Death Of An Unpopular Poet

[parrothead3282]

I was looking up lyrics and came across Death Of An Unpopular Poet, and I was wondering if anybody could enlighten me as to a story behind this song. Did Jimmy write it about anyone in particular or just a character from his imagination? Any help would be appreciated.



Death Of An Unpopular Poet
Written by: Jimmy Buffett
Performed by: Jimmy Buffett
Originally from the Album: A White Sport Coat & A Pink Crustacean (1973)

Lyrics:
I once knew a poet who lived before his time
He and his dog Spooner would listen as he’d rhyme
Words to make you happy and words to make you cry
And then one day the poet suddenly did die.

But he left behind a closet filled with verse and rhymes
And through some strange transaction
One was printed in the Times
And everybody’s searching for the king of underground
They found him down in Florida with a tombstone for a crown.

And everybody knows a line from his books that cost $4.99
I wonder if he knows he’s doin’ quite this fine.

‘Cause his books are all best sellers and his poems were turned to song
They had his brother on a talk show though they never got along
And now he’s called immortal, yes, he’s even taught in school
They say he used his talents, a most proficient tool.

But he left all of his royalties to Spooner his old hound
Growing old on steak and bacon in his doghouse ten feet ’round
And everybody wonders did he really lose his mind
No, he was just a poet who lived before his time
Yes, he was just a poet who lived before his time.

[phjrsaunt]

I dunno...I've kind of always wondered myself.

[Snowparrot]

For a long time I thought it was about Jack Kerouac, but then I read something, somewhere (probably here) that told me otherwise. Do I remember who, what, where or when? Of course not!

[urlcenter]

Actually, the poet in "Death of an Unpopular Poet" is in reality a combination of two poets. The song was inspired by the poets Kenneth Patchen and Richard Farina, two GREAT poets, who according to Jimmy, "starved their asses off and didn't get to stick around to reap their rewards."

[Wino you know]

Actually, the poet in "Death of an Unpopular Poet" is in reality a combination of two poets. The song was inspired by the poets Kenneth Patchen and Richard Farina, two GREAT poets, who according to Jimmy, "starved their asses off and didn't get to stick around to reap their rewards."

The answer to that question on the www.triviawars.com web site is Richard Farina, and all these years, that was what I'd believed.
Nice job of research on the other guy-I had no idea who he was either.

[Tequila Revenge]

Nancy will know.... she knows everything Buffett

[luvinlife]

Great toon though!!!!

[conched]

Nancy will know.... she knows everything Buffett

My harddrive was squeezed, so I just deleted a folder of all the recordings I could find of Death of an Unpopular Poet.

I remember on one of those recordings, when Jimmy introduced the song, he suggested that people should read The Journal of Albion Moonlight, 1941 by Kenneth Patchen, and also Selected Poems by Patchen, but he also mentions Richard Farina when he talks about this song.

I enjoyed reading this piece about Patchen and love all the quotes:
http://www.negativespacedc.com/Blei/kafka2.htm

Thanks to Harbour Shark in another thread an interview from 1976 in High Times:

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. These guys contributed so much, but they died and we never appreciated them until afterwards. They starved their asses off and didn't get to stick around to reap their rewards. If you're going to go up there and try to make it, you're not out there totally for aesthetic value. Let's face it-you're out there to secure your future anybody that says they're not is totally false. I couldn't say that money doesn't mean anything to me. You have to pay your bills - I have to keep the band on the road. But you can still have a good time and write good songs. You don't necessarily have to prostitute your music, as long as you know how to handle it, put it in perspective. Those guys had a good time, but I'm sure they were miserable a lot of times. The success that they wanted, they never knew they actually reached it.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45816&p=1934435&hil ... n#p1934435

[conched]

linky:

http://www.connectotel.com/patchen/

[conched]

In Jimmy's own words: an audio file before he sang Death of An Unpopular Poet at the Exit/In in 1974.

