Did You Know Jimmy Buffett Wrote “Come Monday” From Personal Experience

American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett may have reached the peak of his musical career that every aspiring musician could only dream of. Still, most people don’t know that it also comes with a downside. Weeks spent on touring, and recording also means a time he has to spend away from his loved ones.

While heading to a tour, Buffett found himself missing his future wife, Jane Slagsvol. This prompted him to write, “Come Monday.” During a live performance in 1974, Buffett mentioned that he had written the song while on his way to California the previous year. This means that it would have been written as he was “heading up to San Francisco for the Labor Day Weekend show” in 1973.

“Come Monday, it’ll all be alright. Come Monday, I’ll be holding you tight. I spent four lonely days in brown L.A haze. And I just want you back by my side,” the song goes. It was first released on his album Living & Dying in ¾ Time in 1974 and was his first Top 40 hit single. The song reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as No. 3 Easy Listening and No. 58 Country.

But a single version of the song was released to replace the third line, “I’ve got my Hush Puppies on,” with “I’ve got my hiking shoes on.” This is because some broadcast outlets, including the BBC, would not play songs with brand names in the lyrics.

Meeting The Love of His Life Change Buffett’s Musical Career

Jimmy Buffett paved his own way when he left Nashville and pursued music in Key West rather than hitting big cities like New York and Los Angeles. The talented singer-songwriter has been married to second wife Jane Slagsvol since 1977, and you’ll definitely be surprised how they met. 

Buffett, who was originally from Pascagoula, Mississippi, dropped out of college at Auburn University in Alabama. He then moved back to his home state to attend the University of Southern Mississippi to pursue his music in New Orleans. After graduation, he married his girlfriend, Margie Washichek, and they packed their bags for Nashville.

However, Nashville wasn’t the right fit for Buffett. And neither was Margie. Country music did not work and neither their marriage. The two called it quits, and Buffett decided to move out to the beach and settled down in Key West. As the son of a sailor, it makes perfect sense that he has chosen the beachy lifestyle that Florida offers.

Jane, on the other hand, was a student at the University of South Carolina and came down to Key West for spring break. And one Saturday night, the two met and had an immediate connection. They got married the next year. The happy couple remains married to this day and has three children: Sarah Delaney Buffett, Savannah Jane Buffett, and Cameron Marley.

Who would have thought that a love story of one college student and an aspiring country singer would one day create an iconic song? “Come Monday” has definitely become Buffett’s signature song. It is even part of “The Big 8” that he has played at almost all of his concerts, usually changing the line “I just can’t wait to see you again” to “It’s so nice to be in…(location of his show)…again.” Jane also starred in the music video of “Come Monday,” which she did for free because there was no budget at the time.

Don’t miss Jimmy Buffett’s breathtaking performance of “Come Monday” in the video below.