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.
Tides
Jimmy Buffett Lyrics
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Is taught when they are young
That the pull of the moon lingers on
Something we can't escape
From Bimini 'round the cape
Mix in the wind and the sea and sing along.
To whom it may concern
That the good days need to last
Season with a lot of laughter
Here and in the ever after
With poetry and painters from my past
So I follow the tides
On currents far and wide
Chalking up the stories and the miles
Yes, I follow the tides
Big blue rides
And that's the reason I will never lose my smile
Hoping to catch a ray
Looking to misbehave
As my lucky stars still shine above the sea
Watching the ships roll in
I play that Otis song again
For the tourists and some mermaids by the sea
And I follow the tides
Down my song lines far and wide
The world to me should still be free and wild
Yes, I follow the tides
Give me more, big blue rides
And that's the reason I will never lose my smile
Every sailor's son
Is taught when they are young
That the pull of the moon lingers on
Something we can't escape
Is it salt water or just fate?
Mix in the wind and the sea and sing along?
And we'll follow the tides
Down our song lines far and wide
It seems to me my life's still free and wild
Yes, we'll follow the tides
Give us more big blue rides
And that's the reason I will never lose my smile
And that's the reason you should never lose your smile
The song "Tides" by Jimmy Buffett captures the essence of a sailor's life - following the tides, enjoying life, and being free in nature. The first verse highlights the influence of the moon which has been a significant aspect of sailors' lives since ancient times. The sailor's son is taught that the tides are something they can't escape; hence, this phrase is repeated twice in the verse. The next verse speaks directly to the listener, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the good days with a lot of laughter. Buffett acknowledges his love for poetry and painters from his past, which sets the tone for the rest of the song, creating an image of a seasoned sailor enjoying his well-built life.
The chorus expresses his love for the open sea, following tides, chalking up stories and miles - the adventure of life. Buffett adds that he's always hoping to catch a ray and looking to misbehave, but all in good fun as he watches the ships roll in playing his favorite Otis song, "Sitting On The Dock of the Bay" for tourists and mermaids by the sea. In the last verse, he includes "we" which includes listeners who can also follow the tides, outlining the many possibilities of life, and reminding us all to never lose our smile.
Overall, the song connects the listener to the sea, a place of true freedom and adventure, and encourages them to follow their heart's desire and always have a smile on their face.
Line by Line Meaning
Every sailor's son
As the son of a sailor, I've heard since I was young
Is taught when they are young
Being taught when we're young is common
That the pull of the moon lingers on
The moon's gravitational pull has lasting effects
Something we can't escape
It's impossible to escape the effects of the moon
From Bimini 'round the cape
From Bimini to around the cape
Mix in the wind and the sea and sing along.
Add in the winds and the sea, and we'll have a song to sing
To whom it may concern
This is for anyone who cares
I've always tried to learn
I've always tried to educate myself
That the good days need to last
It's important to make good days last
Season with a lot of laughter
Add plenty of laughter to make the good days better
Here and in the ever after
Not just now, but in the future too
With poetry and painters from my past
Remembering poets and painters who inspired me in the past
So I follow the tides
I follow the tides of life
On currents far and wide
No matter where they take me
Chalking up the stories and the miles
Collecting stories and experiences along the way
Yes, I follow the tides
I embrace the ups and downs of life
Big blue rides
The big, expansive oceans are waiting for me
And that's the reason I will never lose my smile
That's the reason I'll always stay positive
Hoping to catch a ray
I hope to catch some sunshine
Looking to misbehave
I'm looking to have some fun
As my lucky stars still shine above the sea
My good luck will continue to shine on me
Watching the ships roll in
I'm watching the boats come in
I play that Otis song again
I'm listening to my favourite Otis Redding song again
For the tourists and some mermaids by the sea
I'm playing the song for the tourists and some make-believe mermaids
And I follow the tides
I follow the natural rhythms of life
Down my song lines far and wide
My path in life will take me far and wide
The world to me should still be free and wild
The world should still be a place of freedom and nature
Give me more, big blue rides
I'm ready for more adventures on the open sea
And that's the reason I will never lose my smile
That's the reason I won't ever become too serious
And we'll follow the tides
Together, we'll follow the flow of life
Down our song lines far and wide
We'll take a journey through the world
It seems to me my life's still free and wild
My life is still full of opportunity and adventure
Yes, we'll follow the tides
We'll ride through the ebbs and flows of life
Give us more big blue rides
We want more experiences and adventures
And that's the reason I will never lose my smile
And that's the reason we'll always stay positive
And that's the reason you should never lose your smile
And that's the reason you should keep smiling too
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROGER EDWIN GUTH, JIMMY BUFFETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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This is an amazing song, love the guitar solo
mel weed
another great sailing song with a great life lesson. Thanks Jimmy
Catfish Kevin Outdoors
As a 14 year old boy who wants to study marine science, i love jimmy!
J3en
Georgia Panfishing are you know a 16yo planning on studying MSCI?
fran Ziegler
Jimmy thank you for this beautiful song and that is why I will never lose my smile!!
William Garman
Love this jam. Always play it in the summer
Raymond Jokerst
Have this cd in my van. We listen constantly to Jimmy. The van will take us to the gulf coast again. Thank you , Poet.
Cherie Whitney
beautiful....thank you Jimmy
Fran Ziegler
love this song I start with it after about 3hours many songs I close with this one
fran Ziegler
just had back surgery today thins are looking up