Over 15 years, Richard has carved out a corner of hip-hop history by unraveling ornate and dust-caked yarns, often over beat-addled soundscapes, as on his seminal “Language Arts” album series (Anticon released part three, Man Overboard, in ’01), and unadorned as well (he recently became host of CBC’s “Radio 2 Drive” show). For his last record, 2007’s Situation (released on Sage Francis’ Strange Famous label), the man crafted an entire song-cycle around the narrative minutiae of 1957—Rich’s love for a good story is famous. Considering, he couldn’t have found a better partner for his latest work.
Joëlle was raised in Brussels by her Vietnamese mother, a painter and a chef, and remembers fondly the piquant scents she’d chase around mom’s restaurant. She was infatuated with the piano at her primary school, and took lessons when she wasn’t painting or tinkering with music boxes. She learned cello too, pursued photography (she’s now a successful digital video artist), and studied music theory in college, where she discovered that art-making brought back her childhood memories in vivid detail. She has magic secrets—and perhaps a touch of clairvoyance—that she put to work in creating 2006’s striking Greetings From Tuskan LP debut, Lullabies For The Warriors. To this day, there are details that even Rich doesn’t understand about Joëlle’s immaculate productions. Naturally, that’s another detail that he loves.
Bike For Three!’s constituent parts have never met in person, and they might not ever. She found him, and their story unfurls in real time along with their songs. Joëlle sends Rich music; Rich writes to the moods and movements that she’s designed; Joëlle nurtures each piece into an animate whole. Bf3! actually finds Buck 65 eschewing traditional narrative forms in favor of an intimate stream of consciousness (offset by tight rhyme cadence) that mines the craggier depths of romance both requited and out-of-reach, real and imagined (which perfectly befits Bf3!’s working relationship). The things Rich wouldn’t speak of in conversation thus become part of the conversation happening on record.
More Heart Than Brains, Bf3!’s album debut, is Buck 65’s first record to feature all electronic production. Of course, Joëlle has a few acoustic tricks up her sleeve—those music boxes from her youth, for instance—and an approach that seats her comfortably amongst such mercurial beat auteurs as Boom Bip, Modeselektor, Michna, and labelmate Alias. That Rich returns to Anticon a nearly decade later to release his most personal album yet is both an honor and the logical continuation of the label’s own story (Sage Francis did the same with Personal Journals in ’02). As for Bike For Three!, consider this Chapter One.
Lazarus Phenomenon
Bike For Three! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't matter where they went, in whichever house,
Motel, suitcases and rental cars,
Photos and empty bottles memories and mental scars.
Raising heck, surveying damages, appraising wrecks.
Long nights and fights that ended with amazing sex.
Moments that were equally quiet and uproarious.
Frequently slow dancing in the kitchen, it was glorious.
They jumped out of windows and lived like vampires.
They'd bathe in the same water, same anguish.
They spoke bad French but laughed in the same language.
The boy was an old cat and the girl was a clever mouse.
Unswimmable waters and flames they could never douse.
One minute they were millionaires, the next they'd be the poorest.
What he liked about her was that she could see the forest.
Steering clear of some troubles and averting wrongs,
They drew curtains and died together over certain songs.
Opposites, theirs was a friendship of the rare sort.
They'd steal books and talk dirty at the airport.
Evangelists amongst themselves, it was scandalous.
Company was kept by Joan of Los Angeles.
Diamonds and crying eyes, short tempers and fast drives.
Promises and unsolved mysteries and past lives...
I can't help but wonder,
Will you recognize my face?
I hope so...
Here it's perfectly dark.
The girl was a clever mouse and the boy was an old cat.
Diamonds are forever, but they were never told that.
He'd lay there beside her, awake for safekeeping
While she'd ask questions to the river while she was sleeping.
And who by accident? The emptiness had grown quick.
She stood on his shoulders but for heaven he was homesick.
Long before the end came he already missed her.
She went slowly out of focus and he died without a whisper.
And I can't help but wonder,
Will you recognize my face?
I hope so...
Here's it's perfectly dark.
The lyrics of "Lazarus Phenomenon" by Bike for Three! depict a relationship between a boy and a girl that is full of ups and downs. They go to different places, staying in motels, carrying suitcases, driving rental cars, capturing moments in photographs, and leaving behind the memories and mental scars that they accumulated during their journey. They have their fair share of fights and arguments, but they make up with some amazing sex. Despite their differences, they share some quiet, introspective moments as well. They dance together in the kitchen, bathe in the same water, and have their own quirks, such as speaking bad French but sharing the same language when it comes to laughter.
Their relationship is incredibly intense and passionate. They engage in reckless behavior, jumping out of windows and living like vampires, but they manage to steer clear of some of the troubles around them. They're opposites in many ways but share a deep bond that is a rare sort of friendship. They steal books, talk dirty at airports, and enjoy the company of Joan of Los Angeles. But their life together is not without its struggles. They go from being millionaires to the poorest and build campfires and live in unswimmable waters and flames they can never douse. They have short tempers and fast drives, and there are promises and unsolved mysteries and past lives.
As the song progresses, the lyrics take a more somber turn. The girl is described as a clever mouse, while the boy is an old cat. They have their own fears and insecurities, but they also share moments of intimacy and safety. The boy lies beside her, protecting her while she asked questions to the river while sleeping. However, their relationship gradually falls apart, and he dies without a whisper as she goes out of focus. The song ends with the boy wondering if the girl will recognize his face in the darkness, underscoring his desire for connection and the fear of ultimately being forgotten.
