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Saturday, January 6, 2018

Story Behind The Song: Dockside Bar




“Dockside Bar” was written on 7/1/2007. I was not living in the Keys at the time, but Cutler Bay, about a half hour north of Key Largo. I would often head to the Keys on the weekend, just for a breath of fresh are, so to speak. It was remarkable as all the weight of the world was suddenly off my shoulders!
On these short trips, I would go to bars such as Alabama Jack's, The Caribbean Club, Smugglers Cove, The Dockside Bar, Sharkey's, Snappers,... which all are on the water, which was an essential objective for what I was looking for.

The idea of just sitting at a local bar, enjoying a cold beer on a lazy afternoon in the Keys, looking out at the water glistening in the sun and watching the goings on, is my idea of heaven. Seriously, what could be better?

The storylines that the song covers is a combination of true stories of things I observed. The first verse is self-explanatory “Bartender, give me another, if you please”.

The second line about the three men working on the dock actually did happen and one did say “ I have a plan, 'cause we're going for broke or we'll die right here”

Squalls do blow in and out, from time to time. Almost always when they blow in, stay for about an hour, after which it returns to a beautiful day.

At another place I was at, a boat pulled up to the dock, surprising friends who were there, they all jumped in and about an hour or so later, returned with a 35 lb. wahoo that the bar cooked up for them.

So the song covers a few bases.

1) It's about The Keys
2) It's about dockside bars
3) It's about going out on the water and fishing
4) It's about day-to-day life for many
5) It's about celebrating life
6) And finally, it transports the listener away from their work, their day-to-day life, their troubles, and whatever anxieties they may have, sitting them on a bar stool in the Florida Keys, watching the water glisten and the goings on that happen in such a marvelous places.... even if it is only for three minutes and fifty-six seconds.



But, more often than not, three minutes and fifty-six seconds is all it really takes to re-charge one's outlook on the day!

Dockside Bar

Chris Rehm – Guitars and Vocals
Dani Hoy – Background Vocals
Ericson Holt – Piano
Alan Jax Bowers - Percussion
Bob Tucker – Bass
John Sausser – Drums
Bruce Turkel – Harmonica
Produced by Ian Shaw
Engineered by Ian Shaw

© 7/1/2007 Christopher R. Rehm B.M.I.






DOCKSIDE BAR

1
SITTING HERE AT THIS DOCKSIDE BAR IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
BARTENDER BRING ME ANOTHER IF YOU PLEASE
2
CEILING FAN SPINNING SLOW CREATES A NICE COOL BREEZE
OPEN AIR'S THE ONLY WAY TO GO DOWN HERE
3
THREE MEN WORKING ON THE DOCK YOU KNOW, ONE SAYS HE'S GOT A PLAN
SAYS HE'LL GO FOR BROKE OR HE'LL DIE RIGHT HERE



NOW A SQUALL'S BLOWING IN, IT'LL ONLY LAST AN HOUR
AND BE BACK SUNNY BEFORE LONG
WE'LL ALL BE HERE JUST COMMISERATING
ABOUT THE FISH THAT GOT AWAY FROM LOU
YOU KNOW IT WAS A WAHOO

4
BILLY JOE PULLS UP ON A BOAT LOADED WITH FISHING GEAR
WE'RE OFF AND RUNNING AS WE HEAD ON OUT OF HERE
5
SO WE'RE HEADING ON 'BOUT THREE MILE OUT, WE GOT TENSION ON THE REEL
IT'S THE MOTHER LOAD AND THIS IS THE REAL DEAL
BRING IT BACK AND THEY'LL COOK OUR CATCH
AND PAY US FOR THE EXTRA TOO
WE'LL ALL BE HERE JUST SUCKING ON A BEER
AND CHEWING ON LOU'S WAHOO
YOU KNOW HE'S GETTIN' IT TATTOOED
6
SITTING HERE AT THIS DOCKSIDE BAR IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
BARTENDER BRING ME ANOTHER IF YOU PLEASE
'CAUSE WE'RE GOING FOR BROKE OR WE'LL DIE RIGHT HERE
WE'RE GAFFED LIKE A FISH WE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE
'CAUSE WE'RE GOING FOR BROKE AND WE'LL DIE RIGHT HERE
RIGHT HERE
YEAH, WE'RE GOING FOR BROKE OR WE'LL DIE RIGHT HERE.



© 7/1/2007 by Christopher R. Rehm BMI


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