Last week, the world lost one of my favorite musicians, Jimmy Buffett. For some people, his music is an acquired taste but for me, I grew up on it and always loved it. It’s been described as a cross between country, pop, and calypso music but I saw it referred to as “trop rock” (as in tropical rock) and I love that term.
Jimmy’s lyrics often struck a chord with me (no pun intended) and I often thought of him as an everyman’s poet. Simple but honest, insightful without pretension, approachable and sometimes silly. One of my favorite lyrics is “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane” and this has become something of a life philosophy for me – I try to find the humor in any situation, especially the difficult ones. It may take some time, but it definitely helps make life much more bearable.
There’s something about his music that transports me to the Florida Keys, a place I associate with slow casual days spent on or near the water, enjoying the simple things of life with friends and family and setting aside worries and fears for a little window of time.
I remember being a kid growing up in Miami and listening to Cheeseburger in Paradise, Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude, and of course Margaritaville on the radio and I knew all the words by heart. My dad was a big fan and perhaps his enjoyment of the songs rubbed off on me or maybe it was just the carefree and “roll with it” vibe of the songs that appealed to me. I mean, even at the age of 7 or 8, I could understand the disappointment of blowing out my flip-flop by stepping on a pop top and having to cruise on back home 😂, yet somehow making the best of things.
I remember my dad and I singing along with Volcano (all the way down to the ad-libbed “Mr. Utley” when it was time for the solo). There’s something about the ukulele, steel drums, and upbeat tempo juxtaposed with the lyrics of an impending disaster and having no idea what to do, but knowing exactly what you don’t want to do that kind of puts things into perspective with a figurative shoulder shrug that makes you believe that nothing is really all that bad.
I also remember my brother and I going to a record store (remember those?) with our dad to get the newest Jimmy Buffett album, Last Mango in Paris. I remember thinking that it was a ridiculous name for a song but then that’s a big part of the appeal of Jimmy.
As I got older, the semi-melancholy “looking back over your life” lyrics of Son of a Son of a Sailor and A Pirate Looks at Forty (which I think was one of my dad’s favorites) and the notion of the endless span of time and ocean resonated with me.
One Particular Harbor is another of my favorites – I love the beautiful melodies and harmonies and the idea of there being a place with a “magic kind of medicine” where “all are safe within” that provides a calm refuge from which one could observe a life lived. Then there’s the wistful longing and romance of Come Monday, again with lovely melodies – another of my favorites.
In college, I introduced my mid-Western born boyfriend (now husband) to Jimmy’s music and I think at first, he didn’t really get the awesomeness of it but that soon changed. When our kids came along, I remember putting on his greatest hits CD (remember those?), Songs you Know by Heart, on the way to the Florida Keys to visit my family. We would hit The Stretch – 18 miles of Overseas Highway between the mainland and Key Largo – and that was Jimmy Time. I taught the kids to do the Fins movement (“fins to the left, fins to the right”) and we would make our fins in the car as we drove down the overseas highway, surrounded by water on both sides.
I was lucky to see Jimmy in concert many times over the years and I tell you, there isn’t any better place to people-watch than a Buffett concert. Between the outlandish clothes, parrot hats and accessories, and general vibes of camaraderie and fun, it was just such a treat.
2015 Concert
2021 concert
The last time I saw him was in 2021 with my husband. Even in his 70’s, Jimmy put on a great show. I remember us talking about how amazing his level of energy on stage was at that age – he was dancing and jumping around and played for hours and that’s just one show of many, night after night. And always, I loved his trademark sense of humor, self-deprecating commentary, and witty observations.
Some of my other favorites include:
Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season – who can’t relate to being stressed out and needing a break?
And now I must confess I could use some rest I can’t run at this pace very long Yes, it’s quite insane I think it hurts my brain But it cleans me out and then I can go on
It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere – time is a state of mind so why not take the time to enjoy life a bit whenever the mood strikes?
Holiday – what’s the cure for what ails you? A holiday (and an island song ) of course!
You need a holiday Take a holiday Find a far off wonderland Where you might regain command Of your life today Take a holiday You need a holiday Grab a pack and hit the trail Take a sail And wind up in some moonlight bay All that fiber optic gear Still cannot take away the fear Like an island song Find a place to find yourself Take your life down off that shelf
Everybody’s Got a Cousin in Miami – of course, I have a cousin in Miami so there’s that but I also love the notion of “In one way or the other we’re all refugees | Living out this easy life below the banyan trees”) and the little nods to Miami’s history.
Fruitcakes – people are indeed mostly fruitcakes, each in our own way, haha. Here’s the premise of this song
human beings are flawed individuals. The cosmic bakers took us out of the oven a little too early. And that’s the reason we’re as crazy as we are and I believe it.
My other favorite line is “There’s a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.” Indeed.
School Boy Heart – I love this because like the lyrics of this song, I feel like I have a lot of different “parts” to me:
I suppose The need to focus never arose So something like a Swiss army knife That’s my life
Same, Jimmy. Same.
Lone Palm – a soothing, relaxing melody that just makes me feel like I’m sitting in a chair on the beach under that lone palm. I particularly love these lyrics:
We sail from the port of indecision Young and wild with oh so much to learn Days turn into years as we try to fool our fears But to the port of indecision I return
There are just so many songs of his that I love – too many to list here – so I’ll close this post with these lyrics from Son of a Son of a Sailor that I think most likely sums up Jimmy’s general approach to life.
Thanks for all of the songs, memories, and concerts, Jimmy! You will be missed.
Where it all ends I can’t fathom, my friends If I knew, I might toss out my anchor So I’ll cruise along always searchin’ for songs Not a lawyer, a thief or a banker
Cartoon credit: Benjamin Slyngstad
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