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As a kid who grew up in Northern Kentucky only fifteen minutes away from Cincinnati, there is one musician who I clearly remember listening to growing up. He had a special connection to Cincinnati and its extended family in Northern Kentucky for many reasons, but mostly because his career and fanbase exploded in that city. His concert was one of my personal favorites, and I am truly heartbroken that I will never see him play live again. The man I am referring to is Jimmy Buffett, who died on September 1st. Jimmy Buffett has always been a part of my life, and his music was the underscore to summers out by the pool, days at Kings Island, hanging out with my friends, or just driving around with my family. Jimmy Buffett is one of my favorite musicians, so I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss his music and help others see him as the beautiful poet I consider him to be.
I’m sure there are plenty who only know Jimmy Buffett for his greatest hits (songs like “Margaritaville” or “Cheeseburger in Paradise”). In many ways, that is exactly who Jimmy Buffett was. A fun loving, relaxed man who could find simple pleasures in cold drinks and good food. But, as I grew up and listened to more of his music, I discovered a poet who understood parts of life I truly hope to understand as well. For example, Jimmy Buffett released a song in 1973 entitled “He Went to Paris”. This song tells the story of a young man confused by the world around him. So, the young man leaves his home, seeking to find understanding and what else there is to life. However, Jimmy Buffett adds in a few dimensions that make this story incredible. Buffet describes this person as “[he was] impressive, young, and aggressive / saving the world on his own.” He further goes on to discuss how the young man’s journey becomes interrupted with pleasures found in different places and from different aspects of life. (“But the warm summer breezes / the French wines and cheeses / put his ambition at bay.”) The young man then spends several years in Paris, temporarily giving up the quest of finding life’s most important answers. He goes to England, gets married, has children, and continues to forget the questions he wanted to answer all those years ago. Sadly, his wife and his child die as consequences of war, and the man is heartbroken. It is only then he decides to leave and search for the answers he never found. The song ends with the now old man discussing himself and his life with Jimmy Buffet saying, “Some of its magic / some of its tragic / but I had a good life all the way.”
Buffett paints the picture of a man who was lost in the world, searching for the answers to the complexities of life until he became sidetracked by simple pleasures. Then, this young man leaves for England, starts a family, and locks away the questions and answers he may have found to focus on love. Finally, even after the man has suffered emotional tragedy and unimaginable loss, he is able to say his life was amazing, even if some parts were terrible. To me, “He Went to Paris” summarizes what it means to be human. The man questioned, searched for peace, traveled, loved, lost, and changed fundamentally throughout the entire song. Buffett’s ability to tell this story and describe life in this way is nothing short of impressive.
While I could go on for hours about other songs like “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” or “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season”, I won’t examine the intricacies of these songs and the perspectives they show us about life. Instead, I’ll mention the title of one of Jimmy Buffett’s albums that I love. His album Living and Dying in ¾ Time (Three Quarter Time). This references the idea that someone can live life and enjoy it more if they just slow down, like the time signature in music. In the song “Nautical Wheelers” Buffet refers to the people in the song as “More than contented / To be livin’ and dyin’ in three-quarter time.” They live a life of ease and comfort, doing everything they wish and enjoying each moment they have. I hope to achieve that mentality and that lifestyle someday. I hope I can slow down, look around me, and just enjoy everything I can in each moment.
The way Buffett described life, leisure, love, and many other themes in his music will always hold a special place in my heart. His songs about friendship, drinking, and even food will always remind me of my family out by the pool, the water park at Kings Island, and other memories that always make me smile.