This is an interview with Jimmy Buffett after he played with Jerry Jeff Walker at the Paramount Theatre for Jerry Jeff's Birthday Celebration. They played acoustic guitar together with a special guest appearance by Django Walker and in between they told stories and shared memories with the audience. It was an incredible experience to see two old friends talking and hanging out as though they were the only two people on a beach in the Florida Keys.

Q Did you have your first margarita here in Austin and is that what started "Margaritaville?"
A I don't think I had my first margarita, but I'll tell you want it was. It was one of the best margaritas I ever had, because it made a lasting impression. I'd never thought of it until Jerry Jeff said it to me when we were going to rehearsals today "Didn't you start Margaritaville in Austin?" I went, "Oh, my God, yeah." And I remember it being a really, really hot day. But I remember it. I remember the funny thing was that it led to Jerry Jeff and I talking about the fact that he was the one who and said, "You know, it's pretty cool out here." I've always loved Austin, but I don't get here as much as I'd like to. But I think back to the fact that Jerry Jeff was probably the first guy here. I think even before Willie. And he called me and said, "You've got to come out here, because it's really happening out here." And he got me a gig at the old Castle Creek. And that's how I got to Austin. And so, subsequently, because of the fact that I was working out here that hot day and that great margarita turned into a rather good song.

Q How did they get you here tonight?
A We've been discussing this for a couple of weeks. And basically, I came through a week ago and I had been with Susan and Jerry Jeff. And it was like, okay, we're going to kind of do this and we're going to walk in. And we'll kind of do songs. And I said, "Well, you know, I kind of put together a set list of Texas songs and Key West songs that kind of were influenced." And actually, it worked out, but other things just came completely off the top of our head. Then I realized we were done and it was an hour and 40 minutes. I thought we had been up there about a half an hour.

Q To see you guys up on stage, you're more comedians and old buddies. You make it look so effortless.
A Well, I think what it is is, we're entertainers. And that's what's lacking, to me, in acts these days is, you know, there's not -- in this generation of performers there's not a lot of entertainers. And I think the greatest thing for me tonight was, there are two things that were -- other than simply getting up there and having just about as much fun performing as I've had in a while, I kind of got introspective to see Jerry Jeff and Django out there singing. I never met Django. I've met his daughter before, but I've never met Django. And what a great kid. And Jerry Jeff with a son like that singing together and how proud he was and how cool that looked. That was a magic moment. I mean, it really was for me. And that's what it's all about, that you see. I just thought -- Django is a kid that's got it. He's been raised by an entertaining family. I mean, I was quite impressed with him.

Q You're used to playing in front of 30,000 people, as opposed to maybe 1000 -- 1200. What are the differences in that?
A I never envisioned the fact that I'd be 55 years old and still out here playing to 25,000, 30,000 people a night. I thought this would be over a long time ago. I went to Hawaii just to go surfing, to do my annual, you know, go to the Pacific routine. And by the end of it I said, "Well, now I've got to go to Austin to play and I haven't played in a while. So I played last night in Honolulu and we didn't let anybody know. And like 4,000 people showed up on the beach. But it was fun. I mean, I love that. But I did it by myself, acoustic. I learned a lot of that from Jerry Jeff and other people that were instrumental in being great solo performers, because before we ever had bands, we couldn't afford bands. We had to go out there and be the band. And it's easy to get sidetracked by overproduction and big numbers and in the big show.
Now, I love doing the big show. I really do. It's like the circus. But I still think, as a performer, being true to myself, I still have to challenge myself to go back to that chord-basic, acoustic 101 thing and make sure I can do it. I love doing it. And I do it -- and that's the great thing now. I mean, now, I'm lucky enough to be at that point where, yeah, I can go out and do a major tour and draw as many people as the top other acts in the country, but still, I can come do Jerry Jeff's thing or I can go to Waikiki and play on the beach.

