Always wondered about those Nautical Wheelers

Needs boat drinks! · Post by **Needs boat drinks!** » February 19, 2005 2:06 am

Hey all,
I am new to this forum and am looking foward to it. I am a huge Buffett fan; my favorite song would have to be Nautical Wheelers.
This point leads me to my question. What does "livin' and dyin' in 3/4 time" mean to you? I was just wondering while Boats was playing. Thank you!

arrrrrrrr

HockeyParrotHead · Post by **HockeyParrotHead** » February 19, 2005 7:15 am

There was a thread about this a long tme ago. As I recall, someone posted an actual answer from an interview with Jimmy many, many years ago in which he said he just heard that phrase and liked it as a reference to a somewhat slower pace of life in KW in the 70's.

toofarnorth · Post by **toofarnorth** » February 19, 2005 7:52 am

well i've got a little story. my grandparents moved to the keys in the late seventies and when the he was searching for houses his realtor said "be carefull down here, an hour is only fifteen minutes" thats kind of what it always meant to me.

Kmangio · Post by **Kmangio** » February 19, 2005 12:10 pm

3/4 time has somehting to do with the speed at which music is played

nycparrothead · Post by **nycparrothead** » February 19, 2005 12:18 pm

Kmangio wrote:3/4 time has somehting to do with the speed at which music is played

Oh.. I thought it was the part of the football game just before the 4th quarter...

landshark04 · Post by **landshark04** » February 19, 2005 12:21 pm

nycparrothead wrote:
Kmangio wrote:3/4 time has somehting to do with the speed at which music is played
Oh.. I thought it was the part of the football game just before the 4th quarter...

carolinagirl · Post by **carolinagirl** » February 19, 2005 12:27 pm

Kmangio wrote:3/4 time has somehting to do with the speed at which music is played

3/4 time is how waltzes are counted... 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, (picture people dancing to three steps) instead of 4/4 time, which is how most songs are played... 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4... But I really LOVE TooFarNorth's answer, that in the Keys, an hour is only 15 minutes. That's like changing 4/4 time to 1/4 time or something. Very profound... Going to meditate on that awhile today!

Touch O Parrotdise · February 19, 2005 12:29 pm

carolinagirl wrote:
Kmangio wrote:3/4 time has somehting to do with the speed at which music is played
3/4 time is how waltzes are played... 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, instead of 4/4 time, which is how most songs are played... 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4... But I really LOVE TooFarNorth's answer, that in the Keys, an hour is only 15 minutes. That's like changing 4/4 time to 1/4 time or something. Very profound... Going to meditate on that awhile today!

that makes sense cause the parrothead hand book says nautical wheelers were would square dance every friday night

Quiet and Shy · Post by **Quiet and Shy** » February 19, 2005 12:32 pm

Or, since one often thinks of a dance (the waltz) when hearing 3/4 time, is it basically just dancing your life away (at that slower Key West pace)? That's what I envision.

nycparrothead · Post by **nycparrothead** » February 19, 2005 1:16 pm

landshark04 wrote:
nycparrothead wrote:
Kmangio wrote:3/4 time has somehting to do with the speed at which music is played
Oh.. I thought it was the part of the football game just before the 4th quarter...

That was horrendously un-funny, but I thank you very much for the courtesy laugh..

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » February 19, 2005 1:16 pm

Touch O Parrotdise wrote:
carolinagirl wrote:
Kmangio wrote:3/4 time has somehting to do with the speed at which music is played
3/4 time is how waltzes are played... 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, instead of 4/4 time, which is how most songs are played... 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4... But I really LOVE TooFarNorth's answer, that in the Keys, an hour is only 15 minutes. That's like changing 4/4 time to 1/4 time or something. Very profound... Going to meditate on that awhile today!
that makes sense cause the parrothead hand book says nautical wheelers were would square dance every friday night

there is another story about it if you take the Trails Tour of KW

Parrot Monkey · Post by **Parrot Monkey** » February 19, 2005 1:37 pm

Great album title is what it is, almost as if Jimmy was saying that he or the people in Nautical Wheelers are living and breathing music.

Doesn't anyone find it strange that the song with the line is on A-1-A, NOT 3/4 Time? Jimmy comments on this in the BBB&B handbook.

