Buffett Buffet Top Ten: He Went to Paris (#5)

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Honestly, the next three song on my list of favorite Jimmy Buffett songs can be transposed in order at any given time. It would be more accurate to call these “3A,” “3B,” and “3C.” Not just me, either: these next three are among Buffett’s most classic and loved tunes among Parrotheads. (Some worthless trivia: the Eagles’ Timothy B. Schmit is the person who came up with the term “Parrotheads” when he was a member of the Coral Reefer Band in the 80s.) Here’s 3A. #5: He Went to Paris Linda? NO!!! Steel guitar alert! Fifty years ago Buffett released this song. For half a century we’ve had what has certainly become his epitaph: Some of it’s magic, Some of it’s tragic, But I had a good life all the way. When you get through the third verse, about surviving World War II, you wonder how anyone could utter such a positive outlook on “86 years of perpetual motion.” You’d think, instead, he’d be singing the old bluegrass song “Short Life of Trouble.” I’ve mentioned this before, but here it is again: the inspiration for this song was a one-armed piano player in Chicago named Eddie Balchowsky, a veteran of the Spanish Civil War. (“Arm” doesn’t rhyme with “cry,” so that’s why the song took artistic license. ) Not so much the details but the man’s attitude inspired Buffett to write this gem. And, despite the fact that I have new hearing aids, I totally understand the line, “Losing his hearing but he don’t care what most people say.” He Went to Paris Written by Jimmy Buffett From A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean, 1973 He hopped on a freighter: