I got to thinking that drinking a fine drop of rum is often best accompanied with some sweet tunes. I took to the internet to research just how many songs are about rum or contain the word rum, and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of songs to choose from. Not that you necessarily need a rum reference in your music, but if you’re feeling particularly sentimental, or even just curious, take the time to check out these top picks and many others.
To start with, you can’t go past the classic Andrew Sisters song ‘Rum and Coca Cola’. Originally a song by calypso performers, the Andrew Sisters turned it into a hit in the 1940s, sitting on top of the charts for ten weeks. Play this and you can imagine yourself swinging in a hammock by the beach with a glass in hand and peace in your heart.
Flash forward to something more current and play Sean Kingston and Cher Lloyd’s hip hop collaboration ‘Rum and Ray-Bans’. Never quite making it in the charts, it might not be a hit but it is certainly catchy. If you’re into the dance scene, with thumping beats and token gangsta swearing, this might be the song for you.
Or if you’re looking for something a little more traditional, play Gloria Estefan’s ‘Cuba Libre’, which in the cocktail world is, of course, a rum and coke. Translated from Cuban, it means ‘Free Cuba’, so the song itself is a political statement, but one that is surely backed by the Cuban’s love of a good rum and coke. Listen to this song and you can’t help but shake your hips and shimmy your way around the living room.
The most surprising result was in terms of lyrics… apparently the Little Drummer Boy liked a drink! The song with the most instances of ‘rum’ was this Christmas classic (‘Come they told him, par rum pa pum pum!’), so when Christmas next comes around, be sure to toast the little drummer boy.
Whichever way your music tastes swing, these songs, and more, can only serve to enhance your love and enjoyment of rum, any which way you drink it.
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