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.
Last Mango In Paris
Jimmy Buffett Lyrics
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Then I heard a voice call out to me, "Son, come have a seat"
I had to search my memory as I looked into those eyes
Our lives change like the weather, but a legend never dies
He said, "I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
"I had a third-world girl in Búzios with a pistol in each hand
She always kept me covered as we moved from land to land
I had a damn good run on Wall Street with my high fashion model wife
I woke up dry beneath the African sky, just me and my Swiss Army knife
"I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
And Jimmy, there's still so much to be done"
We shot the breeze for hours as the sun fell from the skies
And like the sun, he disappeared before my very eyes
It was somewhere past dark-thirty and I went back to the head
I read upon the dingy wall, the words the old man said
"I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
And Jimmy, there's still so much to be done"
"I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
And Jimmy, there's still so much to be done"
That's why we wander and follow la vie dansante
The song Last Mango In Paris by Jimmy Buffett is about a chance encounter between Buffett and an old man named Captain Tony, who he meets at a bar in Key West. The lyrics tell the story of Captain Tony's life, which was full of adventure and risk-taking, and ends with a call to action for Buffett to continue living life to the fullest.
The first stanza sets the scene at Captain Tony's bar, where Buffett seeks refuge from the heat. He is approached by an old man, who invites him to sit down and proceeds to tell him about his life. The lyrics highlight the idea that our lives are constantly changing, but legends never die. Captain Tony is portrayed as a legend due to his adventurous life.
The second stanza describes some of Captain Tony's adventures, such as eating the last mango in Paris, taking the last plane out of Saigon, and taking the first fast boat to China. He also talks about his time with a third-world girl in Buzios, who always kept him covered, and his successful run on Wall Street. The lyrics show that Captain Tony has lived an exciting and varied life, full of different experiences.
The final stanza sees Buffett and Captain Tony conversing for hours, until the old man disappears before his eyes. Buffett then reads the words Captain Tony left on the bar wall, which are a repetition of the chorus: "I ate the last mango in Paris, took the last plane out of Saigon, took the first fast boat to China, and Jimmy there's still so much to be done." The lyrics suggest that Captain Tony's adventurous spirit lives on, and that Buffett is inspired to continue living life to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
I went down to Captain Tony's
I went to Captain Tony's bar
To get out of the heat
To escape from the hot weather
Then I heard a voice call out to me
Then someone called out to me
"Son come have a seat"
"Come sit down, son"
I had to search my memory
I had to think back and remember
As I looked into those eyes
As I looked into the eyes of the person who called out to me
Our lives change like the weather
Our lives change quickly and unpredictably like the weather
But a legend never dies
But a legend will live on forever
He said I ate the last mango in Paris
He told me that he ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
He left Saigon on the last plane out
Took the first fast boat to China
He took the first fast boat to China
And Jimmy there's still so much to be done
"And Jimmy, there is still so much left to do"
I had a third world girl in Buzios
He had a girlfriend from a developing country in Buzios
With a pistol in each hand
She carried a gun in each hand
She always kept me covered
She always protected him
As we moved from land to land
As they traveled from place to place
I had a damn good run on Wall Street
He was very successful on Wall Street
With my high fashion model wife
He was married to a high fashion model
I woke up dry beneath the African sky
He woke up outside in Africa
Just me and my Swiss Army knife
He was alone with his Swiss Army knife
We shot the breeze for hours
We talked for a long time
As the sun fell from the skies
As the sun set
And like the sun he disappeared
And like the sun, the person he was talking to disappeared
Before my very eyes
Right in front of me
It was somewhere past dark-thirty
It was late at night
And I went back to the head
And he went back to the restroom
I read upon the dingy wall
He read something on the dirty wall
The words the old man said
The words the old man he was talking to said
That's why we wander and follow La Vie Dansante
That's why we wander and follow the dance of life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Marshall Chapman, Will Jennings, Jimmy Buffett, Mike Utley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind