The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
The sun is hot and that old clock is movin' slow and so am I
Workday passes like molasses in wintertime, but it's July
I'm gettin' paid by the hour, and older by the minute
My boss just pushed me over the limit
I'd like to call him somethin', I think I'll just call it a day
Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve, but I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere
Well this lunch break is gonna take all afternoon and half the night
Tomorrow morning I know there'll be hell to pay, hey, but that's all right
I ain't had a day off now in over a year
My Jamaican vacation's gonna start right here
If the phone's for me, you can tell 'em I just sailed away
And pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve, but I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere
I could pay off my tab
Pour myself in a cab and be back to work before two
At a moment like this, I can't help but wonder
What would Jimmy Buffett do?
Funny you should ask Alan
I'd say, "Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve but I don't care"
Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve but I don't care
He don't care
And I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere
What time zone am I on? What country am I in?
It doesn't matter, it's five o'clock somewhere
It's always on five in Margaritaville, come to think of it
I heard that
You been there haven't you?
Yes, sir
I've seen your boat there
I've been to Margaritaville a few times
All right, well that's good
Stumbled my way back
Okay, well we just wanna make sure you can keep it between the navigational beacons
Between the buoys, I tell you
All right, well, it's five o'clock, let's go somewhere
I'm ready, crank it up
Let's get out of here
I'm gone
Workday passes like molasses in wintertime, but it's July
I'm gettin' paid by the hour, and older by the minute
My boss just pushed me over the limit
I'd like to call him somethin', I think I'll just call it a day
Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve, but I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere
Well this lunch break is gonna take all afternoon and half the night
Tomorrow morning I know there'll be hell to pay, hey, but that's all right
I ain't had a day off now in over a year
My Jamaican vacation's gonna start right here
If the phone's for me, you can tell 'em I just sailed away
And pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve, but I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere
I could pay off my tab
Pour myself in a cab and be back to work before two
At a moment like this, I can't help but wonder
What would Jimmy Buffett do?
Funny you should ask Alan
I'd say, "Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve but I don't care"
Pour me somethin' tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve but I don't care
He don't care
And I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere
What time zone am I on? What country am I in?
It doesn't matter, it's five o'clock somewhere
It's always on five in Margaritaville, come to think of it
I heard that
You been there haven't you?
Yes, sir
I've seen your boat there
I've been to Margaritaville a few times
All right, well that's good
Stumbled my way back
Okay, well we just wanna make sure you can keep it between the navigational beacons
Between the buoys, I tell you
All right, well, it's five o'clock, let's go somewhere
I'm ready, crank it up
Let's get out of here
I'm gone
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere Lyrics as written by Jim Moose Brown Donald Edmond Rollins
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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5 o'clock somewhere might be giving aid to Dolly Parton's associated song called 9-5 as we all know that extra 30 minute lunch is there. The song is saying he is known to possibly drink a beer at lunch. Mind you, he is probably his own boss or his wife is because he talks about boss given him hard time so he clicks out early. The song however seems to suggest you shouldn't blow your lid at work else your boss might say, "your fired - I'll mail your final check to you." If you start adding you day's hours with lunch they might tell you it is close enough to quitting time that he'll pay you for the day. If you don't know about then you know on Saturday if you started drinking at noon you have a friend who might say it is close enough but its 5 oclock somewhere which means you can get chatty Cathy about work's mones.