The journey of Jimmy Buffett’s beach era in the Keys

Following the divorce from his wife, Jimmy Buffett would ditch Nashville to go sleep on country musician Jerry Jeff Walker’s couch until he got some gigs in Miami.

During this period, Walker and Buffett travelled to the Keys; this is how Buffett would find a home in Key West. It is where Buffett would find inspiration for song writing; taking in the experiences around him, he would mold this tropical environment into songs on paper, which would turn into a record deal with ABC-Dunhill. The past two albums, “High Cumberland Jubilee” and “Down to Earth,” are described as the “before the beach” era. Now we are entering the beach era, and we are here to stay, starting with “A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean.” In this album, Buffett struck a balance between songs that have meanings that can bring you to tears with their deeply infused emotion, and songs that make you chuckle to the verses. Some of Buffett’s first hits came from this album.

“He went to Paris” describes the life of Ed Balchowsky, a Spanish Civil War veteran; the song is based on his life story, which he described to Buffett in an hour’s long conversation. The triumphs and tragedies of Balchowsky’s life are detailed, from the invincibility he experienced when he was youthful, to losing his family to the war.

Losing his reason to stay in England, he found a home in the tropics, fishing, writing and painting. It’s a beautiful song to listen to, especially with its themes on mortality. In the end Balchowky described his life to Buffett by simply saying, “Jim, some of it’s magic and some of it’s tragic, but I had a good life all the way.”

You can experience the full whiplash of emotion in this album in the next song, “Peanut Butter Conspiracy.” It’s a song that describes how back when they were suffering from hard times, the narrator and his friends would steal from a grocery mart.

However, they weren’t big time criminals, they only stole to get by, they never took more than they could eat, there was plenty of food left on the rack, and they promised, “if we ever got rich, we would pay the mini mart back.” It’s a very funny song, the question, “who’s gonna steal the peanut butter” puts a smirk on my face. Additionally, the guitar strumming and the chorus help make it a song you can’t help but sing to. (Also, the grocery list is a lemon, a bottle of beer, sardines and, lastly, peanut butter.)

Continuing our crime spree, we have “The Great Filling Station Hold Up.” We find our protagonists holding up a gas station with a pellet gun, getting away with $15, a can of oil and “a big ole jar of cashew nuts and a Japanese TV;” quite the haul! Before these two could strike again, they decided to make a detour for beer. Sadly, it’d prove to be their undoing; they got so drunk the Sherrif waltzed into the restaurant with their Japanese TV, ready to cuff them.

Much like the previous song about crime, the chorus is catchy, and the song is fun in its meaning. Additionally, the song is relatable to me. When I was walking 14 miles in 80 to 90 degree cloudless weather in the Florida Everglades for many hours with little water and no food last Spring Break, the line: “And now I wish I was somewhere other than here” really did ring true to me!

In addition to all these fun and meaningful songs, this album holds some songs that put Buffett on the radar. The song “Grapefruit-Juicy Fruit,” which is about a hangover and mortal sin, is a more mellow song about traveling life. “Why Don’t We Get Drunk” starts off like any old country song, then experiences a suggestive twist. Those two would go on to be Buffett’s greatest hits, but songs like “I Have Found Me a Home” and “My Lovely Lady” leave a lasting impact for their emotional reflections on leaving Nashville for the Keys.

I view this album as one of Buffett’s most successful; for me, it’s a no skip album, with classic tunes throughout the entire album.

At the time, Buffett was starting to shake off his Nashville roots, in the process establishing a distinct sound. It is grounded in an acoustic and tropical vibe, a vibe that will grow to encapsulate his entire musical persona. We are starting to get into Mr. Buffett’s golden era, and I can’t wait to show you more of his work. Thank you.