Buffett began playing guitar during his first year at Auburn University before continuing his college years at Pearl River Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi. He began his musical career in Nashville, Tennessee, during the late 1960s as a country artist and recorded his first album, the country-tinged folk rock record "Down to Earth" in 1970.
Moving to FLorida, Buffett's second release was 1973's A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean. Albums Living & Dying in 3/4 Time and A1A both followed in 1974, Havana Daydreamin' appeared in 1976, and Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes followed in 1977, which featured the breakthrough hit song "Margaritaville".
Buffett's album License to Chill, released on July 13, 2004, topped the U.S. pop albums chart for the first time in his career.
Buffett continued to tour regularly until shortly before his death, although later in his career, he shifted to a more relaxed schedule of around 20–30 dates, with infrequent back-to-back nights, preferring to play only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This schedule provided the title of his 1999 live album.
In August 2006, he released the album Take the Weather with You.
On April 20, 2010, a double CD of performances recorded during the 2008 and 2009 tours, called Encores, was released.
In 2020, Buffett released Songs You Don't Know by Heart, a fan-curated collection of his lesser-known songs rerecorded on his collection of notable guitars.
Illness and death:
In May 2023, Buffett was hospitalized to "address some issues that needed immediate attention" and rescheduled tour dates. In late August, he entered hospice care and had a final meeting with family and friends, in which his last words to his sister were "have fun". Buffett died on September 1, 2023, age 76, at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, due to complications from Merkel-cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer, with which he had been diagnosed four years earlier. He was surrounded by his family, friends, music, and dogs at the time of his death.
Desdemona
Jimmy Buffett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Desdemona's building a rocket ship, blasting off today
She's got a passion for cookies, a crew full of rookies
It's gonna be a helluva blow
Desdemona's building a rocket ship , and I've got to go
A woman on a mission, quite familiar with quasars
Her heart is in the kitchen but her soul is in the stars
This is a very ancient puzzle, she feels herself a piece
Desdemona's building a rocket ship, Desdemona's going away
Desdemona's building a rocket ship, blasting off today
She's got a passion for cookies, a crew full of rookies
It's gonna be a helluva blow
Desdemona's building a rocket ship
Guess I've got to go
She was down in Puerto Rico, doin' a scientist
True, he was no geek though she was taken with his kiss
It was under a giant telescope where she heard the calling voice
It came screaming through the light years, she never had a choice
Pleiades callin' her home
Seven Sisters, she hears her distant Sisters
Pleiades callin' me home
Seven Sisters, she hears her Seven Sisters
Pleiades callin' her home
Seven Sisters, she hears her distant Sisters
Pleiades callin' me home
Seven Sisters, she hears her Seven Sisters
A woman on a mission, quite familiar with quasars
Her heart is in the kitchen but her soul is in the stars
Her engines fuel with logic and navigation expertise
It's very distant puzzle, she's gonna get her piece
Desdemona's building a rocket ship, Desdemona's going away
Desdemona's building a rocket ship, blasting off today
She's got a passion for cookies, a crew full of rookies
It's gonna be a helluva blow
Desdemona's building a rocket ship , I've just got to go
Seven Sisters
Seven Sisters, she hears her distant Sisters
Seven Sisters, she hears her Seven Sisters
Pleiades callin' her home
Seven Sisters, she hears her distant Sisters
Pleiades callin' me home
Seven Sisters, she hears her Seven Sisters
Pleiades callin' her home
Seven Sisters, she hears her distant Sisters
Pleiades callin' me home
The lyrics of Jimmy Buffett’s song “Desdemona’s Building a Rocket Ship” tell the story of a woman named Desdemona who was working on building a rocket ship with a crew of inexperienced “rookies”. Despite her lack of expertise, she was committed to her mission to blast off to the stars, driven by her passion for cookies and a lifelong yearning to answer the “ancient puzzle” of the universe. Desdemona’s motivation is revealed when she hears a “calling voice” from the Seven Sisters, or Pleiades, constellation. The song is an ode to the dreamers and the explorers who seek answers to the mysteries of the universe, no matter how impossible it may seem to achieve.
The lyrics of “Desdemona’s Building a Rocket Ship” are filled with poetic and metaphoric language, making every line open to interpretation. Desdemona can be seen as a representation of the human quest for exploration and understanding, a metaphor for the universe’s “ancient puzzle”. The rocket ship she builds represents the power of human ingenuity and technology to propel us beyond the limits of our own imagination. The song acknowledges the risks and uncertainties of exploration while also celebrating the human desire to push boundaries and seek new horizons.
Line by Line Meaning
Desdemona's building a rocket ship, Desdemona's going away
Desdemona is constructing a vessel for space travel and she intends to use it to depart from her current location.
Desdemona's building a rocket ship, blasting off today
Desdemona's rocket is set for takeoff in the immediate future.
She's got a passion for cookies, a crew full of rookies
As she carries out her mission, Desdemona is devoted to baking cookies and has recruited inexperienced crew members.
It's gonna be a helluva blow
The culmination of Desdemona's project will be a significant event with huge consequences.
Desdemona's building a rocket ship, and I've got to go
As Desdemona departs, the artist of the song acknowledges that he has to move on as well.
A woman on a mission, quite familiar with quasars
Desdemona is a determined woman who has a solid grasp of quasars, a type of celestial object.
Her heart is in the kitchen but her soul is in the stars
Desdemona enjoys cooking, but is drawn toward the cosmos.
Crystal clear on logic but short on expertise
Though she understands logical principles clearly, she has limited familiarity with the expertise relevant to her project.
This is a very ancient puzzle, she feels herself a piece
Desdemona considers her undertaking to be part of an old, complex puzzle, in which she is a small but significant component.
She was down in Puerto Rico, doin' a scientist
Desdemona was collaborating with a scientist on a project in Puerto Rico.
True, he was no geek though she was taken with his kiss
Although the scientist was not stereotypically nerdy, Desdemona was attracted to him and they shared a romantic moment.
It was under a giant telescope where she heard the calling voice
Desdemona experienced an epiphany related to her mission while standing beneath a huge telescope.
It came screaming through the light years, she never had a choice
Her realization was a powerful one, conveyed to her from far away, and she felt compelled to pursue it.
Her engines fuel with logic and navigation expertise
Desdemona's rocket is powered by a combination of her logical acumen and expert navigation skills.
It's very distant puzzle, she's gonna get her piece
The challenge of her mission is great, but Desdemona is undeterred and determined to succeed.
Seven Sisters, she hears her distant Sisters
Desdemona is metaphorically connected to the Pleiades star cluster and feels a bond with the seven stars.
Pleiades callin' me home
Desdemona is compelled by a sense of duty or destiny related to the Pleiades cluster.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIM MAYER, JIMMY BUFFETT, PETER HAGEN MAYER, ROGER GUTH, RUSS KUNKEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind