Coast of Marseille

“I sat there on the Coast of Marseille…”

I don’t know if Keith Sykes ever actually sat on the coast of Marseille…

But Listening to his song, sure made me feel like he had been there.... Keith wrote it… Jimmy Buffett made it ache.

It’s which way Wednesday… I’ve decided that on Wednesdays, I’d love to hear from you about songs that remind you of places you have been. The song format doesn’t matter… Just tell me why you like this song and why it reminds you of where you’ve been...

Coming from the Alabama-Mississippi Gulf Coast, there were many nights when the breeze and my thoughts were intertwined. “The thoughts came like wind in my hand…” It was always over the girl I didn’t get… I think… such was teenaged angst for a skinny tall guy with a big nose and thick glasses…

Just like Keith Sykes protagonist in the song, I once was so deeply hurt that I had to get away… I didn’t take many vacations when I was young… Seemed like wasting time to me and I loved my work… but on this one I took off for a two week long journey around the US… this was way before cell phones… I literally disappeared off the map. I ended up in Cocoa Beach, Florida… right on the beach… and had plenty of time to think… IN the end, I realized that if someone doesn’t want you … move on… and I guess that’s what “The Coast of Marseille” is about...

Jimmy Buffett made it popular and it’s still one of my favorite songs… I later ended up in Marseille for a day… beautiful place… I walked around and hummed it to myself… I think the French people thought I was crazy…