“Gulf Coast Girl” Mentions Destin And Pensacola

What happens when you combine two legendary songwriters known for their deep roots along the Gulf Coast, throw in two other artists known for their love of the laidback coastal lifestyle, and then add another singer-songwriter “partial to the warm winds and the salty water?”

You get “Gulf Coast Girl,” a song that serves as a bright and cheerful tribute to the area. It specifically mentions Destin, Pensacola, and the Flora-Bama line, as well as a host of other locations all over the Gulf Coast. It’s the perfect ode to carefree living with a light and bouncy mood.

Jimmy Buffett and Mac McAnally wrote the song specifically for Caroline Jones, whose warm vocals provide a perfect, uplifting, and relaxing feel. Joining Buffett and McAnally to provide background vocals are Kenny Chesney and Lukas Nelson. The foursome dubbed themselves The Pelicanaires, a tropical nod to Elvis Presley’s Jordanaires.

The song creates a sense of travel and nostalgia for the region with heartfelt and descriptive lyrics that build a sense of place, referencing landmarks, weather and lifestyle common among coastal communities. The video, directed by Stan Kellam, shows Jones visiting various Gulf Coast locales as the barefoot singer strums her guitar and also strolls along the beach, swims, sails, plays volleyball, dances a two-step on a pier, and frolics with a dog along the shore.

Jones toured with Buffett in 2018 and 2019. Toward the end of 2018, she said Buffett told her that he and McAnally, a member of the Coral Reefer Band, had been writing a song for her. Buffett sent it to her a month or two later.

“I’ll just never forget the day he came over to my studio and took me through every single lyric and every single line of the song and gave me the anecdotes from his real life, his career, his touring stories, his personal stories that had to do with each town that’s mentioned in the song,” she said. “And, he also gave me a history lesson, sharing with me that the American Sea is what the Gulf of Mexico originally was called when the Spanish came.”

Jones said that line in the song is indicative of the depth of the writer that Buffett really was.

“And, I think the depth is maybe misunderstood or not appreciated because it’s so fun and lighthearted and clever, and there’s a surface joy and bounce to it,” Jones said. “If you don’t go deeper, they’re just catchy songs. But when you go deeper, you realize how intellectual they are. And how multi-layered and multi-faceted they are.”

McAnally produced the song, and Jones said she wanted to have Buffett featured on the song with her.

“He actually was concerned it would hurt the song commercially because he was kind of, you know, past his commercially prime years,” Jones said. “So I said, ‘Is there a way we can get you to feature on it?’ So, he came up with the idea of the Pelicanaires. Him, Mac … I was touring with Kenny by this point when the song was being finished. And Lukas, another friend and a friend of Jimmy’s from their time in Hawaii, and out on the water. They called themselves the Pelicanaires … the most underpaid group of background singers in history.”

Jones said the entire group “just had so much fun with that song.” She said the video shoot was fun as well. It was shot in May 2019 in Gulf Shores and included shots at the Flora-Bama. Buffett shot his portion in New Orleans.

“He was very involved in the video treatment and marketing of the song,” Jones said. “He just had such a brilliant marketing mind, and he really believed in the song and believed in me. You know, he was notorious for not having openers on his tours. But I really connected with his fan base. And as an opener, when he saw that, I think he was really excited. That’s why he took me under his wing and mentored me and wrote me this song and created this whole campaign around it.”

Of course, Jones’ ode to the shore isn’t the only song that stirs up memories of beach vacations, coastal tides, and good vibrations.

Here’s an exhaustive (but certainly not complete) list of other songs for Gulf Coast girls and boys that mention 30A and the Emerald Coast:

• 30A by Jake Mason: A catchy tune with lyrics about a classic 30A vacation.​ Forget California, Myrtle Beach, and Miami … “ain’t no better place to chill and vacay like a 30A summer vacation.”
• 30A by Jesse Rice: A 2025 track from his album Latitudes & Longings, celebrating coastal living and relaxation.​​ It name-drops Grayton Beach and Red Bar.
• 30A by Jake Ryan: A 2024 song that perfectly captures the feeling of nights of stars “lighting up that ocean sky” and “tasting the salt in the breeze.”
• 30-A by Bryan Kennedy: Southern Living meets chic. A twangy tune that highlights “a little blacktop road that winds through heaven on earth” that features “sugar-white sands, funky restaurants, beach bars, cool and groovy art.”

And, many other songs simply titled “30A” by the following artists: Wesley Walker, the Cookout Line Band, Dos Decarlo II, Al Crews, On10 Breezy, William Flynn (featuring Sam Copeland), YUS5HA and Taylor Lane.

