Thoughts From a Wandering Soul, Now in the Charm City

Warm Weather, Jimmy Buffett, and No Love from the Internet

I used to have this little tradition with an old friend in College. We were both Parrott Heads (for those of you who do not know what this term means, it identifies a person who is an extreme fan of Jimmy Buffett). We would have a song of the day. I have also discussed with another Parrott Head friend of mine, the possible use of Jimmy Buffett (hence forth referred to as Buffett) music in psychoanalysis. This would involve looking at the songs that go through head during different situations and trying to derive meaning from them. In some cases, Buffett songs pop in to my head and I can better understand the situation. Currently I have the song “If I Could Only Get it on Paper” going through my head. I know that this is directly related to my thesis!

When I first go to Poland, the song “Banana Republics” was going through my head. The specific line was: “Down to the Banana Republic, down to the tropical sun, go the expatriated Americans hoping to find some fun…Expatriated Americans feeling so all alone, telling themselves the same lies that they told themselves back home.”

Another example is (during break ups or while being ignored by a boyfriend) the Buffett song “If the Phone Doesn’t Ring, It’s Me.” I think that this one is self-explanatory.
In addition, when I am pulling a long night at the computer lab another song comes in to my mind: “Kick in Second Wind”

Other examples of what songs might imply about mood (List is in no way complete):
Chilling

• All The Ways I Want You
• Altered Boy
• Apocalypso
• Autour Du Rocher
• Ballad of Spider John
• Banana Republics
• Beach House on the Moon
• Coast of Marseilles
• Delaney Talks to Statues
• Far Side of the World
• First Look
• The Good Fight
• Grapefruit – Juicy Fruit
• Happily Ever After (Every Now and Then)
• Havana Daydreamin’
• In the Shelter
• Jamacia Mistaka
• Kick It In Second Wind
• The Last Line
• Lovely Cruise
• Mademoiselle
• Manana
• Middle of the Night
• Migration
• Permanent Reminder of a Temporary Feeling
• Quietly Making Noise
• Stars Fell on Alabama
• They Don’t Dance Like Carmen No More
• Treat Her Like a Lady
• Twelve Volt Man

Happiness:

• Ballad of Skip Wiley
• Barefoot Children• Barometer Soup
• Blue Guitar• Boat Drinks
• Cheeseburger in Paradise
• Coconut Telegraph
• Cuban Crime of Passion
• Desperation Samba (Halloween in Tijuana)
• Domino College• Don’t Chu-Know
• Everybody’s Got a Cousin in Miami
• Everybody’s on the Run• Fins• Fruitcakes
• Fool Button• Gypsies in The Palace
• I will Play for Gumbo
• Jolly Man Sing• Landfall
• Lang Nom Ai
• Last Man Standing
• Livingston Saturday Night
• Love and Luck
• Math Suks!
• Mexico
• Middle of the Night
• Nautical Wheelers
• One Particular Harbor
• The Pascagoula Run
• Ragtop Day
• School Boy Heart
• Stars on the Water
• Sunny Afternoon
• Take it Back
• Tampico Trauma
• Valcano
• USS Zydecoldsmobile
• Vampires, Mummies and the Holy Ghost
• The Weather is Here, Wish You were Beautiful
• When Salome Plays the Drum

Homesickness:

• Banana Republics
• Far Side of the World
• I Have Found Me a Home
• I Heard I Was in Town
• Wonder Why We Ever Go Home

Love and Relationships:

• All The Ways I Want You
• California Promises
• Come Monday
• Coast of Marseilles
• Distantly in Love
• Frank and Lola
• I Miss You So Badly
• If the Phone Doesn’t Ring, It’s Me
• Knees of My Heart
• Love and Luck
• Love in the Library
• Lovely Cruise
• Lip Service
• Mademoiselle
• Money Back Guarantee
• The Perfect Partner
• Pre-You
• Please Bypass this Heart
• Who’s the Blonde Stranger
• Stars Fell on Alabama
• Steamer• Survive
• You Call it Jogging

Optimistic or Thinking about a better life:

• Barefoot Children
• Margaritaville
• School Boy Heart
• Someday I Will
• Take Another Road
• Tin Cup Chalice (My Favorite Song!!)
• We Are The People Our Parents Warned Us About

Sadness:

• California Promises
• Coast of Marseilles
• Survive
• Where’s the Party

Sinfulness:

• Bank of Bad Habits
• Domino College
• Why Don’t We Get Drunk (If you don’t know the rest of the Lyric it still will qualify)

Travel:

• Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
• Far Side of the World
• First Look
• Last Mango in Paris
• One Particular Harbor

Reflective:

• Banana Republics
• Beyond the End
• Biloxi• Blue Heaven Rendezvous
• The Captain and the Kid
• Defying Gravity
• Havana Daydreamin’
• If I Could Just Get it On Paper
• Incommunicado
• Island• It’s My Job
• Jimmy Dreams
• Little Miss Magic
• Lone Palm
• Nautical Wheelers
• The Night I Painted the Sky
• Oysters and Pearls
• Pacing the Cage
• Savannah Fare You Well
• Six String Music
• Someday I Will
• Somewhere Over China
• Tonight I Just Need My Guitar
• Treat Her Like a Lady• Tryin’ to Reason with Hurricane Season
• When The Coast is Clear
• Wonder Why We Ever Go Home

Remembering and longing for the past:

• A Pirate’s Look at Forty
• African Friend
• Ballad of Spider John
• The Captain and the Kid
• Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
• Changing Channels
• Come Monday
• Coast of Marseilles
• Cowboy in the Jungle
• Floridays
• Frenchman for the Night
• Growing Older But Not Up
• Happily Ever After (Every Now and Then)
• He Went to Paris
• I Heard I Was in Town
• Last Mango in Paris
• Life’s Just a Tire Swing
• Pencil Thin Mustache
• Remittance Man
• Savannah Fare You Well
• Sending The Old Man Home
• Son of A Son of a Sailor
• They Don’t Dance Like Carmen No More
• The Weather is Here, Wish You were Beautiful
• When The Coast is Clear
• The Wino and I Know

Yet to be Placed:

• Diamond as Big as the Ritz
• The Great Filling Station Holdup
• It’s Midnight and I’m Not Famous Yet
• My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I Don’t Love Jesus
• Uncle John’s Band

I woke up this morning to a sunny day, granted I did not get out of bed until after noon, but that was due to my pulling a late evening to work on my thesis. I was surprised to find that I did not even need a coat, even when I was riding my bike! This is outstanding, but I know that it will not last long. It is November in Poland and the snow shall soon follow just as the Christmas shopping season follows directly after the thanksgiving turkey leftovers are put a way in the fridge.

I went to school today with every intention of working on my thesis, but the gods were against me! I like to listen to the BBC or NPR over the internet while I am writing but that was not going to happen today. I could not even check my e-mail! Some days I really am ticked off at the school. The internet went off around 03:00 in the morning (I was there working!). URGH!! I hope that tomorrow will be better. I must try to get something done, but I do not think there is any luck in that.

Until Next Time…

posted by Marquise at 12:28 PM