Death of an Unpopular Poet

brnlahaze · Post by **brnlahaze** » September 2, 2004 8:15 pm

I somehow got this song playing, and aside from the poet dying, Jimmy really seems like that poet.

Think about it when you listen to the song.

More or less low key, then suddenly Jimmy's kinda of music starts to catch on (Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and Mexico and a whole of of others.

Goodman · Post by **Goodman** » September 2, 2004 9:39 pm

With all due respect to a fellow fan of the first great JB album I don't see anything autobiographical about this tune. I think it was inspired by the death of Ken Patchett(?) whose works JB must have been familiar with.

Jimmy was perhaps a touch of unpopular in Down to Earth and High Cumberland Jubilee. These works don't qualify as poetry.

brnlahaze · Post by **brnlahaze** » September 2, 2004 9:42 pm

I really wasn't saying that it is autobiographical. Its just more ironic in the aspect of "guy doesn't get credit, suddenly gets something accidently published (5 O'Clock somewhere) people find more stuff from him then suddenly is really popular".

Fins21 · Post by **Fins21** » September 2, 2004 11:41 pm

I have to agree with Goodman. I absolutely LOVE this song and this it is one of JB's most beautiful songs. However, I see now link to JB himself, besides the fact that he is singing the song. I see it as him telling a tale (possibly fictional) of an author who lives a short life, and doesn't get to reap the rewards of his work. Just my 2 cents. I do love this song!
PHINS UP!!

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » September 3, 2004 10:18 am

brnlahaze wrote:I really wasn't saying that it is autobiographical. Its just more ironic in the aspect of "guy doesn't get credit, suddenly gets something accidently published (5 O'Clock somewhere) people find more stuff from him then suddenly is really popular".

I also see no direct relation to Buffett and the subject of the song especially since he's explained the inspiration behind the song on more than one occasion. As far as the popularity of "5 O'Clock" that was far from his first brush with success. He's got an album called Songs You Know By Heart that's features quite a few songs that charted. Sure, none went through the roof in the manner "5 O'Clock" has but it's not like he's never had a hit record. I'm also not sure about it being "accidently published", if it was, that's news to me.

DeactiveCarib · Post by **DeactiveCarib** » September 4, 2004 12:47 pm

Also, Jimmy has been one of the most popular touring acts since the 80s

conched · Post by **conched** » September 4, 2004 5:07 pm

Check out a great song by Jerry Jeff Walker called The Artist!

conched · Post by **conched** » September 4, 2004 5:13 pm

Back in the High Times article ... there is this statement by Buffett.

High Times: Where did "Death of an Unpopular Poet" come from?

Buffett: I was watching Walter Cronkite one night, and he had a little blurb on there that Kenneth Patchen had died. That surprised me, because hardly anybody ever heard of Patchen except in small circles. He was one of my favorite poets. So I was thinking about him, and then I thought about Richard Farina.

You can read the whole article and more of Jimmy's statement here.

http://www.jaboobie.com/buffettarticle.html

Cajunph · Post by **Cajunph** » September 4, 2004 10:53 pm

I'm glad all the money went to the dog. Every dog has it's day.

LOVEandLUCK · Post by **LOVEandLUCK** » September 5, 2004 10:05 pm

brnlahaze wrote:I somehow got this song playing, and aside from the poet dying, Jimmy really seems like that poet.

Think about it when you listen to the song.

More or less low key, then suddenly Jimmy's kinda of music starts to catch on (Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and Mexico and a whole of of others.

I was thinking the same thing when i heard the song

. Everyone says it doesn't sound like him but I thought it did!

BuffettNews.com

Death of an Unpopular Poet

Death of an Unpopular Poet

Death of an Unpopular poet

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