Q Do you see playing acoustic by yourself as a solo artist as kind of a challenge, even after everything you've accomplished?
A I think it's the biggest challenge. I think you've got to be able to go back there and do it, because it's easy not to. I mean, for other people. For me, it's not. I challenge myself because if I'm any good, I still have to be able to do that, because that's where you learn to be an entertainer. Because there's nothing else there. You can't hide behind a bank of amps. You can't sing to a track. And you better be funny and you better be entertaining or nobody's going to pay to see you and they will fire you. And that's the school out of which I came.
I think as long as I can be true to myself as a performer and play at that level and challenge myself and still know that I can deal with a heckler, I can do this. It reflects in the big show as well, because, there are nights that I have no idea how I do what I do. You know, I look around and I just have to laugh. I mean, sometimes I get out there and I go, God almighty, look at this. You just have to enjoy it and appreciate it. And I do. I think it's amazing. I never have anticipated it going this long. I just was doing what I thought was my job.

Q What motivates you? You could buy Miami! Haha -You can quit now and have fun, but what keeps you going?
A I think what it is is the fact that, if you make the commitment to come out here and try to do this, it's not known for job security. You know, the people that make it, as opposed to the people that would like to make it, my God, the percentage is, I don't know what. It's like wining the lottery or something. But I think it takes a combination of a couple of things. You've got to have a work ethic. You've got to be willing work. You've got to have a little bit of talent and you've got to have a lot of luck. And two out of the three won't get you there. And somehow or another, I was able to -- if you work hard enough and long enough, you'll get lucky. And if you've got any kind of talent -- you know, I'm a fair singer, I'm a fair guitar player. I mean, it's not my strong suit. But I'm a good entertainer. So I know what my strong suit is. I can hire a good guitar player. I mean, I didn't need to be one when I was doing it by myself. So -- you put it all together and you try and all of a sudden, you say, okay, I'm going to make this commitment to come out there and do this. And you basically abandon everything you've ever been taught by your parents and everything about security and all that, because that's what everybody else does.
When you go out there and commit to be a performer, you're putting your ass out on a limb. And in doing so, you've got to make some sacrifices
The process of that occurring is long and hard. I remember quite vividly the first ten years of my career, when nobody cared who I was or what I was doing. So what drives me now that I've got all that success-- Are those years, I'm not going to stop until they drive me off the stage, I put in time when nobody cared who I was, what I did, and I had to work really hard to get people to like me. So am I going to walk away from 30,000 people who like me? I don't think so. And as long as I'm doing a good job -- and that's what it is. I don't really care about reviews anymore. I don't care whether critics like what we do on stage or like what we do on records. I really care about the fans who pay the money to buy the record or pay the money to see the show and get a true evening's enjoyment out of our show or get an enjoyment out of the record. That's all that matters to me.
And when I look out there and all of a sudden we're not selling out year after year and it's down -- all of a sudden we go, oh, my God, we're two-thirds of the house, I'll go, you know, it's been a great run. That might be when I hang it up. But it hasn't happened.

Q As long as you are still having fun and making it a good experience - the crowds will see that and they will keep coming. Making it a positive experience is what makes it special.
A It's the most important thing, because that's where it is. I sat up there and looked at Jerry Jeff. I said, Look at him up there, boogying his ass off at 60. I'm 55 and I had already kind of projected in my mind, I'm going to do this for a couple more years. Two more years and then I'm going to slide in and do things that I want, little shows and yada, yada. And there's Jerry Jeff at 60 doing it. I'm at least here till 60. So that's five more years I'm going to be doing this. At least.

Q It's Jerry Jeff's birthday, 60th birthday. You guys have been pals for a long time. What do you get a friend that you've had for this long on his 60th birthday? Is it your presence here?
A I gave him that -- I played him that song tonight, because that was a totally inspired moment - that wasn't planned. Jerry Jeff dedicated the show to Fred Neal and he was -- if people don't know, was just a great singer that influenced Jerry Jeff and I to an immense degree. And Jerry Jeff turned me on to Fred Neal. And I met Freddie through Jerry Jeff. And everybody has to have their heroes. And whether you know him or not, I mean, everybody has a hero. And certainly, Freddie was our hero. And when Jerry Jeff did that song and Freddie -- he had a bad run in the business, and he was screwed over by a lot of people. And he justifiably decided to go his own way and become a recluse.
I tell you what, when I was sitting there broke in Miami, Florida, without a dime. I may have had about ten bucks in my pocket and no job and couldn't go back and had nowhere to turn. And I told Jerry Jeff, I said, "I'm just here." Without thinking about it, he said, "Well, come on, and you can just stay at my place." And he fed me and put a roof over my head and kind of gave me a sense of belonging, which gave me the confidence to go on at a point where I was about to pack it up. And that is something, I think, that only he and I know about. And it's great to be able to share it in a humorous state, but that's what bonds us together. I never forgot that. And that's why I wouldn't have thought twice about not being at Jerry Jeff's 60th birthday party. I'm going to get him a present, but I'm not going to tell everybody on the radio. But it was great because when we were talking later, he said something that I realized, aha, I know what to get him.

