Kokomo

Somehow, it didn't really hit me, as far as I can remember, when the Beach Boys first released this song back in 1988, but it has obviously been wheedling it's way around my brain since.

For the last few days, Kokomo has become an earworm which I am not sure I particularly want to be rid of. I like an awful lot of what the Beach Boys have done over the years - the Theremin on Good Vibrations probably warranting a complete blip all to it's self. But, Kokomo, although it reached No.1 in the US and Australia, never made it very big anywhere else.

It makes an appearance in the Tom Cruise film, 'Cocktail' (which I've never seen) and is on their album 'Still Cruisin' (which I don't own). There are at least two places with the same name, one in Hawaii and the other in Indiana, but the song is about neither!

Perhaps it's the lyrics which include 'Aruba, Jamaica ooo I wanna take you, To Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama, Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go... that attract me to it - the sound of all these exotic Caribbean places, just as the evenings are drawing in here?

Whatever it is, Kokomo may be gone by tomorrow, but not forgotten - the wonderfully layered harmonies of this group will always remain in my head.

Edit: Thanks to Sarah for the link.