#99 – The U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile
#99 – The U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile
-by Stacy Garwood-
The U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile…There are fun songs, there are colorful songs, there are songs that make you want to tap your feet or dance, and this is certainly one that fits all those requirements. Even if you are not quite aware of what all the lyrics or story is about, people will still connect to the sound, the rhythm, and the energy of the music. Jimmy Buffett covered this song, which was written by the fabulous slide guitarist Sonny Landreth, placing in on a studio album and playing it multiple times in his live shows. When Jimmy covered a song, it was because he both loved the song and admired the writer, and this song is no exception, and it’s all wrapped up in a fun story of a car and its path pursuing the road to zydeco music hot spots.
“You can feel the horses under the hood, Through thick and thin pull us out of the wood, She’s the smoothest ride, yeah, you’ll ever feel, She’s the Delta slide of automobiles…”
The U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile was a song that Jimmy recorded and released on his 2002 album called Far Side Of The World. The song was written by Lafayette, Louisiana native Sonny Landreth, known for his “slydeco” style of playing slide guitar influenced by zydeco, blues and jazz music and his ability playing slide guitar. These were all types of music that Jimmy both admired and loved to intertwine into his own music, so it makes perfect sense that he would place this song on his own album.
Sonny Landreth is a bit of a legend in the music world and has been for years. He names his great early music influences as Clifton Chenier, B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix, but guitar was not Landreth’s first instrument. That was a trumpet in the school band, which he did all through high school, even when he was pursuing his own guitar playing interests. He tells stories of playing marching band for the first half of a game, then heading out to play guitar in his own band in high school, taking the stage at clubs in his school marching band uniform, reminiscent of the Sgt. Pepper’s Loney Hearts Club Band.
Landreth started his own band when he was thirteen years old, with three members, two on guitar and one on drums. He has often said that they played weekend gigs for his parents and their friends, playing mostly Beatles and Ventures music, and that they repeated “about five songs” over and over until “they paid us to stop playing”. However, the performance bug caught him, and he decided that five dollars for a gig was way better than mowing lawns for extra money.
“Double clutchin’ on the backseat, I hear you, yeah, with your main squeeze, Playing triple row accordion fills, In the USS Zydecoldsmobile…”
At the age of sixteen, he started experimenting with a slide guitar technique that he has since become known for. He has reported that he made his very first slide on his own, using a bicycle handlebar and a hack saw. He still uses that slide and states he loves the tone and sound that he can get with using it.
Besides mainstream bands while he was growing up that influenced his musical style, Landreth was influenced by the music that was all around him in southern Louisiana, such as delta blues, jazz and zydeco music. As a matter of fact, his name has become tied to the term “slydeco” for his own style of slide playing, combined with his early pursuit of zydeco music.
Zydeco is a music style that was created in rural Louisiana by people of Creole and Cajun culture and it combines rhythm and blues with the musical styles of ja ja and jure, and usually features both the accordion and an instrument called a frottoir, which is basically a washboard made into a percussion instrument, usually worn around the players neck and is struck with spoons or handles. It’s an upbeat, syncopated style of music and it’s almost guaranteed to get your feet tapping. The term “zydeco” is of uncertain origin, but loosely translates to “the green beans aren’t salted”, which indicates periods of hardship. The term was coined in the fifties, and musician Clifton Chenier has claimed credit for inventing the term.
Clifton Chenier was a musician, songwriter and accordion player whose name and style is absolutely synonymous with zydeco music. He is also credited with being the person who modified the wood and tin washboard into the frottoir, worn like a vest, which is also a key component of zydeco music. Chenier was a huge influence to musicians all over southern Louisiana, including a young Sonny Landreth. A tribute song was written for Chenier after his death, called The King Of Zydeco, and John Mellencamp makes reference to Clifton Chenier in his song, Lafayette, and Chenier is also a feature artist in the documentary Hot Pepper.
