In 1996 an uncommon and considerably dramatic incident occurred that will later encourage musician and Margaritaville founder Jimmy Buffett to pen the well-known track “Jamaica Mistaica.” The occasion, which concerned a mistaken id and a misunderstanding, stays one of many extra notorious moments in Buffett’s storied profession. On January 16, 1996, the favored singer-songwriter was flying over the Caribbean in his seaplane, the Hemisphere Dancer, with Island Information founder Chris Blackwell and none aside from U2’s Bono as a passenger. What was meant to be an informal flight over the waters of Jamaica took a sudden flip when the airplane was fired upon by Jamaican police.
The Incident
The Hemisphere Dancer, a seaplane that Buffett usually used for journey between the islands, was hovering over the Jamaican shoreline when native police, performing on a tip-off, mistook the plane for a drug-smuggling airplane. On the time, Jamaica had a popularity for being a significant transshipment level for illicit medicine, and the authorities have been notably vigilant about figuring out suspicious plane. The police, in a heightened state of alert, opened fireplace on the airplane. Luckily, the pilot was quick-thinking sufficient to land the airplane safely, and the one harm was to the airplane’s fuselage—nobody aboard was injured.
Bono, recognized for his personal penchant for high-profile adventures, was with Buffett on the flight. Although neither Buffett nor Bono have been harmed, the incident was jarring for each, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than they have been telling the story to the press. They later joked about how, regardless of the shut name, they’d survived what may have been a catastrophe in such a dramatic trend.
Inspiration for “Jamaica Mistaica”
The occasion was so surreal that it grew to become the inspiration for Buffett’s 1996 hit “Jamaica Mistaica.” The track humorously recounts the ordeal and the weird flip of occasions that occurred within the skies over Jamaica. Whereas the tone of the track is light-hearted, the fact of the incident was removed from amusing on the time. But, Buffett’s means to search out humour in probably the most sudden conditions shines by way of within the lyrics, turning what may have been a traumatic expertise into one thing that listeners may giggle about.
Buffett’s model of occasions, as captured in “Jamaica Mistaica,” paints a vibrant image of the state of affairs, but it surely additionally displays his deep affection for the island and its tradition. Whereas the incident might have been a misunderstanding, it actually didn’t deter him from persevering with to take pleasure in his travels to Jamaica, which had at all times been one among his favorite locations.
The Aftermath
After the capturing incident, there was some confusion on the a part of the Jamaican authorities, because it turned out to be a case of unhealthy timing and a easy misunderstanding. The state of affairs was shortly resolved with none lasting penalties. Removed from damaging Jamaica’s popularity, the incident really enhanced the island’s mystique. The story grew to become one of the memorable and quirky tales from Jimmy Buffett’s profession and it grew to become a celebrated piece of his music catalogue.
Lyrics from Jamaica Mistaica:
“They shot from the lighthouse
They shot from the freeway
They shot from the highest of the cliff
They’d all gone haywire
We’re catchin’ fireplace
And there wasn’t even a spliff.“
A Wild Story
The story of the Hemisphere Dancer being shot at by Jamaican police is a kind of wild tales that would simply have gone from unhealthy to worse, however because of fast motion and a few lucky circumstances, it changed into an unforgettable second in rock ‘n’ roll lore. Removed from diminishing the island’s popularity, the incident solely added to the wealthy tapestry of tales surrounding each Jimmy Buffett and the Caribbean.
