#52 – Coast Of Carolina
Day #52 – Coast Of Carolina
Relationships are a huge part of our lives, maybe the biggest parts of our lives. Romantic relationships, family relationships, friendships, work relationships… these things define us, help shape us, are integral to our lives. Coast Of Carolina is about relationships on a couple different levels and is a stunningly beautiful way that Jimmy acknowledged several of those important people in his life.
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Original post from 10/23/2023
Day #52 – Coast Of Carolina
Coast Of Carolina was released on Jimmy’s 2004 album License To Chill. I loved this album artwork from the moment that I saw it, because it’s a happy, barefooted, laid-back picture of Jimmy and it seems absolutely real.
License To Chill has 16 songs, with 11 of them being covers. I don’t think Jimmy ever ran out of songs or ideas, but he could definitely recognize a great song, and liked to record them, and support other artists at the same time.
As the lyrics state, the stars are timeless and predictable…
But Coast Of Carolina is all Jimmy … well, and a little bit of Mac, who cowrote this one with him. But the mentions and names and places are all Jimmy and his life. And when I look at this song, I see two stories.
The first is an homage to Jimmy’s longtime friend Larry “Groovy” Gray who gets an early mention. Groovy was not just a friend of Jimmy’s starting back in his Key West days, he was a pilot and sea captain. He captained Jimmy’s several of Jimmy’s long sailing trips, including the voyage of the Euphoria II, which brought the beautiful island of St. Barts into JB’s world. Groovy owned the piloting company, Air Mango Charters, and you will see many pictures of Jimmy wearing hats and shirts to support his friends’ business.
Not long before this song was written, Groovy died in a single plane crash off the coast of South Carolina; he was only 55. I can only imagine that the loss of a dear friend, suddenly and tragically, triggered memories and ignited Jimmy’s songwriting candle.
Groovy was also the friend that introduced Jimmy to the beautiful Jane Slagsvol. Jane and Groovy were both from South Carolina and had gone to college together. The famed introduction occurred at a phone booth outside side the Chart Room Bar in Key West. Jimmy mentions that phone booth meeting in this song, as well as several Monday’s coming and going since that time. A nod to Come Monday, which Jimmy wrote for and about his relationship with Jane, who of course is Jimmy’s beloved wife.
I am certain Jimmy recognized that without Groovy, there would be no Jane, and therefore nothing of the life they built together.
“Years and miles, tears and smiles, wanting to get it right…”
In a way, this is Come Monday, Part 2, as it mentions lifestyle and relationship challenges. It mentions love and commitment, about a few false starts, about shifting priorities in life, about uncertainty but working on getting things “right”.
“From the bottom of my heart, Off the Coast of Carolina, After one or two false starts, I believe we’ve found our stride, And the walls that won’t come down, We can decorate or climb, Or find some way around, Cause I’m still on your side, From the bottom of my heart”
This is a beautiful song, honestly one of my favorites. It’s emotional and real and lyrically captivating, and for people who say Jimmy’s best songwriting was in his first ten years of writing, and anything after that lost an edge, I call bullshit and present this song.
Please enjoy Coast Of Carolina. I have included the link in the comments below.
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An episode of Directed By Delaney, which is The Night I Painted The Sky, is worth watching for multiple reasons. Jane makes a vocal appearance in this video, and Jimmy calls her “goddess” and says she is always there as inspiration. She laughs and says, “his muse”. Nobody can deny that!
In that episode, Jimmy talks about his friend Groovy, who inspired a couple song mentions over the years. He is heartfelt in his praise of his old friend, and also acknowledges that he met Jane through their mutual friend, because she came to Key West to visit Groovy, who was her college roommate. And the rest is history…
The relationship ties run deep. All great relationships do.
Stacy
Please enjoy Coast Of Carolina. I have included the link below. Enjoy!
The link is from Jimmy’s official YouTube channel, which I have no personal affiliation with.
