Just a girl who loves Jimmy Buffett and wants to share his music, stories and lifestyle with the world!
If there was one song that could weave together the Deadheads and Parrotheads, it would be Scarlet Begonias. A fusion of eccentric fans, fun, and flash, with beads, bangles and feathers, and tie-dye and Hawaiian prints, and while the two groups have always had many similarities, and probably several people who wear both hats, when Jimmy Buffett covered the beloved Grateful Dead song Scarlet Begonias, these eccentric groups were undoubtedly fused together with music.
There is nothing like a convertible car, top down, sunlight shining on you and wind streaming by as you cruise around enjoying an open top view of the world. And Jimmy Buffett was not a person to miss such a great opportunity for a song, and a great one he has given fans is his lovely and catchy song Ragtop Day, which paints a picture of a beautiful weekend adventure on a classy “ragtop” automobile.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.