Pencil Thin Mustache
| "Pencil Thin Mustache" | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover of the German 7 " single | |||||||
| Single by Jimmy Buffett | |||||||
| from the album Living & Dying in ¾ Time | |||||||
| B-side | "Brand New Country Star" | ||||||
| Released | August 1974 | ||||||
| Format | 7-inch 45rpm | ||||||
| Recorded | Woodland Sound Studio, Nashville, Tennessee, October 1973 | ||||||
| Genre | Rock, Gulf and Western | ||||||
| Length | 02:47 | ||||||
| Label | ABC Dunhill | ||||||
| Writer(s) | Jimmy Buffett | ||||||
| Producer(s) | Don Gant | ||||||
| Jimmy Buffett singles chronology | |||||||
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"Pencil Thin Mustache" is a song written and performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released as a single (b/w "Brand New Country Star") on Dunhill D-15011 in August 1974.
It was first released on his 1974 album Living & Dying in ¾ Time. It "bubbled under" the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 101 and reached No. 44 on the Easy Listening chart.
The song narrative is a nostalgic look by Buffett back at the popular culture of his childhood. The title refers to the type of mustache worn by the film character, Boston Blackie. Buffett refers to a number of other persons, characters, and products of the period including Ricky Ricardo, Andy Devine, Sky (King)'s niece Penny, (American) Bandstand, Disneyland, Ramar of the Jungle, Bwana, flat top, dirty bop, Errol Flynn, the Sheik of Araby, and Brylcreem. It also mentioned that "only jazz musicians were smokin' marijuana".[1]
Buffett states that, "the thing about writing a song like this is that the older you get, the more people there are who need an explanation of the characters in the song. I shudder to think how old Sky King's niece Penny is today. It all started with that two-toned Ricky Ricardo jacket. I can't wait for them to come back."[2]
"Pencil Thin Mustache" is a popular song with Buffett fans and is often played at concerts but is not part of "The Big 8" that he has played at almost all of his concerts. Recorded live versions of the song appear on You Had to Be There and Buffett Live: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays.
Chart performance
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 101 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 44 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 75 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 22 |
Notes
- ↑ http://www.songlyrics.com/jimmy-buffett/pencil-thin-mustache-lyrics/
- ↑ "Pencil Thin Mustache lyrics". BuffettWorld.com. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
External links
- Lyrics at BuffettWorld.com
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics