wanna take you down to Kokomo
We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow
That's where we wanna go, way down in Kokomo
Martinique, that Montserrat mystique
We'll put out to sea
And we'll perfect our chemistry
By and by, we'll defy a little bit of gravity
Afternoon delight, cocktails and moonlit nights
That dreamy look in your eye
Give me a tropical contact high, way down in Kokomo
Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take you
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby, why don't we go
Ooh, I wanna take you down to Kokomo
We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow
That's where we wanna go, way down in Kokomo
Port au Prince, I wanna catch a glimpse
Everybody knows a little place like Kokomo
Now if you wanna go and get away from it all
Go down to Kokomo
Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take you
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby, why don't we go
Ooh, I wanna take you down to Kokomo
We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow
That's where we wanna go, way down in Kokomo
Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take you
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go
The lyrics to Baha Men’s song Kokomo depict a desire for escapism and a longing for a tropical paradise. The song is an invitation to join the singer on a journey to various Caribbean islands such as Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, and the Florida Keys, until finally arriving at the imagined utopia of Kokomo. The lyrics suggest a yearning for a simpler way of life, a place where routine and responsibilities are left behind. The line “Bodies in the sand, tropical drink melting in your hand” conjures up images of relaxation and carelessness. The mention of the rhythm of the steel drum band, cocktails and moonlit nights, and the “dreamy look in your eye” all continue to paint a picture of a perfect paradise.
The chorus firmly establishes the desire to escape reality with the repeated line “Ooh, I wanna take you down to Kokomo, we’ll get there fast and then we’ll take it slow, that’s where we wanna go, way down in Kokomo”. The song culminates in the line “everybody knows a little place like Kokomo”, implying that we all have our own private idyllic location. The lyrics appear to be an invitation for listeners to join in the singer's imagined paradise of Kokomo, further fueling the desire for escapism and a perfect place to unwind.
Line by Line Meaning
Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take you
The singer desires to take their partner on a trip to Aruba and Jamaica
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
The singer entices their partner to accompany them to Bermuda and Bahama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go
The singer suggests exploring Key Largo and Montego together
Jamaica, off the Florida Keys
Kokomo is a location near Jamaica, situated off the coast of Florida Keys
There's a place called Kokomo
Kokomo is a specific destination being referenced
That's where you wanna go
The singer believes that Kokomo is the ideal place to go for relaxation and vacation
To get away from it all
Kokomo is considered as an escape from the stresses of life
Bodies in the sand
The scene in Kokomo involves bodies relaxing on the sand
Tropical drink melting in your hand
The warm climate causes tropical drinks to melt while you hold them
We'll be falling in love
The singer predicts that the romantic setting of Kokomo will lead to falling in love
To the rhythm of a steel drum band
The music in Kokomo is provided by a steel drum band
Down in Kokomo
The singer emphasizes that Kokomo is the ultimate vacation spot
Ooh, I wanna take you down to Kokomo
The singer expresses their desire to take their partner to Kokomo
We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow
The journey to Kokomo will be quick, but once there, they will take things slow and enjoy the setting
That's where we wanna go, way down in Kokomo
Kokomo is emphasized once again as the desired destination
Martinique, that Montserrat mystique
The singer mentions other islands in the Caribbean with mystique, such as Martinique and Montserrat
We'll put out to sea
They plan to go out to sea for some more adventure
And we'll perfect our chemistry
The singer implies that the couple will solidify their bond in the perfect setting of Kokomo
By and by, we'll defy a little bit of gravity
The couple will feel weightless and lose themselves in the beauty of Kokomo
Afternoon delight, cocktails and moonlit nights
Kokomo offers delightful afternoons, cocktails, and romantic moonlit nights
That dreamy look in your eye
The setting of Kokomo is lovely enough to induce a dreamy look in the eyes of the couple
Give me a tropical contact high, way down in Kokomo
The tropical atmosphere fills them with excitement and happiness
Port au Prince, I wanna catch a glimpse
The singer references the capital of Haiti, Port au Prince, as another destination they would like to visit
Everybody knows a little place like Kokomo
Kokomo is not unique, and everyone has a special vacation spot that they cherish
Now if you wanna go and get away from it all
The singer suggests that if someone wants to escape the stress of everyday life, they should go to a place like Kokomo
Go down to Kokomo
The singer encourages listeners to visit Kokomo
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Michael Edward Love, Terry Melcher, Scott Mckenzie, John Phillips
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind