Yah Mon, I Down in Bahamas

Words and Music © 1980 by Dan Meyer

Story behind the song:
When I first moved to Little Stirrup Cay

in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas, I came to enjoy listening to the soft lilting accents of the local "out-islander" Bahamians who lived on some of the neighboring Berry Islands. One of the first phrases that caught my ear was "Yah mon, down in Bahamas everyting is 'No Problem, mon!'..."

As I would walk around my island on the beaches and through my jungle, I would try to imitate the lilting Bahamian accent, and the first word that I really picked up the accent was on the word "Bahamas". When the locals would say "Bahamas", they would drop the pitch down on the second syllable, and then suddenly raise the pitch quite high on the last syllable, almost as if they were asking a question - "Ba-ha-MAS?". As I continued repeating this accent, I began to hear the true musical melody of the Bahamas. For the next few days I enjoyed walking around my island admiring the beauty of the blue Bahamian skies and seas while singing the word "Ba-ha-MAS" to myself with this lilting Caribbean melody, until before I knew it, the entire song had nearly written itself!

Years later, we performed this song on the cruise ship the S.S. Emerald Seas with my island Reggae band, and the ship adopted it as the themesong for Little Stirrup Cay. If you listen to the MIDI file or the Real Audio file, see if you can detect the lilting Bahamian accent in the melody... Just close your eyes, listen to the sound of the waves and the seagulls, and imagine the smell of coconut rum...

Yah, mon, take it easy... everyting cool... no problem, mon...


Yah Mon, I' down in Bahamas
Yah Mon, I' soakin' some sun
Yah Mon, I' down in Bahamas
Down in Bahamas be an ocean of fun!

Well, the cruise ship she come for a party
With all the pretty girls on the beach 
But when you catch one, gonna grab some fun,
Cruise ship come and take her out of reach (so I be singin'...)

Yah Mon, I' down in Bahamas
Yah Mon, I' soakin' some sun
Yah Mon, I' down in Bahamas
Down in Bahamas be an ocean of fun!

We got Great Stirrup Cay on the east side
Nothin' but the sea on the west 
But of all the cays in the Berrys these days,
Little Stirrup Cay is the best  (that's why I' singin'...)

Yah Mon, I' down in Bahamas
Yah Mon, I' soakin' some sun
Yah Mon, I' down in Bahamas
Down in Bahamas be an ocean of fun!

Sittin' in the shade of a palm tree
Suckin' on some coconut rum
I can sleep away the heat of the day
Till the coolin' evenin' breezes come  (then I be singin'...)

Yah Mon, I' down in Bahamas
Yah Mon, I' soakin' some sun
Yah Mon, I' down in Bahamas
Down in Bahamas be an ocean of fun!

Yah Mon, I' down in Bahamas
Yah Mon, I' soakin' some sun
Yah Mon, I' down in Bahamas 
Down in Bahamas be an ocean of fun...
Down in Bahamas be an ocean of fun!