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.
Whispers of the waves
Buck 65 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am the light on the water, and you are moving underneath
I am the rail, you are the sea...
I don′t know what I'm even looking at,
Don′t know what's even happening...
Higher than the moon, deeper than the seas
All above the truth, people of the keys
Enemies remorse
Infinitely dark, zero gravity
Welcome your despair, but develop hope
Sharpen up your blade, cut the devils throat
Look it in the eye, wonder what it is
Fire in the sky, and on the water wind
Turning of the tides, learning of the why's
Burning of the eyes, yearning of the cries
Save the second five drifters and the slaves,
Listen to the rain, whispers of the waves
Calling of the stars, elegant eclipse
Voices of the ghosts, skeletons of ships
Digging deeper down, crawling out above
Shifting of the sands, falling out of love.
It doesn′t take much...
It doesn′t take much...
To ruin a moment like this...
Feed me your agonies, your riches and voices
Trespass against me, but offer me choices
Stronger than fire, the cancer is slow
Your tears are like mine,
But the answer is no.
Feed me your agonies, your riches and voices
Trespass against me, but offer me choices
Stronger than fire, the cancer is slow
Your tears are like mine,
But the answer is no.
Nothingness of days, preachers of the sleep
Diamonds on the surface, creatures of the deep
Forbidden is the truth, permission to believe
Reaching out for hope, fishermen and thieves
Ruining the future, dealing with the past
Deeper than the floor, ceiling made of glass
Merciless and cold, miserable and moved
Blind onto the eye, invisible and blue
Cursing at the sun, yielded my advice
Open to the air, show the body ice
All we do is wait, used to do it all
Rhythm of your blood, music through a wall
Lovers without hope, strangers without things
Bodies without spirits, angels without wings
Start of something else, finality of breath
Origin of death, and melody of death
They curse your name...
(They curse my name, burst into flame)
Whisper please, please, please
(Whispering their pleas, different degrees)
People can be so mean...
They call you the drowning machine.
I am the school...
(Screws that turn, only till it burns)
You are the sea...
(Yes I am the sea, lesson in the key)
I don't know if its me moving through you, or you through me
I am the bridge...
(Bridges and spillways, all ablaze)
You are the sea...
(Yes I am the sea, lesson in the key)
I am taking on water, and you just kept on battering me.
Feed me your agonies, your riches and voices
Trespass against me, but offer me choices
Stronger than fire, the cancer is slow
Your tears are like mine,
But the answer is no.
They curse your name...
Whisper please, please, please
People can be so mean...
They call you the drowning machine.
The song "Whispers of the Waves" by Buck 65 is a poetic, introspective exploration of the complex relationship between nature and humanity, as well as the struggle for meaning and identity in the midst of life's chaos. The song's opening lines, "I am the deck, you are the sea... I am the light on the water, and you are moving underneath," sets the tone for the song's metaphorical imagery, as the singer describes his connection to the sea and the trials he faces as a part of its ebb and flow.
Throughout the song, Buck 65 reflects on themes of love, pain, and the human condition, juxtaposing images of beauty and destruction, hope and despair, and life and death. He describes the sea as both a source of inspiration and a powerful force that can overwhelm and destroy. The lines "Higher than the moon, deeper than the seas/ All above the truth, people of the keys/ Enemies remorse, heroes have a dream/ Infinitely dark, zero gravity" paint a picture of the vastness and mystery of the ocean, as well as the conflicting emotions and motivations that drive us as human beings.
The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "Feed me your agonies, your riches and voices/ Trespass against me, but offer me choices/ Stronger than fire, the cancer is slow/ Your tears are like mine, but the answer is no," conveys a sense of longing and frustration, as the singer seeks understanding and connection in a world that can be both beautiful and cruel.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the deck, you are the sea...
I am the solid foundation, and you are the ever-changing force that surrounds and moves me.
I am the light on the water, and you are moving underneath
I am the sheen on the surface of the water, and you are the powerful currents that ebb and flow beneath.
I am the rail, you are the sea...
I am the protective barrier, and you are the vast and unstoppable wave that crashes against me.
I don′t know what I'm even looking at,
Don′t know what's even happening...
