IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE - Charles Belhumeur

It's 5 O'clock somewhere

Charles Belhumeur ('CB: One-man Band')

Single from my 'CRUISE COVERS' collection: 48 Cover-Songs recorded at sea, onboard various Cruise-Ships in around the world. Find details at https://cbmusic.net/cruise-covers

1

It's five O'Clock somewhere 3:35
It's five O'Clock somewhere
by Charles Belhumeur ('CB: One-man Band')
Share link
Info

0:00/3:35

THE STORY

This song was recorded in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Johns (Antigua) and Basseterre (Saint Kitts), onboard Royal Caribbean’s ‘EXPLORER of the Seas’, whereas the short video of me performing this song (lower down on this page) was recorded at ‘The Duke of Argyll’ pub in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, just one month prior to me departing for my very first contract at sea.

As I'm sure that most of you might already know; the phrase “It’s five O’clock somewhere” is commonly used jokingly as a good excuse for consuming alcohol at any hour of the day, in any part of the world. That phrase is a reference to the time of day when ‘HAPPY-HOUR’ usually begins, with the term ‘Happy-Hour’ referring to the limited time of day (between the hours of 5:00pm & 6:00pm) when drinks are sold at a discounted rate. It’s no coincidence that 5:00pm is also the same time when many people just happen to finish their ‘work-day’.

The stage is now set for me to inform you that drinking is an activity which DOES actually happen amongst many people on Cruise-Ships, at all hours of every day. Are you shocked by such earth-shattering news? LOL! This is entirely understandable for the Passengers of course, because nobody except the Captain & Crew will be navigating the vessel (so the responsibility of driving has been completely eliminated), plus also, the ship's passengers have taken a break from their usual responsibilities of daily life & are free to relax, eat, drink & sleep whenever they want. That is exactly what they have paid for & are perfectly entitled to. Basically: “It’s five O’clock somewhere” for their entire Cruise-Holiday, as it should be!

As for the Crew however, we must all be much more responsible and strategic about choosing the times when we are allowed to enjoy such pleasures. There are two (2) conditions under which any Crew Member can be fired instantly, with zero tolerance. Firstly, is having any intimate relations with any Passenger, which CCTV & Security Guards monitor on a continual basis. Secondly, is being drunk while working. In addition to CCTV & the usual Security, random testing for alcohol & drugs is an effective deterrent for the Crew.

I can tell you that my own very fortunate position as a Private Contractor (‘Guest Entertainer’) to the Ships (rather than being an actual ‘Employee’ of the Cruise-Line Company) allowed for much greater leniency which I never did take unreasonable advantage of. This was not only because of the standards I hold myself to in always wanting to give the best performance possible, on any given day/night (while needing to keep myself in good enough shape to effectively perform my responsibilities to the very best of my ability), but also, out of respect for my fellow Crew Members who are not permitted the same luxuries which I (as an Independent Contractor) enjoyed.

Regardless of whether a ‘Crew Member’ is an actual Employee of the Cruise-Line (as 98% of them are), or working onboard (like me) as a ‘Guest Entertainer’, the work schedule is demanding enough that whenever time permits, most of us choose to contact our loved-ones back home and/or simply get some rest. Drinking alcohol is often considered a luxury which many of the Crew simply cannot either afford and/or have the time for. Having said that though, there are definitely exceptions to that rule, and many of the Crew make it an important part of their time (when permitted), as we all need to maintain our own sanity during the many months working at sea, and becoming a part of the Crew community plays an important role in each Crew Member’s onboard experience.

NOTE: This song is part of my 'CRUISE COVERS' Collection: 48 Cover-Songs recorded at sea, while I was performing on various Cruise-Ships around the world. To see more details (including which ships & parts of the world where each song was recorded), please visit https://cbmusic.net/cruise-covers

Photos & Video