“Mardi Gras run block the road, Park the car and join the show, Get up on the trunk and dance at will, Aboard the USS Zydecoldsmobile…”
The U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile was a song written by Landreth that combined his pursuit of zydeco music in a boat of a car that carried him all over Louisiana to clubs and festivals, where his exposure to music grew and his playing developed into something fantastic. He says that he enjoys writing songs, and that when inspiration strikes, you need to go with it, even if it’s four o’clock in the morning.
The car that Sonny Landreth nicknamed the “U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile” was a 1998 Oldsmobile, that he jokes “took up plenty of space”, just like a large aircraft carrier. He says it carried him around to zydeco hotspots all over Louisiana. Many of those great zydeco hotspots are named in the lyrics of the song, and it feels like you are taking a road trip while listening.
“Port of Call Opelousas, Port of Call Lawtell, Port of Call Frilot Cove, In the USS Zydecoldsmobile…”
I am not sure when Jimmy Buffett became aware of the music of Sonny Landreth, but Jimmy loved New Orleans and was strongly influenced by the culture, food and music of Louisiana. And Jimmy loved the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, also known as Jazz Fest, which Sonny Landreth was often playing at. Landreth recalls meeting Jimmy Buffett for the first time at Jazz Fest, and that Jimmy came up and introduced himself, around the time that Landreth was playing music with John Hiatt, a blues guitarist known for his song The Tiki Bar Is Open, which Jimmy Buffett fans will no doubt recognize from Jimmy’s live shows.
Landreth says that at a later time, Jimmy invited Landreth to play as a part of his Coral Reefer Band. At that time, Landreth was not looking for a new job or a steady tour, but Jimmy said that wasn’t a problem, and that they would be happy for Landreth to come play with them anytime it worked with his schedule. Jimmy was also working on a new studio album, which was set to record in late 2001, and he was including a song of Landreth’s on that album. That song was The U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile and the album was Far Side Of The World. Landreth ended up doing studio sessions for that album, and he enjoyed the dynamic and creativity of Jimmy’s Coral Reefer Band that he did indeed start touring with Jimmy at that time.
“Yeah, Spirit moves through everyone, We have faith and we have fun, God bless the turning wheel, Of my USS Zydecoldsmobile…”
Landreth has said about Buffett’s collection of musicians called the Coral Reefer Band, they “had an extraordinary band”, they did “cool stuff” and the exposure and playing for that many people was “a lot of fun”. He also has been on record as saying of the Coral Reefers, “they’re like family, just great musicians, great folks”. Sonny Landreth has toured with the Coral Reefer Band on multiple summer tours over the years.
And when the Coral Reefer Band played Jazz Fest this May, performing a tribute concert for Jimmy, Sonny Landreth was on the stage with the band, performing besides them, honoring the music of his friend Jimmy Buffett and taking lead vocals on his own song The U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile. I have no doubt that Jimmy’s spirit was there and very much appreciated Sonny Landreth’s presence on that stage.
“Come ride with me in my Zydecoldsmobile, Double clutchin’ with me in my Zydecoldsmobile, Hip shakin’ with me in my Zydecoldsmobile, Come ride with me in my Zydecoldsmobile…”
Stacy
Please enjoy The U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile. I have included the link below for the studio version from 2002, as well as a fan video from Jazz Fest this may, featuring Sonny Landreth on slide guitar and vocals. Enjoy!
2002 Studio Version:
The link is from Jimmy’s official YouTube channel, which I have no personal affiliation with.
Jazz Fest, May 5th, 2004, Fan/Crowd Video:
This link is from page, which I have no personal affiliation with.
Other links that might be of interest:
Jimmy Buffett was honored at the New Orleans Jazz Festival funeral procession | BuffettNews.com
The Coral Reefer Band’s Jimmy Buffett Tribute at Jazz Fest | BuffettNews.com
Featured interview – Sonny Landreth – Blues Blast Magazine
Sonny Landreth : Songwriter Interviews (songfacts.com)
The Meaning Behind The Song: The Tiki Bar Is Open by John Hiatt – Old Time Music