Intro to Death Of An Unpopular Poet

[parrothead3282]

Nancy will know.... she knows everything Buffett

My harddrive was squeezed, so I just deleted a folder of all the recordings I could find of Death of an Unpopular Poet.

I remember on one of those recordings, when Jimmy introduced the song, he suggested that people should read The Journal of Albion Moonlight, 1941 by Kenneth Patchen, and also Selected Poems by Patchen, but he also mentions Richard Farina when he talks about this song.

I enjoyed reading this piece about Patchen and love all the quotes:
http://www.negativespacedc.com/Blei/kafka2.htm

Thanks to Harbour Shark in another thread an interview from 1976 in High Times:

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. These guys contributed so much, but they died and we never appreciated them until afterwards. They starved their asses off and didn't get to stick around to reap their rewards. If you're going to go up there and try to make it, you're not out there totally for aesthetic value. Let's face it-you're out there to secure your future anybody that says they're not is totally false. I couldn't say that money doesn't mean anything to me. You have to pay your bills - I have to keep the band on the road. But you can still have a good time and write good songs. You don't necessarily have to prostitute your music, as long as you know how to handle it, put it in perspective. Those guys had a good time, but I'm sure they were miserable a lot of times. The success that they wanted, they never knew they actually reached it.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45816&p=1934435&hil ... n#p1934435

Thank you for your research!! Now I have some reading to do!

[conched]

Ok, this might hurt your ears and the year of the writing of The Journal of Albion Moonlight is incorrect, but Jimmy introduced DOAUP in Philly in 1974 with this audio:

Intro to Death Of An Unpopular Poet in Philly 1974

[chrisrehm]

Some may recall that over at Phlockers Gone Wild dot Net we currently have up on the main page, what people are telling me is the oldest known "Taper" recording of Jimmy Buffett. This recording is from a joint named Bubba's in Coconut Grove, Fla. and Jimmy was sitting in with Steve Goodman. (When Steve introduces Jimmy, no one knows who he is!). The song currently up is Cuban Crime Of Passion... along with the perverse back and forth banter between Jimmy and Steve that would have them banned from most Parrotthead sites in the blink of an eye! Ironic, but true! HA HA HA! Anyway, at the same gig they also did Death of an Unpopular Poet. Until Jimmy Buffett gets his copy, we won't be airing that cut however. My guess is that the death of Kenneth Patchen, about a year prior to this recording, may have been the inspiration for it.

Sometime in the near future we'll have a feature with the man who recorded that gig (and many others!) My Friend Dave, if anyone is interested. As you can see, the quality of the recording is superb. I'll keep you posted.

[tejas]

i can honestly say, that every single time i have listened to DOAUP from the first time until reading those lyrics now, i don't know if its the melancholy tune or the part of the lyrics where he leaves everything to his dog, but my eyes get teary. everytime. something in it resonants in me. reminds me of a great great dog i used to have. AMAZING SONG.

[conched]

It is such a great song. Jimmy sang it at Jerry Jeff's 60th Birthday Bash at the Paramount in Austin, (Jerry Jeff chuckled a few times during the song) and at the end Jerry Jeff laughs and says "hooray for Spooner!" and Jimmy says "yeah, give it to the dog." It kinda made you feel like Jerry Jeff was hearing the song for the first time. It was so special sitting there watching Jerry Jeff listen to Jimmy...you could hear a pin drop and a few sniffs and snickers from the audience. I'm so glad RM played this one.

[conched]

More audio with Jimmy and Jerry Jeff discussing "artists" and the writing of DOAUP:

Jimmy on living with Jerry Jeff and writing

[chrisrehm]

WOW!

WAY COOL!!

Here's a link that comemorates The Flick (Today it's The Titanic Brewery)

Altough JB didn't get that gig, he did play there many times later!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q8caI5QRKg

[landshark391]

All I know is he closed Pgh with it last year. It made all the shows I went to pale in comparison

[Rimsha42]

Yeah are right

[ScarletB]

Makes me tear up every time I hear it too.