I am disoriented and confused, unable to fully comprehend or understand what I am witnessing or experiencing.
Higher than the moon, deeper than the seas
All above the truth, people of the keys
Enemies remorse
Heroes have a dream
Infinitely dark, zero gravity
Welcome your despair, but develop hope
Sharpen up your blade, cut the devils throat
Look it in the eye, wonder what it is
Fire in the sky, and on the water wind
Turning of the tides, learning of the why's
Burning of the eyes, yearning of the cries
This verse is an abstract and poetic depiction of various concepts and themes, including: the idea that some things are beyond human comprehension; the notion that those in power may manipulate or conceal the truth; the presence of both despair and hope in the face of adversity; the need to be vigilant and decisive in the face of evil; the awe-inspiring nature of natural phenomena; and the intensity of emotion that can come with change and growth.
Save the second five drifters and the slaves,
Listen to the rain, whispers of the waves
Calling of the stars, elegant eclipse
Voices of the ghosts, skeletons of ships
Digging deeper down, crawling out above
Shifting of the sands, falling out of love.
This verse suggests a sense of urgency to save those who are struggling or enslaved, and to pay attention to the messages of nature and the universe. It also explores the idea of digging deeper and confronting uncomfortable truths, even when it is difficult or painful to do so.
It doesn′t take much...
It doesn′t take much...
To ruin a moment like this...
A moment that was previously peaceful, joyful, or meaningful can be destroyed or disrupted quite easily, often with very little effort or intention.
Feed me your agonies, your riches and voices
Trespass against me, but offer me choices
Stronger than fire, the cancer is slow
Your tears are like mine,
But the answer is no.
This chorus seems to suggest that the artist is willing to face and endure the pain and suffering of others, without necessarily taking ownership or responsibility for it. They are also hesitant to offer forgiveness or absolution, and may be resistant to change or compromise.
Nothingness of days, preachers of the sleep
Diamonds on the surface, creatures of the deep
Forbidden is the truth, permission to believe
Reaching out for hope, fishermen and thieves
Ruining the future, dealing with the past
Deeper than the floor, ceiling made of glass
Merciless and cold, miserable and moved
Blind onto the eye, invisible and blue
Cursing at the sun, yielded my advice
Open to the air, show the body ice
All we do is wait, used to do it all
Rhythm of your blood, music through a wall
Lovers without hope, strangers without things
Bodies without spirits, angels without wings
Start of something else, finality of breath
Origin of death, and melody of death
This verse continues the abstract and poetic exploration of a variety of themes and concepts, including: the monotony and emptiness of existence; the beauty and mystery of both the superficial and the profound; the tension between the desire for truth and the fear of it; the ways in which people cope with despair and desperation; the challenge of reconciling past and present; the fragility and vulnerability of life and emotions; and the inevitability and finality of death.
They curse your name...
(They curse my name, burst into flame)
Whisper please, please, please
(Whispering their pleas, different degrees)
People can be so mean...
They call you the drowning machine.
This section seems to be addressing someone or something that is being maligned or attacked. The intensity of the hate and opposition is contrasted with the pleas and whispers of those seeking mercy or understanding. The metaphor of a drowning machine suggests something that is both powerful and destructive, but also in some sense a victim of circumstance or design.
I am the school...
(Screws that turn, only till it burns)
You are the sea...
(Yes I am the sea, lesson in the key)
I don't know if its me moving through you, or you through me
This verse suggests a dynamic and perhaps tumultuous relationship between the singer and the sea. The metaphor of a school and the sea suggests a learning or teaching process, but also one that is finite or destructive. The sense of uncertainty and confusion regarding who or what is moving whom suggests a lack of control or agency.
I am the bridge...
(Bridges and spillways, all ablaze)
You are the sea...
(Yes I am the sea, lesson in the key)
I am taking on water, and you just kept on battering me.
This verse continues the theme of a relationship between two powerful forces. The metaphor of a bridge and the sea suggests a connection or link, but also one that is under threat or duress. The image of taking on water and being battered suggests a sense of being overwhelmed or helpless.
Writer(s): Graeme Ross Campbell, Charles Wishart Austin, Richard Terfry, Gord Downie
Contributed by Alaina C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.