As a kid who grew up in South Florida and spent a lot of time boating and at the beach, Jimmy Buffett was always on the stereo. I grew up a “Parakeet” aka a young “Parrothead.” My parents took me to my first Jimmy Buffett concert when I was 8 years old and to this day he remains as one of my favorites. There were many songs that we used to (and still do) sing out loud that might not have been appropriate for young age and “Parakeet ears.”

“Wasted away again in Margaritaville”- Margaritaville
What I thought was a song about being in a relaxing place with no worries in the world was actually about being drunk off of margaritas and stumbling your way back home.

“So why don't we get drunk an' screw”- Why Don't We Get Drunk
Growing up I always thought that Jimmy was singing about getting drunk at school, but I later found that he was singing about something.

“They send you off to college, try to gain a little knowledge, but all you want to do is learn how to score”- Pencil Thin Mustache
You meant score good grades, right Jimmy?

“But I don’t care, it’s five o’clock somewhere”- It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere
Jimmy and Alan Jackson say it’s okay to starting drinking at 12:30 because it’s happy hour somewhere in the world, but I didn’t know what that meant as a kid.

“Fill it up with good red wine”- Tin Cup Chalice
All I knew was that my mom loved her red wine!

Yes, there are some of Jimmy Buffett’s songs that might have some innuendos that aren’t “Parakeet-friendly,” but I wasn’t aware of this at the time, nor did I really care, I just enjoyed dancing around barefoot on the boat, or by the pool having a fun time with family and friends. However, there were plenty of songs that I sang at the top of my lungs without my parents cringing.

Cheeseburger in Paradise
Yes, Jimmy, I like mine with lettuce and tomato, but without the "big kosher pickle"... I don't think I could live without this American creation!

Fins
As a kid I had to watch out for those fins to the left and fins to the right in the South Florida waters.

Son of a Son of a Sailor
I've always considered myself the daughter of a son of a sailor.

Volcano
And after all these years I still don't know where I'm gonna go when the volcano blows!

Now that I am older, I find it comical that I grew up “wasting away Margaritaville” and I think it’s safe to say that I have matured into a “Parrothead.”