The song was written in a
calypso/
reggae style, The song and album are named for the then-dormant
Soufrière Hills volcano on the island of
Montserrat in the
British West Indies where Buffett recorded the album in May 1979 at
AIR Studios. The studio was destroyed by
Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Soufrière Hills erupted again in 1995. The lyrics describe the narrator's anxiety about his possible whereabouts following the impending eruption of a volcano. The
bridge before the final
chorus mentions a number of place names, some important largely in the context of 1979:
Cash Box said that the song "is flavorful and timely, with lots of offbeat references."
Record World said that "The ambience runs from the pervasive percussion to the sparkling bass pipes." "Volcano" is one of Buffett's more popular songs with fans, and is part of "
The Big 8" that he played at almost all of his concerts. Recorded live versions of the song appear on
Feeding Frenzy,
Buffett Live: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and the video
Live by the Bay. The place names in the final bridge were often altered in concert to reflect more recent news. The song was also re-recorded and released for
Rock Band on June 3, 2008, with the last two lines listed above changed to, "I want to be a couch potato / Just play
Rock Band everyday." The song became especially popular on radio stations in the
Pacific Northwest (particularly around
Portland, Oregon) in the spring of 1980 during the unrest that led to the
eruption of Mount St. Helens. ==Popular culture==