Q What about the train story Toad shared with all of us tonight?
A Well, the great thing about that was that Jerry Jeff told me, and I'd forgotten about John Andrews, who I knew as Toad. And Toad was the guitar player for Tracy Nelson's first band, Mother Earth. And they were the hot, hip band in Nashville. Now, as a participant of this story, I don't remember much about it. I don't remember shooting the flares off over the St. Louis bridge, but I'm sure if Toad said I did, I did it. And I loved it. I hadn't seen Toad in 25 years. But he said he had this whole prepared thing. And then when we got up there -- and I looked over there and saw him and I knew we were going to Railroad and Lady. He was just sitting under the tree. And I went up and said, "Toad, how's it going under that tree?" And it couldn't have been more perfect. I mean, that's where you can't buy or prepare for that kind of timing. And that's when there's magic to this and there was magic up there, because he started telling the story and I looked at the audience and they were mesmerized. And hell, Jerry Jeff and I were, it was like listening to Mr. Spock tell you the story, because he had every vivid and exact detail about everything. And so I just enjoyed the story. And he busted both Jerry Jeff and I because as the embellishers that we are, you can go, well, this is added in. No, no, that's not the way it happened. I went, okay. I honestly don't -- I mean, I remember parts of that train ride. I remember I had a very good time.

Q Well, what about your new album? I saw the original cover. And I love your quote. "only I would put my ass on a camel in a turban." How ironic. 9-11 happens and you chose to postpone the release date. And you decided not to bring it out to the public until the spring.
A I thought it was in bad taste at the time. But it was never intended -- I mean, it was a great -- it's a hilarious photograph.

Q I loved the original cover. So it is too bad that it happened right then. But I love the cover you have now, of course too--
A If you're plugged into what's happening, it would have been in bad taste to even think about doing it. And so, it was no mad dash to get it out. And I just thought, we worked long and hard on this record to make it. And the whole point was to make it for Christmas release. And then the world blew up. But you know what? You go on. I mean, the world hadn't blown up. It didn't blow up. And life goes on. And I think what I learned about it is going back after 9-11 out on the road. I know how happy people are to see us when we come to town. And it makes us happy to perform. And I think that's the magic that keeps me going. But there was an intensity of almost a need to get out and have fun after 9-11. I'm already starting to work on the next one.

Q Where were you on 9-11? I know that you used to live in New York -- or you have a house in New York. So you're tied to the city.
A Yeah, I was on tour. I was in Chicago. We had just finished a show in Madison, Wisconsin. We had an off day in Chicago. And we were on our way to Indianapolis to play a show. And so we postponed, we didn't cancel. And -- of course, nobody knew what was going on. And I went home to New York. And two weeks later, I said, you know, "I think enough time has passed. People are going to still want to go out." -- Floyd Bucket once said, "Humor is the absence of terror and terror is the absence of humor." And I believe that. And the great thing, to me, about America is that people can go out and do that. I mean, that's one of the greatest freedoms is our ability to go out and entertain ourselves. You start trying to take that away from me and we will fucking kill you. So, you know, if you try to take away that freedom of being able to enjoy yourself, and I think that I see that every night, that people -- they're coming out to the shows. I went down and visited the fire precincts after 9-11 and I went to Ground Zero, which was kind of an amazing thing in and of itself. But then to go back out on the road, the amazing thing to me out of all of it was that I didn't know how the crowd was going to react. And this is after Letterman went on and everybody else. So I just decided to go on with my life and try to figure out what to do with it. And part of that was performing. And everybody came back out. And the audience lit me up. And I realized, I mean, everybody -- and what they were saying was, you know, they're not taking this away from us. To hell with this. You know, this is who we are and this is what we do.

