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.
On A Slow Boat To China
Jimmy Buffett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a slow boat to China
All to myself alone
Get you and keep you
In my arms ever more
Leave all your lovers
Weeping on a far away shore
Out on the briny
With the moon big and shiny
Melting your heart of stone
Honey I'd love to get you
On a slow boat to China
All by myself alone
I'd love to get ya
On a slow boat to China
All to myself alone
A twist in the rudder
And a rip in the sails
Drifting and dreaming
Honey throw the compass over the rail
Out on the ocean
Far from all the commotion
Melting your heart of stone
Honey I'd love to get you
On a slow boat to China
All to myself alone.
The lyrics of Jimmy Buffett's song 'On A Slow Boat To China' depict a desire to take someone special away from their life and the people they know, to a place of seclusion and romanticism. The singer suggests that they would love to have this person all to themselves and take them on a boating journey through the ocean to China. The idea is one of escape, emphasizing the longing to be with someone, away from the world's complications.
The song's message is romantic and evocative, portraying the vastness of the sea and the freedom that comes with traveling without the constraints of daily life. It illustrates the singer's desire to take this special person on a journey where they can focus solely on each other, with no other distractions. The lyrics paint a picture of solitude and the possibility of romance in a serene, almost mythical setting.
Overall, the song is a representation of escapism, a desire to be free of obligations and to live in the moment. It highlights the feeling of being with the one you love and the idea of a romantic getaway. The lyrics paint a picture of a long, slow journey away from the world's interruptions, aimed at deepening the bond between the singer and their partner.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd love to get you
I desire to have you
On a slow boat to China
Travelling leisurely to a distant land
All to myself alone
With nobody else around
Get you and keep you
Acquire and retain you
In my arms ever more
Forever held close to my body
Leave all your lovers
Abandon all former romances
Weeping on a far away shore
Crying at a distant location
Out on the briny
At sea
With the moon big and shiny
Illuminated by a large, luminous moon
Melting your heart of stone
Softening your previously hardened heart
Honey I'd love to get you
My dear, I desire to have you
A twist in the rudder
A sudden turn in the steering mechanism
And a rip in the sails
A tear in the fabric that captures wind
Drifting and dreaming
Floating aimlessly and imagining
Honey throw the compass over the rail
My dear, discard the navigational tool into the ocean
Out on the ocean
In the vast sea
Far from all the commotion
Distant from all the noise and activity
All to myself alone.
Exclusively for me without any others present.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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