• 30A Sunrise by Scotty Emerick: This 2025 song paints the picture of a tranquil morning on the local shore.
• 30A Sticker by Jamie Kent: From the compilation album titled Come Away to 30A dedicated to celebrating the communities and beach culture.
• Life Shines (The 30A Song) by Bryan Kennedy and Mike Ragsdale: A tribute to the area’s coastal beauty and laid-back lifestyle. “Heaven’s not outta my reach. It’s out here on this beach.”
• Love On 30A by Loren Rosko: The story of a blind date that starts with “beach hair, rum and Coke, stargazing and crashing waves.”
• Florida!!! by Taylor Swift: The megastar mentions Destin in her song about where people go when they want to have an escape.
• Sunshine State of Mind by Brian Kelley: Half of country duo Florida Georgia Line, Kelly wrote his 2021 entire album about the 30A lifestyle. Some of the titles include “Beach Cowboy,” “Florida Boy Forever,” “Boat Names,” “Party on the Beach,” and “Fish All Day.” A Florida native, Kelley has a home in Walton County. 
• Sunshine State of Mind Season Two, Chapter One by Brian Kelley: The sequel came out in 2025, featuring songs such as “Palm Tree Country,” “Always Summertime,” “Salty Dog,” “Blue Sky and a Bottle of Rum,” and “Sundays in Grayton.”

• Sand by Thomas Rhett: The second-generation country star references memories from Emerald Coast beach vacations, including “getting me a rooftop 30A high.”
• All I Need Is You by Chris Janson: The country star wrote the song that captures the area’s beach lifestyle while staying in the area. The song mentions “a beach house down on 30A.” Fans can find TikTok clips of Janson performing songs about 30A, often with direct shoutouts to places like Seaside and Rosemary Beach.
• Roller Coaster by Luke Bryan: The “American Idol” host namedrops Panama City and Thomas Drive.
• Panama City by Lee Brice: A pensive story about a “getaway due south to the gulf shore sand” with “a sunset that “looked like an airbrushed t-shirt sold on the street in Panama City.”
• Laughed Until We Cried by Jason Aldean: The country star reminisces about a senior trip “down there on that Panama strip.”
• Panama City by Mark Wills: The Grand Ole Opry member creates a mental picture of a Florida panhandle vacation with “your cooler and your Coppertone” where “God made a redneck Riviera for you.” 
• Somebody’s Problem by Morgan Wallen: The song mentions a “4Runner with a 30A sticker” to highlight the area’s cultural impact.
• Seaside by Billy Currington: The song uses the region as a backdrop for the upbeat beach song.
• Flora-Bama by Kenny Chesney: The song about a famous bar on the state line captures the feeling of being in a place where you can relax and unwind with friends.
• Bama Breeze by Jimmy Buffett and The Coral Reefer Band: Also primarily about the Flora-Bama, the song reflects on the destruction of these venues and the sense of community they provided to their patrons, with lyrics detailing memorable events at the bar. “The Bama” was severely damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
• Santa Rosa by Zac Dunlap: An infectious song about a summer vacation romance in Santa Rosa Beach that was “hotter than the Florida sun.”
• Rosemary Beach by Roman Street: An instrumental captures the relaxed vibe of the eponymous town.

And, no list about 30A music would be worth its sea salt if it didn’t mention Will Thompson, a fifth-generation musician from the area who often references 30A and the Emerald Coast in songs such as “Come Away,” “Checklist,” “Ask Me,” “This Time Of Year,” “Brand New Day,” and “Sunday Funday.”​

Of course, there are many other songs that, while they don’t specifically mention the area, definitely give off a 30A vibe. And, we won’t even mention the countless Buffett, Chesney and Zac Brown Band songs that also fit the bill.

• Gulf Coast Highway by Mac McAnally and Nanci Griffith: Covered many times over the years, the song describes a husband working physically demanding jobs like rice fields and oil rigs while his wife waits for him at home by the road.
• Gulf Coast Home by The Currys: The song highlights the region’s natural beauty and community spirit.
• Gulf Coast Time by Roger Creager: A reflective song about a man getting over a lost love. “Sometimes things take a little longer here on Gulf Coast time.”

And, like “30A,” there are numerous other songs simply titled “Gulf Coast.” Those include some by Jack Becker, Frances England, Steff Curry, Moondragon, Buddy DeFranco, Better Now, Richard Stooksbury, J.C. Didit, Mike Low, Suzy Skarulis, Trey Libra, Charles Newman, Rio Jimmy, Hue G, Jxhatsu, Projected Through Glass and Bow Versus String.

Of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other songs that can transport the listener to the beach, whether it’s one here along 30A and the Emerald Coast or elsewhere. But, they all serve as musical postcards that help us remember good times at the shore.