TraderRick · Post by **TraderRick** » February 19, 2005 3:38 pm

If you ever want to get transported back in time check out that video Jimmy made called "Tales from Margaritavision". It has a great piece of Jimmy actually singing "Nautical Wheelers" in a bar in Key West back in '73 or '74.
He put the clip on the video because he felt it truly reflected the Key West he loved before it all got crazy. It'll bring a tear to even a pirate's eye!!

VB for Buffett · Post by **VB for Buffett** » February 19, 2005 4:51 pm

Parrot Monkey wrote:Great album title is what it is, almost as if Jimmy was saying that he or the people in Nautical Wheelers are living and breathing music.

Doesn't anyone find it strange that the song with the line is on A-1-A, NOT 3/4 Time? Jimmy comments on this in the BBB&B handbook.

Yes.....I've thought about that as well..............still one of his best songs non the less though......

Needs boat drinks! · Post by **Needs boat drinks!** » February 19, 2005 5:02 pm

Yeah, I think it just means the speed of life in the Keys, Margaritaville, etc., which is exactly what he likes...3/4 time. Just relaxed and soaking it all in. We all need to go at that pace once in a while!

For the video, that has to be one of the greatest pieces of film on Buffett. Especially the crazy guy doing the "Nautical Wheeler dance", at least that's what I call it. It is on Tales from Margaritavision. My copy is worn out, and I actually had to order another one. I would recommend that video to anyone on this board. I'm sure you already have it though

sonofabeach · Post by **sonofabeach** » February 19, 2005 6:17 pm

I just got the chords for "Nautical Wheelers" and after just playing it on the old geetar for the first time ever, I'd say I know what 3/4 time is now, or at least the musical version of it.
And it's a pretty easy song to play.

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » February 19, 2005 6:28 pm

TraderRick wrote:If you ever want to get transported back in time check out that video Jimmy made called "Tales from Margaritavision". It has a great piece of Jimmy actually singing "Nautical Wheelers" in a bar in Key West back in '73 or '74.
He put the clip on the video because he felt it truly reflected the Key West he loved before it all got crazy. It'll bring a tear to even a pirate's eye!!

so do splinters in the wooden leg..

Crazy Navy Flyer · Post by **Crazy Navy Flyer** » February 19, 2005 11:18 pm

TraderRick wrote:If you ever want to get transported back in time check out that video Jimmy made called "Tales from Margaritavision". It has a great piece of Jimmy actually singing "Nautical Wheelers" in a bar in Key West back in '73 or '74.
He put the clip on the video because he felt it truly reflected the Key West he loved before it all got crazy. It'll bring a tear to even a pirate's eye!!

I lived in KW in the early 70's, saw Jimmy play in that bar a few times. 3/4 time was the laid back life in KW back then, and I think it's been mentioned that the Nautical Wheelers were a square dance group.

Needs boat drinks! · Post by **Needs boat drinks!** » February 20, 2005 2:28 pm

Yeah, the Nautical Wheelers was a square dance group that danced under tents made out of parachutes. I believe that is correct...I am thinking back to the Tales from Margaritavision tape. I can't wait for it to be delivered, hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday.

Evil Dave · Post by **Evil Dave** » February 22, 2005 12:38 pm

This is the story we got on the Trails tour last month in Key West; I asked about it because Nautical Wheelers is my favorite song too.

The Nautical Wheelers Squaredancing Society (or something to that effect) used to hold weekly dances above the old city hall, which was behind the Pier House. I think I remember the thing about the parachutes being true, they were hung from the ceiling (I'd been drinking on the tour so some of it's hazy).

The next verses that describe jumping in the water and holding on to a line from a sailboat was inspired something called the Tequila Regatta. It's not mentioned by name in the song and I think the authorities eventually banned it, but it's what it sounds like...a relay race where the participants would do a shot of tequila and swim out to a point and then back. Eventually turned into a giant party. Not sure how it's related to square dancing, but hell, sounds like fun.

Interesting tidbit: the Phil mentioned is Phil Clark, the inspiration for the Pirate, the one lookin' at 40, and Mason was the owner of the Chart Room Bar's dog.