Stacy Loves Buffett Blog

#101 – Bring Back The Magic

When you think of Jimmy Buffett music and the word “magic”, probably the first thought would go to Little Miss Magic, a song that Jimmy wrote for his oldest daughter Savannah Jane when she was quite young, or songs such as He Went To Paris, which has “magic” so strongly tied to the message of the song, or if one wants to get philosophical, then one could imagine that “magic” runs through much of Jimmy’s music, but a song with both “magic” in the title as well as a thread in the song, is Bring Back The Magic.

#100 – Peanut Butter Conspiracy

Sometimes there are songs that can make a listener laugh right out loud and sing along at the same time, and Peanut Butter Conspiracy by Jimmy Buffett is exactly that kind of song. It’s humorous and irreverent and charming, which showcases some of Jimmy’s greatest songwriting abilities, all tied up in a neat package with a lyrical quality that makes the song both easy to listen to and easy to sing. And even if you have never stolen one thing from a convenience store, somehow the listener can connect to the song in a way that feels real and understanding and forgiving all at the same time.

#99 – The U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile

The U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile…There are fun songs, there are colorful songs, there are songs that make you want to tap your feet or dance, and this is certainly one that fits all those requirements. Even if you are not quite aware of what all the lyrics or story is about, people will still connect to the sound, the rhythm, and the energy of the music. Jimmy Buffett covered this song, which was written by the fabulous slide guitarist Sonny Landreth, placing in on a studio album and playing it multiple times in his live shows. When Jimmy covered a song, it was because he both loved the song and admired the writer, and this song is no exception, and it’s all wrapped up in a fun story of a car and its path pursuing the road to zydeco music hot spots.

#98 – Ballad Of Spider John

Some songs just catch you at the right moment or at a special time, and become a part of your story, and then there are just some songs that will catch you no matter what is going on, regardless of time or place or space. Ballad Of Spider John is one of those songs. It has a soulful lyrical quality, a melody that hums right through you and has hints of great mystery, of love and then loss and the loneliness that can follow while we carry forward in life.

“’Spider John’ is my name, friend, I’m in between freights and I sure would be obliged, If you’d share your company…”

#97 – University Of Bourbon Street

University Of Bourbon Street is a song that seems to encapsulate just about everything that Jimmy Buffett loved and admired about New Orleans, combined into one rollicking, Jazz anthem that could lift the heart and soul of every person that hears it. There are mentions of voodoo and gris gris, pirates and streetcars, hurricanes and riverboats, Po’Boy’s and Muffaletta’s, and if that doesn’t capture your attention, then the brass band, dancing feet, second line imagery certainly will. A song that is so personal to Jimmy’s life that his parents’ names are even in the lyrics. Then, there is the actual music, which will absolutely have your feet tapping and your hands clapping and your soul lifting up, all wrapped into a nice little “how to” package of fun!

#96 – City Of New Orleans

Jimmy Buffett was an amazing song writer and performer, and I think that made him appreciate other songwriters and performers. One of those who was a great friend of his, and who Jimmy credits for teaching him so much, was the late Steve Goodman. One of Goodman’s biggest hits of his career was a little tune he penned called City Of New Orleans, and several times in Jimmy’s career, he honored Steve by playing this song and even put a live version of it on an album.

#95 – Wheel Inside The Wheel

Wheel Inside The Wheel is one of those songs that catches your attention immediately on first listening, regardless of whom is performing the song. It’s colorful, mystical, and a little bizarre. My introduction to it was on Jimmy Buffett’s 2006 album Take The Weather With You, and it is a soulful stunner of a song.

#94 – Tides

Tides is one of those types of songs that feel like it fits Jimmy Buffett and his lifestyle perfectly. There is the ocean and waterways, there is travel and adventure, there is friendship and stories, there is a gentle lyrical quality that touches on Jimmy’s introspection and appreciation for the beautiful currents, both in life and on the water, and all the gifts and adventure that those tides can bring.

#93 – Brahma Fear

We are dipping back into the early Key West days this week, where Jimmy was still in his transition between folk and country into the more beach and ocean vibe that he would later call Gulf and Western, a genre of his very own. And Brahma Fear is a song that seems to combine all of those music types into a soft and gentle as well as nostalgic and introspective.

#92 – Twelve Volt Man

Ask any Jimmy Buffett fan what their favorite Jimmy Buffett song is, and you could get a hundred different answers. Ask Jimmy Buffett what his favorite Jimmy Buffett song is, and his answer would be Twelve Volt Man. It’s really that simple. It is documented multiple times over the years as one of his favorites, and he reported it as his favorite in at least one “it will last forever” video interview. I personally know a couple people that report it is their favorite Buffett song, and there are so many wonderful things about it, it’s easy to see why it is theirs, and Jimmy’s, favorite!