Ever since we finalized our cruise booking on Saturday morning, Mr. W would, here and there, lean toward me and say something like, “We’re gonna be in Jamaica, baby!” He downloaded a bunch of Bob Marley songs and his XFM was set on a reggae station all weekend. My first cruise. I hope I don’t gain another 15 lbs. But is it any wonder that this song’s stuck in my head?

Kokomo
performed by The Beach Boys

Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya
To 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
Way down in Kokomo

Refrain:
Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya
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 to Kokomo

To martinique, that monserrat 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

Refrain

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

Refrain 2x

Ooh I wanna take you down to Kokomo