Terfry is also a host at CBC Radio 3, with hosting a program on the CBC Radio 3 website's web radio station during weekdays. In addition, he will be the host of the weekday 3-6pm CBC Radio 2 show beginning in the fall of 2008.
Early career and influences
Terfry was born in 1972 and raised in Mount Uniacke, a rural community outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was first exposed to rap music in the mid-1980s while listening to CBC Radio's late night show Brave New Waves, and then by listening to Halifax campus community radio station CKDU. CKDU then broadcast at only 33 watts, and he had to climb a tree in his yard to hear the station's hip hop show on his cheap transistor radio. Fascinated by hip hop, the young Terfry taught himself how to rap, DJ, and, later, to produce records. His musical influences include MC Shan, David Lynch, Gitche Manitou, and Kool Keith.
Using the moniker DJ Critical, he later hosted a hip-hop show on CKDU called "The Bassment" (later renamed "The Treatment Program", when he assumed the stage name Jesus Murphy), which aired for several years. This period overlapped with many of his non-major-label releases.
Stage Names
Buck 65 has also used a number of other stage names including Johnny Rockwell, Stinkin' Rich, Haslam, and Uncle Climax. These pseudonyms typically represent different characters in his raps (as in Uncle Climax, Johnny Rockwell and Stinkin' Rich) or different aspects of Buck's creativity (as noted above, DJ Critical was his DJ name on CKDU.) Rumours abound that Buck 65's alias comes from his childhood nickname of Buck and his weight of 165 pounds; possibly the pseudonym comes from the weight of the first buck he shot or the $1.65 standard bus fare for Halifax Regional Municipality riders. He has been known to say on stage, "They call me Buck 65... I don't know why." Buck 65's website mentioned previously that he was named after his uncle's 1965 Buick automobile ("'65 Buick" is a track on the Synesthesia album); he performed a show under that name but the promoter mistakenly wrote the name as it is now spelled.
Recently Buck 65 has recorded an EP under the name of Dirk Thornton alongside Irishman DJ Flip, it was scheduled for release early 2007 but the date was not set.
The first release under Dirk Thornton will be a 7" single with the tracks "Yesterday's News" and "Catwalk".
He is also involved in an online collaboration with "Greetings From Tuskan" auteur Joëlle Phuong Minh Lê, as Bike For Three, though a release is yet unforthcoming.
Early releases
In 1993, he released his first cassette of rap tunes while performing under the alias Stinkin' Rich on the Halifax label No Records. The five song cassette was titled Chin Music, which was a reference to his past interest in baseball. The release brought Stinkin' Rich to the attention of members of Halifax alternative rock band Sloan. Sloan signed him to their independent record label Murderecords and released a 7" single and a full length cassette called Game Tight, again featuring a reference to baseball. (Terfry has often stated in interviews that in his teens he had been scouted to play for the New York Yankees but that the death of the talent scout coupled with an injury had caused the deal to fall through)
After a brief break, Terfry returned reconstituted as Buck 65, releasing Language Arts on cassette and the 12" single Wildlife Trilogy, followed by Vertex, which included his popular song "The Centaur." He recorded Sebutonedef (released in 1996 by Funtrip Records) as a collaboration with fellow Halifax artist Sixtoo. Other releases by the duo, known as the Sebutones, are Psoriasis and 50/50 Where It Counts. While still far from mainstream success, he received several odd jobs in Canada's entertainment industry, including making soundtrack music and providing narration for a TV commercial for NBA apparel, and song lyrics for the popular children's program Sesame Street. During a live performance Buck 65 told a story in which he attributed why he was chosen for Sesame Street to three things; his upstanding lifestyle of not drinking, smoking, or doing drugs, his intelligence that wasn't too intelligent for the kids, and Sesame Street's assumption that he was a virgin.
