Dreadlock Holiday Revisited

I went to the movies yesterday with my brother Jack who is in town for the holidays. We saw National Treasure, Book of Secrets, which we both thought was not nearly as bad as the critics are saying. By no means a great movie, but it was a lot of fun in a mindless fun sort of way, much like the first National Treasure film.

After the movie we stopped by The Yard House for a couple of beers and some onion rings (this was real treat for me as for dietary reasons I don't drink beer at home anymore, only when I go out). They play the rock music pretty loud at The Yard House and while we were talking Dreadlock Holiday by 10CC was played. I have a CD with this song on it that I used to listen to almost every day, but rarely hear anymore since getting my Sirius radio two years ago.

Every time I hear the song I think back to about eight years ago when we took a cruise of the Caribbean, more precisely I think back to our day in Jamaica. The ship docked in Ocho Rios at what they call the 007 Dock (since it was used prominently in the film Dr. No) and we had no plans for the day. That ended up being a mistake.

My wife, son and I took a crowded van "taxi" to a nearby tourist trap shopping center, where after a few minutes perusing the exact same merchandise in one store after another, we decided to leave the relative comfort and security of the gated and guarded tourist trap shopping center for the winding streets of Ocho Rios. Outside we hailed a cab that wanted to take us to some waterfalls (we should have listened to the guy) but instead insisted on going down to the beach. This would be mistake number three by my counting.

Jamaica is not Mexico and a Jamaican beach in not like a Mexican beach. First, we were the only white people we saw on the beach. Second, not only was the smell of pot in the air, but most everyone we saw was openly smoking dope. Third, everything on the beach seemed rather "make shift," the boats there for charter seemed unprofessional and not very safe. Which, fourth, when taken together just made it clear that as they say in the song, "You'd better understand that you're alone. A long way from home."

My wife was really sort of freaked by the whole thing and felt intimidated by the people hawking their boats for charter. Maybe she inhaled too much of the pot smoke, 'cause she definitely became paranoid and once she did she spread that paranoia to me. In the end we just kept walking and eventually left the beach and started back on the main road out of town, beating a hasty retreat to the 007 Dock and the relative safety of the ship.

It was a few years later that I heard Dreadlock Holiday for the first time in years and unlike before, I listened to the words this time. I know exactly where 10CC was coming from with this song:

I was walkin' down the street
Concentratin' on truckin' right
I heard a dark voice beside of me
And I looked round in a state of fright
I saw four faces one mad
A brother from the gutter
They looked me up and down a bit
And turned to each other

I say
I don't like cricket oh no
I love it
I don't like cricket oh no
I love it
Don't you walk thru my words
You got to show some respect
Don't you walk thru my words
'Cause you ain't heard me out yet

Well he looked down at my silver chain
He said I'll give you one dollar
I said you've got to be jokin' man
It was a present from me Mother
He said I like it I want it
I'll take it off your hands
And you'll be sorry you crossed me
You'd better understand that you're alone
A long way from home

And I say
I don't like reggae no no
I love it
I don't like reggae oh no
I love it
Don't you cramp me style
Don't you queer on me pitch
Don't you walk thru my words
'Cause you ain't heard me out yet

I hurried back to the swimming pool
Sinkin' pina coladas
I heard a dark voice beside me say
Would you like something harder
She said I've got it you want it
My harvest is the best
And if you try it you'll like it
And wallow in a Dreadlock Holiday

And I say
Don't like Jamaica oh no
I love her
Don't like Jamaica oh no
I love her oh yea
Don't you walk thru her words
You got to show some respect
Don't you walk thru her words
'Cause you ain't heard her out yet

I don't like cricket
I love it (Dreadlock Holiday)
I don't like reggae
I love it (Dreadlock Holiday)
Don't like Jamaica
I love her (Dreadlock Holiday)