USS Zydecoldsmobile

Album: Levee Town (2000)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song is about Landreth's Oldsmobile 98, a classic American automobile that took up plenty of space. His was an '82 that he dubbed the "USS Zydecoldsmobile" because it was big like an aircraft carrier and it went to all the zydeco hot spots in Louisiana.

    Landreth was raised in Lafayette, where he soaked up the musical landscape, becoming one the top slide guitarists in the country. From an early age, he also wrote songs, including this one from his seventh solo album.
  • The "ports of call" Landreth mentions in this song are cities and towns in Louisiana: Opelousas, Lawtell, Frilot Cove.
  • Jimmy Buffett released a cover of this song on his 2002 album Far Side Of The World. Around this time, Landreth played a lot shows, including festivals, as part of Buffett's band. "He had an extraordinary band and we did a lot of cool stuff," Landreth said in his Songfacts interview. "It's a great bunch of people that they're like family, just great musicians, great folks."

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