Monthly Archive: December 2023
Here it is… the day my spontaneous tribute connects the 76 songs that came before, wrapping up something that began with an ear worm sometime in the night between the ending of September 1st and the start of September 2nd, when myself and many people in the world were reeling from the news of Jimmy Buffett’s passing at the age of 76, is now connecting with Christmas Day, December 25th to cap off what in total is my 77-day deep and sincere thank you card to James William Buffett.
Jimmy Buffett said this about wings, “Let’s face it, I like my wings. The ones you can see on my plane and the ones you can’t see in my brain. They have taken me on some very interesting flights”. Wings have multiple different meanings to people, but one thing that most can agree with is that wings are tied to a higher plane than the one gravity ties us to on earth. Here’s to a new set of wings, Jimmy, and to wherever they may take you next.
When I first shared A Sailor’s Christmas from Christmas Island back in November, I didn’t pick a specific date. As a matter of fact, the date seemed to pick itself. I was wrapping up the tribute that started very organically when I was shell-shocked and deeply mourning Jimmy’s passing, and the date didn’t matter at all to my choices. I knew I wanted to share something from one of his Christmas albums, and also a song that he had written. I knew I had a song I wanted to end with, and so the Christmas song just fell into place the day before that.
Most of Jimmy Buffett’s music is quite positive, even if it deep dives into harder life issues, like growing older. I think his humor, his creativity, his adventurous spirit and his unique outlook on life translated into his music, giving us real life struggles that made us realize that while he was a bare-footed, board short wearing king of all he created there up on that stage, he was just as human as the rest of us. With aches and pains and accidents that plague us all at times. This song in particular lets us understand Jimmy’s struggles, but how he overcame them with positivity, and shared that positivity with us in his music.
This is an absolutely beautiful song. The lyrics, the melody, the meaning, the atmosphere… all combine to give the listener something very extraordinary to partake in. I think Jimmy had an incredible gift for telling a story while at the same time painting a picture that was so easy for the listeners mind to see, all the while giving it just the right melody to create something stunningly beautiful.
I think Fruitcakes is one of those great songs that Jimmy wrote. It’s funny, it’s irreverent, it’s honest, and it has a fun sound that makes you just want to sing and dance along. This song is a treasure trove of crafty lyrics and real life. It lets us know it’s okay to be a bit different because there are other fruitcakes out there too. They are in the kitchen, they are on the street, and you can feel like you are all one big fruitcake family.
Some people might call this song Jimmy’s “bread and butter”, and it certainly is popular. Perhaps even his most popular song. It has multiple plays on jukeboxes, multiple plays on online streaming applications, and it’s probably his most played live songs in concerts and shows. It’s a song that people recognize and can sing along to, certainly in the United States, but I dare say across most of the globe. I believe it can take you to a certain place and time, whether it’s state of mind or a memory, or a hope for the future. It’s simply a fabulous song!
Home is defined in multiple ways. It can be a place where one lives permanently, it can be a place of origination or a base of operations. It can be where you were raised or where you come from, it can be a place that lasts an entire life or just a few weeks or days. It can be a place where you feel like you belong, possibly because there is something about that place that you connect with or fits your attitude or mindset. It seems like a simple word, but “home” can be quite deep and complicated.
Much of Jimmy’s music can be looked at on different levels, and this song is a great example. The “coast is clear” can refer to the end of summer and the quiet, clear beaches that are left in the wake of humans retreating at the end of summer. It can also simply mean the weather is clear, with no storm or clouds on the horizon. In that sense, it’s not just about weather, though, because it can metaphor for safety. Depending on my mood, this song strikes me a little differently each time I hear it, although I always recognize how beautiful it is.
Jimmy Buffett and Steve Goodman became friends early in Jimmy’s music career. I don’t know if I ever heard any details about a legendary first meeting, or if such a thing exists. When Jimmy talked about Steve, he talked about him like an old, dear friend, someone who has been part of your life forever. He would tell stories clubs they played in, of the Cubs and visits to Wrigley Field, of songs they wrote together, such as this one. Honestly, I wish I could have been around while they were writing this one together, to hear and watch that process, the humor, the lyrics, what inspired a line or word in this amped up song.
