Jimmy Buffett made a career of writing and recording songs that gave listeners a “license to chill,” to quote the title track from his 2004 album. Through his music and various business ventures, like the Margaritaville restaurant chain and Land Shark beer, Buffett was strongly associated with a relaxed tropical lifestyle.
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Yet Bufffett didn’t go on to record 32 studio albums and tour tirelessly over the span of six decades without a lot of hard work. By the time he released his fifth album, A1A, in 1974, he had established his tropically-influenced “Gulf and Western” sound and persona. But on that album, he addressed his more intense side with “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season.” Don’t let the song’s laid-back sound fool you; Buffett is feeling some stress on this track.
Is Buffett Singing About an Actual Hurricane?
On “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season,” Buffett sings about the toll that working hard and drinking hard can take on him. Throughout the song, Buffett acknowledges his need to slow down. At the same time, he makes us aware of an approaching tropical storm. In fact, he does the latter right in the song’s first two lines: Squalls out on the gulf stream / Big storm’s comin’ soon. Initially, one might think Buffett is taking the developing weather in stride, as he sings, I passed out on my hammock / And, God, I slept way past noon. Then it becomes apparent that he is sleeping off a big night and needs some relief.
Stood up and tried to focus
I hoped I wouldn’t have to look far
I knew I could use a Bloody Mary
So I stumbled next door to the bar
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In the chorus, Buffett let us know that this hangover is not an isolated incident and that he knows that the pattern isn’t serving him well.
And now I must confess
I could use some rest
I can’t run at this pace very long
Yes, it’s quite insane
I think it hurts my brain
But it cleans me out and then I can go on
Time for Change
The key line is the final one. Buffett knows he can’t continue to live the way he’s been living. But in singing “it cleans me out,” he appears to suggest that he has to live hard in order to get back to his equilibrium again. Or, put another way, he has to create a storm to clean out the debris of his life. Going back to the song’s opening lines, we can now see that he may not be referring to an actual hurricane at all. Regardless of what is happening in the tropical atmosphere, Buffett knows there is a storm coming in his internal weather system.
In the second verse, Buffett hints at another source of stress. He is taking a walk during the proverbial calm before the storm. And even though he is worn out, he gets motivated to do some work. Buffett realizes he can’t afford to put off writing a song, because he’ll be fatigued again soon.
Feelin’ tired, then I got inspired
And I knew that it wouldn’t last long
So all alone, I walked back home, sat on my beach
And then I made up this song
Then in the third verse, the storm comes. When Buffett sings, It’s time to close the shutters / It’s time to go inside, he is signaling that he is finally giving himself some much-needed rest. He’ll need it, too, as he finishes the verse with In a week I’ll be in gay Paris / That’s a mighty long airplane ride.
The Impact of “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season”
Unlike “A Pirate Looks at Forty” and “Door Number Three,” “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season” was not released as a single from A1A. The album as a whole was something of a breakthrough for Buffett. It was his first one to reach the upper half of the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 25. Other than “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season” was the song from A1A that Buffett played the most often in concert.
“Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season” has been covered by Kenny Chesney and Mishka. Chesney’s cover appeared on his 2018 album, Songs for the Saints, and Chesney and Buffett split the lead and backing vocal duties. On Spotify, the Chesney and Buffett version has surpassed Buffett’s original in popularity, receiving more than 7 million streams. Mishka’s version, which features Buffett as well, was also released in 2018, as it was featured on his Ocean is my Potion album.
This is not one of Buffett’s “Big 8” songs that he performed at the vast majority of his live shows. “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season” is one of his most enduring songs, though. Leaving lyrics aside, it’s beautifully arranged, produced and performed. It’s worth paying attention to Buffett’s lyrics, too. Even if we haven’t been to the Florida Keys or experienced a hurricane, we can likely relate to Buffett’s story of coping with burnout, and finding a way to overcome it.
Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT
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