Man Overboard, originally released on the anticon. label, was a significant turning point in his career. The record, and the entire anticon. collective (of which Sixtoo was also a part), were considered hallmarks of a new avant-garde movement in underground hip hop. It was at this time that Buck met Cincinnati DJ Mr. Dibbs who inducted him into the 1200 Hobos, a loosely-knit hip-hop collective named for their proficiency in manipulating the Technics 1200 turntable.
Critical Acclaim
Many of his early projects attracted attention after they were re-released, first on the independent Metaforensics label and subsequently by Warner Music Canada. While Buck 65 has gained critical acclaim and worldwide exposure through his major label deal, commercial success has escaped him. Although Warner's worldwide affiliates distribute his records, Warner USA does not. After a deal was signed with V2 USA, This Right Here Is Buck 65 was released in the States, a sort of "Best of" that was marketed as an introduction to his work. However after V2 chose not to release his next effort, Secret House Against the World, the deal was amicably dissolved. Since then Buck 65 was signed onto Strange Famous Records where he's planning on taking over hip-hop with Sage Francis. His latest release is titled "Situation".
Buck's most recent albums have gradually moved away from his original 'pure' hip-hop sound into territory influenced by folk, blues and electronica, with some even comparing elements of his sound to Tom Waits. Some of Buck 65's music is used on the Canadian show Trailer Park Boys, frequently in the character Julian's car. He gained additional recognition in 2006 when he appeared at the national Juno Awards with Pamela Anderson.
Kerrang! “Controversy”
In August 2004, he sparked controversy in the underground hip-hop world over comments he made to an interviewer in Kerrang! magazine. Buck was quoted as saying:
“I now hate hip hop, the more I’ve educated myself about music, the more I’ve grown to hate it. I don’t use that word lightly, either.”
In response, former anticon. label-mate Sage Francis (in a post on his website) stated that
"Buck has had his head up his arse for many years now."
Buck later wrote in a letter to Exclaim!:
“I’m apologizing for all that. I lost my cool on tape which is never good. The journalist was provoking me, calling me a sell-out and a whore. I was trying to make a point by playing devil’s advocate, but I went way overboard. No hint of irony or role-playing or intelligence came across in the story. Now I just look like an idiot. I take it back. I don’t really believe any of that. I don’t think being able to read music is a concern. Most of my favourite music was made by non-educated musicians. It doesn’t matter. I still have heavy criticisms of most hip hop, but I really didn’t make them well on this particular day. I put my foot in my mouth and I’m apologizing for that."
Dirty Work
Buck 65 released a 5 song digital EP called "Dirty Work". It was released over a month long campaign, adding one song per week for free download via his MySpace page. All five tracks are still available for download on his official website. The EP comes with artwork drawn by Buck himself, and the tracks are all b-sides from the full length record 'Situation'.
Situation to present
Buck 65 released the album Situation on October 30th, 2007, on Strange Famous Records in the US and Warner Music worldwide. The album is a concept album based around the year 1957, and is a return to a more 'pure' hip-hop sound than the previous blues, country and avant-garde influences in Secret House Against the World. It was produced by fellow Halifax DJ Skratch Bastid, aimed at making a "classic hip-hop record that pulses with joy and clarity of purpose".
Buck 65 is currently working on a new album which, judging from live material, will feature much more prominent electronic beats than before. Additionally, Buck 65's collaboration project with "Greetings From Tuskan" auteur Joëlle Phuong Minh Lê, Bike for Three!, has its debut album completed for release in early 2009.
He has been a host of CBC Radio 3's web radio for the past year, and recently accepted daily hosting duties on CBC Radio 2's national radio beginning fall 2008.
She Said Yes
Buck 65 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a single pair of shooting stars
messages in bottles, a signal flare
the ledge appears, eyes insinuate a pledge of years
middle of nowhere, she met me at the edge of tears
the wild west, beguiled less
a child blessed, styled dressed
I asked and she smiled yes
surrounded by dead silent couples we breakfasted.
