Story of Iconic '70s Singer Once 'Stealing a Taxi Cab' Ends With Epic Surprise

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Story of Iconic '70s Singer Once 'Stealing a Taxi Cab' Ends With Epic Surprise originally appeared on Parade.

It's been nearly 2 years since legendary singer Jimmy Buffett passed away, and for all of us Parrotheads who loved him and his music, the world just hasn't been the same since. There truly was just nobody like him. He was an iconic singer, songwriter, novelist, entertainer, husband, father, dog lover, friend, pilot, and of course, the son of a son of a sailor.

One of his best pals and fellow musicians, Mac McAnally, recently appeared on Dillon Weldon's Drifting Cowboy podcast, and he was asked to share his "favorite Jimmy Buffett story."

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And while there have to be dozens, if not hundreds, to choose from, the one McAnally recalled is so great, people who listened to the episode will re-tell it for years to come.

Just wait until you hear about the night that Buffett indulged his impulsive side and randomly stole a taxi cab.

Is this the most Jimmy Buffett thing you've ever heard, or what?

As McAnally explained, "He's got a song called 'Boat Drinks,' and it's about not wanting to be in cold weather, and he never wanted to be in cold weather. But he was in Boston, and one of the Bruins had a sports bar. And he's sittin' in the sports bar, and it was freezing and it was snowing. An ad came on about cheap flights to the Caribbean..."

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McAnally continued, "And he's just like, 'I'm going.' So just like that song says, that's what was happening. He decided he was going. Back then, you could just go to the airport and get a ticket to somewhere. So he said, 'I'm going to the airport.'

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And this is where the story really gets good.

"He went out to get a cab. There was a cab line right outside the bar, but the front cab, the driver wasn't in it... Jimmy stole the cab. He got in the cab, he drove it to Boston airport, got out of it, left it running with the keys in it... went in, and bought a ticket to St. Somewhere."

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OMG. This is just so classic. And what a cool surprise that his spontaneous moment inspired a beloved hit song.

One person who saw this video said, "This is the best thing I have ever heard. God, I loved JB," and those are my exact sentiments as well. He was just absolutely the best, and this story made my entire day, if not my week, if not my year.

The best part of the whole deal is, he never got caught! Honestly, I'd expect nothing less from this absolute legend.

And there you have it. If you've been singing "Boat Drinks" for years while thinking, "I gotta fly to St. Somewhere," now you know that Buffett did EXACTLY that. Oh, and now the line, "Visitors just scored on the home rink" makes so much more sense!

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This story will live rent free in my head for so many years to come, and I'll always laugh about it.

On that note, it's 5 o'clock somewhere. Time to pour myself a boat drink.

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Story of Iconic '70s Singer Once 'Stealing a Taxi Cab' Ends With Epic Surprise first appeared on Parade on Jul 8, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.