Jimmy Buffett; reflecting the spirit of the Mature Man

Don't know what put me in the mood for Buffett tonight, the coldest night of the year, but scrolling through my iPod I ran across it and decided to hit the play button. I gotta be in the mood for Buffett, but it always makes me smile

Check out the lyrics to the song "He Went to Paris"-

He went to paris lookin for answers
To questions that bothered him so
He was impressive, young and aggressive
Savin the world on his own

But the warm summer breezes
The french wines and cheeses
Put his ambition at bay
The summers and winters
Scattered like splinters
And four or five years slipped away

Then he went to england, played the piano
And married an actress named kim
They had a fine life, she was a good wife
And bore him a young son named jim

And all of the answers and all of the questions
Locked in his attic one day
cause he liked the quiet clean country livin
And twenty more years slipped away

Well the war took his baby, the bombs killed his lady
And left him with only one eye
His body was battered, his whole world was shattered
And all he could do was just cry

While the tears were a-fallin he was recallin
Answers he never found
So he hopped on a freighter, skidded the ocean
And left england without a sound

Now he lives in the islands, fishes the pilins
And drinks his green label each day
Writing his memoirs, losin his hearin
But he dont care what most people say

Through eighty-six years of perpetual motion
If he likes you hell smile and hell say
Jimmy, some of its magic, some of its tragic
But I had a good life all the way

Coda:
And he went to paris lookin for answers
To questions that bothered him so

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Couple more songs into the cd, "A Pirate Looks at Forty"

Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
Youve seen it all, youve seen it all

Watched the men who rode you switch from sail to steam
In your belly you can hold the treasures few have ever seen
Most of em dreams, most of em dreams

Yes, I am a pirate, two hundred years too late
The cannons dont thunder, theres nothin to plunder
Im an over-forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late

But Ive done a bit of smugglin, Ive run my share of grass
Made enough money to buy miami, but I pissed it away so fast
Never meant to last, never meant to last

I have been drunk now for over two weeks,
Passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks
But Ive got stop wishin, got to go fishin
Im down to rock bottom again
Just a few friends, just a few friends

Now I go for younger women, lived with several awhile
Though I ran em away, theyd come back one day
And I still could manage a smile
Sure takes a while, just takes a while

Mother, mother ocean, after all my years Ive found
Occupational hazard being my occupations just not around
Feel like Ive drowned, but I wont wear a frown
Feel like Ive drowned, Im gonna go check out
Peachtree street somewhere downtown

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And the list goes on.

There's just something about the lyrics of "He Went to Paris" that captures the essence of the mature man. Reflecting on the past where you thought you knew it all. Being seduced by a foreign land which "put his ambitions at bay". Getting involved with a good woman who gives you a child, just to have fate take it all away. Realizing as you get older that there are still some questions that remain. When it's close to the end, knowing that "some of it's magic, and some of it's tragic, but I had a good life all the way".

"Pirate at Forty" is a little more on the personal side for me, cause I'm into the allure of the ocean, the prospect of finding treasure, and the whole "I go for younger women" thing....lol

I will have to listen to these songs as the way you explained it, I can relate. The songs not ringing a bell of familiarity for some reason. Str8up, you think you have cold nights, at least it didn't drop into the teens like here in the midwest. Also midjanuary is statistically the coldest tim in N. America, Lots of cold nights ahead.

And he went to paris lookin for answers
To questions that bothered him so


I've been to Paris twice and it provided many answers. Once was in 1993 and the other in 2006. The difference in my maturity between visits was like night and day.

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I think if the temperature drops below 70 they should uniformly close schools due to freezing weather.

Fvck, I moved to Florida to get away from cold weather and for the most part I've been satiated immensely.

Now, on to one of my other heroes; Jimmy Buffett. This is a true Rennaissance Man. As much as Aleister Crowley, Jim Morrison, Leonardo Da Vinci, Maynard James Keenan and Viggo Mortenson. All of these men have attributes which we should all strive to attain and maintain. Each has passion for any endeavor of which they're interest is piqued. This is the secret, passion. Passion for thier art, passion for breathing, passion for success but nowhere will you find these men whining about a woman not calling them back after 48 hours or trying to use pickup lines to wheedle thier way in throgh the backdoor. These men are successful because of thier indifference to anything that won't help them excell.

I've been a Jimmy Buffett fan since I was 8 years old. My brother and I would hang out with one of the neighborhood boys whose Mother sold Jimmy his weed when he was in coming near Tampa. I met him once when he and two burly guys drove up in a black Mercedes with two dufflebags full of cash to buy some herb.

Nice guy all the way around. Jimmy sings his songs with vigor and gives us a feeling of of adventure, thrill seeking, hold your breath and jump to propel you into the next level of maturity.

Another relevant thread brother STR8UP.

KarmaSutra said:

I've been a Jimmy Buffett fan since I was 8 years old. My brother and I would hang out with one of the neighborhood boys whose Mother sold Jimmy his weed when he was in coming near Tampa. I met him once when he and two burly guys drove up in a black Mercedes with two dufflebags full of cash to buy some herb.

Nice guy all the way around. Jimmy sings his songs with vigor and gives us a feeling of of adventure, thrill seeking, hold your breath and jump to propel you into the next level of maturity.

Another relevant thread brother STR8UP.

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Awesome story!

His older music takes me to the place I want to be.

I can see myself sailing the seas in search of untold riches in foreign lands. Riches of which I will likely never find, but that does not matter. All that matters is that I got to try some amazing rum, fukked a few hot young exotic lasses, and came back with a story to tell anyone who cares to listen.

STR8UP said:

"Pirate at Forty" is a little more on the personal side for me, cause I'm into the allure of the ocean, the prospect of finding treasure, and the whole "I go for younger women" thing....lol

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Wow, str8up, I can totally relate. "Pirate at Forty" has to be my favorite song..

As a sailor myself, there's been many times I've had the sails trimmed, with a light breeze, my feet propped up at the helm, drinking a corona, and singing along to "pirate at forty"

It's all about being able to look back on your life and smile about the adventures you've had...and knowing that you've lived life to the fullest, and will continue to do so..as long as you can.

Well said str8up..