Line by Line Meaning
The boy was an old cat and the girl was a clever mouse.
The boy and the girl had completely different personalities, but they complemented each other perfectly.
Didn't matter where they went, in whichever house,
No matter where they travelled, they always felt at home with each other's company.
Motel, suitcases and rental cars,
Their journey was filled with temporary accommodation and frequent travel.
Photos and empty bottles memories and mental scars.
Their memories were captured in photographs and empty bottles, and they carried the emotional scars of their past experiences.
Raising heck, surveying damages, appraising wrecks.
They lived life to the fullest, embracing chaos and destruction, finding beauty in the wreckage of their adventures.
Long nights and fights that ended with amazing sex.
Their relationship was passionate and sometimes volatile, but it always ended in unforgettable intimacy.
Moments that were equally quiet and uproarious.
Their moments together ranged from calm and peaceful to wild and chaotic, but each was equally cherished.
Frequently slow dancing in the kitchen, it was glorious.
They found joy and beauty in the simple moments, often dancing in the kitchen and basking in each other's company.
Unknowns, they broke each other's bones and built camp fires.
Despite the uncertainty of their future and the occasional pain they caused each other, they still found comfort in building fires together.
They jumped out of windows and lived like vampires.
They lived life fearlessly and recklessly, embracing spontaneity and adventure like vampires living with reckless abandon.
They'd bathe in the same water, same anguish.
They shared everything, including the pain and hardships they experienced, taking care of each other even in difficult times.
They spoke bad French but laughed in the same language.
Their communication wasn't always perfect, but they understood each other on a deeper level, sharing laughter and happiness regardless of any language barrier.
Unswimmable waters and flames they could never douse.
There were some problems they faced that they knew they could never solve, no matter how hard they tried.
One minute they were millionaires, the next they'd be the poorest.
Their financial situation was unstable, with moments of wealth and moments of poverty, but it never diminished their love for each other.
What he liked about her was that she could see the forest.
He admired her ability to see the bigger picture, to look beyond the present moment and see the long-term impact of their actions.
Steering clear of some troubles and averting wrongs,
They were careful to avoid unnecessary problems and actively made an effort to do the right thing.
They drew curtains and died together over certain songs.
Their bond was so strong that even in death they remained together, united by their shared love for certain music.
Opposites, theirs was a friendship of the rare sort.
Despite their differences, they were able to form a rare and beautiful friendship filled with love and mutual understanding.
They'd steal books and talk dirty at the airport.
They found joy in the small moments, stealing books and engaging in playful conversation even in the most mundane of settings like an airport.
Evangelists amongst themselves, it was scandalous.
They were passionate about their own beliefs and ideas, which caused some scandalous situations between just the two of them.
Company was kept by Joan of Los Angeles.
They found comfort in the company of each other and the memories they shared in Los Angeles.
Diamonds and crying eyes, short tempers and fast drives.
Their relationship was full of both beautiful and difficult moments, with tears, arguments, and moments of intense passion.
Promises and unsolved mysteries and past lives...
Their relationship was marked by promises for the future, unsolved mysteries from the past, and the knowledge that they would always carry their past lives with them.
I can't help but wonder,
The artist is filled with curiosity and uncertainty.
Will you recognize my face?
The singer wonders if they will be remembered and if their presence in the world will leave a lasting impact.
I hope so...
Despite the uncertainty, the singer holds onto hope for recognition and remembrance.
Here it's perfectly dark.
The singer is in a dark and unknown place, perhaps symbolic of their own uncertainty and lack of clarity.
Contributed by Caden W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
h4b17
"They drew curtains and died together over certain songs" - this, and "spoke bad french but laughed in the same language" show this song is about Buck's ex wife, Claire Berest. They wrote and sang Drawing Curtains, from the Secret House LP together. This line feels very poignant to me, the sense that this man's art really does reflect his life and heartbreaks in a very palpable way. This song makes me unutterably sad at times.
Kevin Faltin
I heard this song for the first time around 2016-17, but had completely forgotten about it. Now, a few months back, some fragmented parts of the lyrics popped into my mind. So I started searching, it took me a while but I eventually found it. I hope there's still some people listening to this song, it's quite beautiful and poetic, a bit wierd but charming. May y'all have an interesting year and decade.
Gemma Guard
amazing in every way possible. this song is probably one of the best i've ever heard.
Scott Silvey
Thank you so much for uploading this. They had this on their Myspace probably a year ago, and I have been wanting to listen to this ever since I originally heard it. It's amazing how Buck can sound so good over any type of background music.
Matt
I am in love with this song! Its so damn good
Sonja Lange
This track is amazing. Big Ups!
h4b17
Lazarus phenomenon: a man ripped to shreds, killed, by the trainwreck that became of the love of his life, but rose again from the dead to live and love again. I think it's fucking powerful and among his best work.
opyner
Music like this is the epic poetry of our time.
empyrealsiren
Thanks for uploading this! Would it be possible to cut off the last two minutes? The song ends at 2:45. Either way, it's staying on my playlist, thanks again!
Estevan.
this is just way too beautiful. wow