Q I mean, everything that came out of America at that. I've never seen patriotism like I saw after 9-11. And I'm sorry that it took this to bring it out. It's something that I've never experience before. A lot of artists developed a song from the tragedy and the terrorists attacks. Did you come up with a song?
A No, to me there's a point where there's a true sense of duty, honor and country here. And then, unfortunately, in our situation, I mean, people can wrap themselves way too tightly in the flag, I think, and cash in on it. And unfortunately, that's happened. And it just was enough in and of itself that I didn't feel that I wanted to write anything about it. I mean, I wrote one story about driving across America that day, because I had to get on a bus because we couldn't fly the plane. And we drove across country and I hadn't been on a bus in a long time and what it felt like. And just my own reflections of it, but I haven't published it or anything.
But you know, my sense of songwriting is not to go for the predictable. And whether it was terrorist attack on 9-11 or anything else that inspires, I've always been a songwriter, I hope, that I looked for the quirky, different angle to things. And so the easiest thing to do would be go write a song about 9-11. And I just wouldn't -- it doesn't interest me.

Q Everyone loves your songs because they're sing-along songs, they're happy songs. Cheeseburger in Paradise, Margaritaville and so many others.
A I was just writing about things that kind of -- you know, the different angle. If you take Margaritaville in Austin, that was just written about -- that was before margaritas were even popular as a drink. Cheeseburger in Paradise was written about starving on a boat for ten days and in the middle of the ocean and just desperately wanting something decent to eat after being beat to hell by this storm in the Caribbean and coming into a port and a new restaurant had just opened. And they had cheeseburgers in them. I mean, I remember how incredibly good that cheeseburger tasted. So, there's real authenticity behind even those songs. And what they became after that, I mean, that's what happens when you're in this business. They're not your songs after that. I mean, I think that's one thing that you -- as an artist, you can't hold on to this stuff. It's not really a part of the profession as a writer. Once you write it, it belongs to the people that are going to listen to it. And if you think it just belongs to you, then you should be a painter, because like it or not, it's going to go out there and people are going to interpret things. I mean, people tell me stuff about what they believe the origins and the essence of what I wrote about in songs and I just laugh. No, that wasn't it. Words fit. And that was it. But if you want to believe this, go right ahead, because it is your choice." And that's what it is about, you know, those songs that have become like the standard party songs, they're -- believe it or not, there was meaning behind them.

Q My personal favorite from is Volcano. Now, I've have to ask you: What's the meaning behind that one?
A Keith Sikes started writing that song. He was a good friend of Jerry. We needed a song. We looked up and there was a volcano on the island where we were recording the song on the island of Montserrat. And Keith just started playing. And he wrote, "I don't know where I'm going to go when the volcano blows." And then we just sat up and we wrote that song in about five minutes.
And the ironic thing was that, 25 years later, that volcano blew up. And I had to go back and do a benefit concert in London for the families of Montserrat. It was a big show with McCartney and Sting and Clapton and all the people that recorded down there. Dire Straits. And I was the only American band, me and James Taylor, the only bands that had been there. And I went to London to do the song. And I realized, you know, now, it was about a serious situation where this volcano had blown up and destroyed the town of Plymouth, the main city on this island. So my little kind of festive lyrics didn't really fit this occasion. And I had to go back there and rewrite that song that night. And it scared me to death because I didn't know whether I'd remember the words or not. So those things happen. And Volcano was written in one of the most fun times and also one of the most bizarre times. You talk about not telling the stories. The recording of the album "Volcano" is one that one day I will write that one down, because it goes beyond belief that we actually ever got that record done. It's like tonight. It is one of the most hilarious things, I think, in all my years of everything I've done. The recording of that album and what went in and what happened there and how we got out of there, is a story. I mean, it could be a movie, because people would not believe it.

Q Okay. Then I need a copy of that when you decide to publish that.
A I'll tell it one day. I will write it down one day. We've got to be old and -- there's still some people could be incriminated right now.

Q Thank you so, so much for doing this. You just came in from Honolulu and played one of the most incredible shows I've ever seen. And sitting here with you right now is by far, as a Parrothead, a highlight of all times. Thank you, I appreciate it.
A Well, thank you very much. I'm glad I could do it. And it's certainly fun to be back in Austin. And I'll tune you guys in on the Internet.

(End of interview.)