MMTT4S - English Teacher Edition

One thing I like about Jimmy Buffett is his clever use of words. We refer to that as "diction" in the biz. English teacher biz, that is. He's a songwriter, no doubt about it. Being able to manipulate words and connotations and symbolism and imagery and theme is a tall task. Doing that and making it rhyme makes the task even taller. Adding in music increases the height of this already tall task to Empire State Building proportions. Being insanely successful at it for decades - that's the Mt. Everest of tall tasks.

Today's tune, titled "If It All Falls Down" is a fun and retrospective glimpse into the aura of Jimmy Buffett, the tropical troubadour. The music is a real treat, starting off with a simple, light acoustic guitar-led melody that changes pace and volume as the horns introduce and accompany a carnival-like chorus, complete with steel drums and a whistle. We need more whistle! It's a fun song. Real shocker there, huh?

The words, though. The WORDS! The words are what sold me on it.

Let's examine this witty wordsmith's lyrics, shall we?

image: here

We start with Jimmy basically giving us the old Popeye line, "I yam what I yam," and throughout the song he continues this theme - "And that's all what I yam," though he echoes this sentiment with a little more sophistication and clarity than the spinach-loving sailor with bulging forearms. Jimmy Buffett has always been hard to categorize. That drives the music business nuts sometimes. Is he folk, pop, rock, country, island? Not only has he refused to stay in his lane, he never really hit a defined lane when he pulled out of his oyster shell driveway years ago (I don't know if he actually had an oyster shell driveway - it's part of a metaphor - stay with me here). Buffett's a shapeless peg that just won't fit into the industry's square hole. Because of that, he traditionally hasn't gotten the radio airtime common to singers of his stature. Nevertheless, he's defied music industry logic and expectations and built a fortune. Not necessarily on purpose. He's just been himself. According to the lyrics of this song, he didn't seek to have some mystique or to be historic. He's simply an "open book," a "beach bum," a "man for all seasides." In a clever fit of humorous self-deprecation, he lets us know that he's really only qualified to be a "hard-drinking calypso poet," an occupation that, according to Jimmy, was experiencing a "shortage" of qualified candidates. Since there are "plenty of doctors, lawyers, people to make us things, and people to sell us these things," why not fulfill your calling in a very obscure career and contribute to society as best you can?

In the chorus, we get the origin of the title, "If It All Falls Down." The "it" here is, of course, the Jimmy Buffet circus. Basically, he lets us know that if Margaritaville crumbles around him, if the powers that be discover that he's simply an entertaining snake-charmer who's good with words and a guitar, if his success disappears, he'll be ok. No matter what happens, Jimmy can still make music, make people dance, and have fun.

It's in the chorus that we are treated to a line that is rarely, if ever, found in music - "I can juggle verbs, adverbs, and nouns." English teachers rejoice! Even grammar has a place in Margaritaville.

An oversimplification of the true nature of Jimmy Buffett? Sure. He may be more businessman than beach bum, truth be told. Still, there's enough honesty in "If It All Falls Down" to thoroughly enjoy the song, enjoy the message, and celebrate not having to win the rat race or be something that everyone expects us to be. If our own houses of cards fall down, we still have our authentic, genuine selves to rely on...and we'll be fine.

"If It All Falls Down" can be found on Jimmy Buffett's Floridays album, which was released in 1986.

Image courtesy of Amazon.com