She knows the way, I'm a foreign ambassador
I was a window, in a door in a passenger
lights on Elizabeth, early nights and vaccinations
out of the blue, the birds flew like accusations
from telephone wires that crisscross the wild sky
climbing her staircase to her bedroom a mile high
trips that begun, from the tip of the tongue
new moon, a total eclipse of the sun.
And she said yes.
She said yes.
She said yes.
She said yes.
She said yes.
She said yes.
Lonely hearts club, a committee of privates
heart shaped waters in a city of pirates
hideouts and how much depends of the worth
philosophers walk to the ends of the earth.
And she said yes.
She said yes.
She said yes.
She said yes.
She said yes.
She said yes.
She said yes.
The lyrics of "She Said Yes" by Buck 65 tell a story of two people who have been communicating through different forms of writing, such as messages in bottles, signal flares, and letters. They decided to finally meet in person and had breakfast together, surrounded by silent couples. The singer describes himself as a foreign ambassador who was once just a window in a passenger door, and the woman he met seems to know her way around. They embark on trips together and share intimate moments, like climbing up to her bedroom that is a mile high. The chorus repeats the simple but powerful words, "She said yes," which implies that they're in a committed relationship.
The song's narrative style is simple yet poetic, and the lyrics are peppered with vivid imagery that evokes a sense of adventure and romance. The singer describes the woman as being at the edge of tears when they first met, which reinforces the idea that this relationship is meaningful and emotional. The reference to the wild west, with its connotations of untamed nature and a spirit of exploration, serves as a fitting metaphor for the couple's journey.
Overall, "She Said Yes" is a song that celebrates the joy of falling in love and taking risks, and the chorus delivers a simple but powerful message that conveys the singer's excitement and happiness about this new relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
She wrote back, too alone
She responded to me while feeling lonely and isolated
a single pair of shooting stars
Two unique and special individuals, brought together by fate
messages in bottles, a signal flare
Desperate attempts to connect, to be noticed and found
the ledge appears, eyes insinuate a pledge of years
A moment of truth arrives, and a promise of a long-term commitment is implied through eye contact
middle of nowhere, she met me at the edge of tears
Despite feeling isolated and emotionally fragile, she came to meet me in a remote location
the wild west, beguiled less
A reference to the dangers and harshness of the wilderness, but with less deception and trickery present
a child blessed, styled dressed
Feeling fortunate like a child, while being well dressed for a special occasion
I asked and she smiled yes
I proposed to her, and she accepted with a smile
requested, my eyes close and neck rested
After asking for her hand, I take a moment to relax and savor the moment
surrounded by dead silent couples we breakfasted.
Amidst other couples who were quiet and seemingly disconnected, we had a peaceful breakfast
She knows the way, I'm a foreign ambassador
She is familiar with the territory, while I feel like a stranger, an outsider
I was a window, in a door in a passenger
I was an observer, a spectator, in someone else's world
lights on Elizabeth, early nights and vaccinations
Specific details about the place and time, possibly hinting at a romantic memory
out of the blue, the birds flew like accusations
A sudden, unexpected event occurred that felt like a condemnation or guilt-trip
from telephone wires that crisscross the wild sky
Phone lines spreading all over the vast and free sky, perhaps reflecting the expansive nature of technology
climbing her staircase to her bedroom a mile high
Either literally climbing a high staircase, or figuratively overcoming obstacles to reach a symbolic high point
trips that begun, from the tip of the tongue
Journeys that started with a simple, spoken word
new moon, a total eclipse of the sun.
A moment of darkness and change, with a new beginning on the horizon
Lonely hearts club, a committee of privates
A group of people who are alone and searching for love, lacking a sense of authority or rank
heart shaped waters in a city of pirates
A seemingly loving place that is actually full of danger and deceit
hideouts and how much depends of the worth
The value of one's hiding place, and how much one is willing to invest or risk
philosophers walk to the ends of the earth.
People who question and search for meaning will go to great lengths and distances to find it
She said yes.
The culmination of all these experiences, leading to a successful proposal and a happy moment
Contributed by Bailey H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.