“I Was Deathly Depressed”: The Jimmy Buffett Hit That Practically Saved His Life During a Terrible Hotel Stay in California

Jimmy Buffett might have built his career on writing sun-soaked, feel-good songs about living a life of leisure, but not every hit he wrote was all sunshine and sandy beaches. There were plenty of times Buffett used his songwriting as a coping mechanism when life wasn’t so leisurely. He released one of those tracks on his 1974 album, Living & Dying in ¾ Time. According to Buffett, he was leaning frightfully close to the latter when he wrote his hit song.

Videos by American Songwriter

We suppose that, in the end, it’s a good thing Buffett was having such a terrible time, otherwise we might have never gotten this staple of the easy listening star’s catalogue.

The Jimmy Buffett Hit That Practically Saved His Life

Before Jimmy Buffett became an international star with hits like “Margaritaville” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” the Mississippi-born country rock artist was cutting his teeth on the road, chasing after the promise of a big break. The chase eventually led him to Mill Valley, California—and, more specifically, the Howard Johnson’s on Shoreline Highway. Buffett was staying at the hotel while performing a string of Labor Day weekend shows at the Lion’s Share nightclub in San Anselmo, which was about 20 minutes away.

In the cool weather of early September 1973, just north of San Francisco, Buffett sat in his small hotel room, thinking about how much he missed his girlfriend and how badly he wanted to be anywhere but where he was. It certainly wasn’t the brightest headspace to be in, but fortunately for Buffett, these negative emotions can often lead to the best songs. Such was the case for “Come Monday,” which Buffett wrote during his stay at the hotel that’s now a Holiday Inn Express.

“I was deathly depressed,” Buffett later told David Letterman on an appearance on Late Night. “It was awful. I wrote this song, and the rest is history.” Introducing his 1974 track, Buffett said, “This is a sign that kept me from killing myself. It hit, paid the rent, and got my dog out of the pound.”

The Song Became Jimmy Buffett’s First Major Success

Sometimes, all a songwriter needs is one good song to turn the tide, and Jimmy Buffett was no exception. “Come Monday” became the musician’s first Top 40 hit when it peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. (Unsurprisingly, Buffett’s first chart-topper would come three years later with the 1977 release of “Margaritaville.”) The song even achieved great success in Australia, becoming his most popular song down under. Buffett’s career continued to grow from there.

Buffett doesn’t hold back about his feelings toward California in his lovesick ballad. I spent four lonely days in a brown L.A. haze, and I just want you back by my side. It’s been quite a summer, rent-a-cars and westbound trains, and now you’re off on vacation, something you tried to explain.

The “you” in question was Buffett’s then-girlfriend Jane Slagsvol, whom he married in 1977. With a new wife and multiple hits to his name, Buffett only had to wait a few years (or roughly 156 Mondays) after his dismal stay at Howard Johnson to see his luck turn around.

Photo by MediaPunch/Shutterstock