Monthly Archive: March 2024
There are many songs that Jimmy Buffett has recorded over the years that seem to touch some deep chord in the listener’s soul. And Stores We Could Tell is one of those songs. And it goes way back to the early years of Jimmy’s music, when he was still struggling in Key West, but everything was starting to fall into place. His music from that time shows his ever-evolving development as an artist, but also seems to touch on things that were important in his life. Storytelling was an integral part of Jimmy’s life, both as an artist and as a human who was spending a lot of time touring to make his dreams come true. Therefore, he was spending a lot of time in hotels between travel and shows, and this song manages to poignantly embrace both the performer and the soul of who Jimmy was.
Like My Dog was released on JB’s album Equal Strain On All Parts, the album that turned out to be Jimmy’s posthumous gift to us. The song is light, it’s playful, it’s humorous, it’s emotional and poignant in a way that is hard to describe, yet still leaves the listener feeling warm and fuzzy. I think this song connects deeply with people who understand the special bond between humans and dogs.
What If The Hokey Pokey Is All It Really Is About is a humorous, irreverent, and yet strangely introspective song of Jimmy Buffett’s. It has his characteristic humor mixed into popular culture, current (for 2002) news and deeply thoughtful questions and concerns about life on this crazy planet we call Earth, as well as our ever-expanding universe. And what is the Hokey Pokey really all about anyway? It is supposed to be simple, while life is not. The ironic thing is, while the Hokey Pokey song and dance are uncomplicated, its history is quite complicated.
Jimmy Buffett was great at creating a picture, a scene, or demonstrating a lifestyle with his music. The music can invigorate the listener, it can make us feel emotional or nostalgic, often times it can make us smile, or laugh right out loud. Hey, That’s My Wave hit’s both the humor and the nostalgia, bringing to mind days when the surf was less crowded and there was enough room that people did not need to brawl in the water to catch a wave. The water and many of its activities, including surfing, were an integral part of Jimmy’s life, and I am grateful that he was able to bring so much life to my mind through his music.
