Far too Soon, a Son of a Son of a Sailor Crosses the Far Horizon
A farewell, from one sailor to another
Jimmy Buffett’s biggest step for the environment was arguably the “stepped on a pop top” line in “Margaritaville” (at least for those of us who recall when aluminum beverage cans had rip-off openings). But his songs and his vibe did convey a deep attachment to the sea and shore.
And as you likely already know, I’m a longtime musician and songwriter behind my journalism persona. Buffett was not a monumental poet, but had a great capacity to blend levity, heart and memorable melodies, always with a tropical vibe. I loved that as much as I love the Texas vibe of Guy Clark and Vince Bell or Celtic soul of Richard Thompson.
It’s a shame he’s left this world too soon, although he did live one hell of a full life, as
and nicely summarized on Steady today:
INSERT, 9/2, 8:30 pm ET - My opening line about Buffett and the environment was way too tossed-off and obscures all the great work he did for environmental causes, particularly for the state’s imperiled manatees. Read Jon McGowan’s column in Forbes for the details. Also read Tom Kimmerer’s comment below. - END insert
I never saw Jimmy in concert, but he’s been in my head, heart and bar-show set lists since 1979 when I was lucky to be able to live a bit of real #Parrothead life.
As a youngster of 23, while in the South Pacific in 1979 on a fellowship after college, I signed on as first mate in a ragtag crew on a funky, mostly home-built 55-foot sailboat, the Wanderlust. Here’s a fragment of the letter I wrote to my parents from Auckland, explaining this fork in the road.
My mom and dad grew up sailing so it was hard for them to say no, not that I would have heeded in any case.
I sailed 15,000 miles over 17 months, from New Zealand to what was then Yugoslavia, and the skipper and I busked and did barroom gigs from Brisbane to Djibouti singing Jimmy’s “Margaritaville” (and Guy Clark’s “Texas Cooking”). And we wore out our cassette tape of "Son of a Son of a Sailor."
Learn more about that voyage in the “At Sea” section of this post on my journey to and through journalism:
Can There Be Passion and Detachment in Environmental Journalism?
I want to give newcomers to my journey a bit of context on why I got into journalism nearly 40 years ago and how I pursue this practice. I first posted a version of this lecture summary in 2010 on my Dot Earth blog at The New York Times but want it to be outside the paywall here as well. Weigh in with your reactions.
Let me know what music lives in your heart and soul!
Here’s a wonderful 1978 performance of “Margaritaville” by Buffett:
Here I am backing Vince Bell singing his tune “Local Charm,” an amusing ode to toxified industrial landscapes:
I, too, am the son of a son of a sailor, and the son of a son of a son of a sailor, perhaps going back more generations, Captains in the Netherlands Merchant Marine. I am a violinist rather than a singer. I was never a follower of Jimmy Buffett's music, but am a great admirer of his conservettion work, especially with manatees, but his broader political work as well. We can't attribute the rescue of a particular species to one person, but he certainly was influential. I think, as often happens, that his conservation work will outlast his musical work.