Sound
Coming out during a time when rock music was dominated by post-grunge, nu-metal, and alternative rock, Buckcherry performed a sleazy Rock N' Roll that was more inspired by AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, and Black Crowes than Nirvana and Pearl Jam. On their debut record, they successfully trod heavy metal territory while managing to stay hard rock, while on Time Bomb, the band took their sleaze to an extreme with an excess of profanity and attitude.
History
Buckcherry was formed after Josh Todd met guitarist Keith Nelson through their tattoo artist after discovering a common love of AC/DC. The duo made a few demos before being joined by bassist Jonathan Brightman and drummer Devon Glenn. Buckcherry began preforming the Hollywood club scene, recieving a strong, local following due to their old school Rock N' Roll vibe.
The band added a second guitarist, Yogi, and were signed to DreamWorks Records shortly after. The band released their self titled debut in 1999 to critical praise. The album, produced by Terry Date, who produced albums for Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone, and Pantera, and ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones, produced three modern rock chart hits with the singles, Lit Up, Check Your Head, and For The Movies.
The band's profile had been raised by summer 2000 with help from touring and decided to release their follow up album Time Bomb in 2001. The album was considered a disappointment after the very promising debut by many critics, and naturally, didn't fare as well as the first on the charts. The All Music Guide noted that "For a second record, it's surprising how jaded and nihilistic they are already."
Buckcherry performed opening dates for heroes AC/DC in the spring and recieved increased fanfare. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Josh Todd left the band to pursue a solo career in July 2002, leading to the bands demise.
The band was held on ice for over two years while Todd pursued a solo career. The post-grunge solo effort You Made Me turned out to be a failure, leading to Todd and Nelson to reform Buckcherry in early 2005. Joined by rhythm guitarist Stevie D., bassist Jimmy Ashhurst, and drummer Xavier Muriel, the band recorded their third album Fifteen and released it exclusively in Japan.
The band had been asked to open for Mõtley Crūe for a Japanese leg in December 2005, and began a headlining club tour in Spring 2006 a few weeks prior to the release of their third album, Fifteen. The album debuted at No.48 on the Billboard Top 200, selling over 26,000 copies in its 1st week. In May 2006, it was announced that the band had signed a deal with Atlantic Records via long-term deal with Eleven Seven Music. Their latest album is now being marketed by Lava/Atlantic, and reached a new peak of #41 on the Billboard Top 200 in the August 19, 2006 issue.
With "Crazy Bitch", Buckcherry gained their second major mainstream hit (following "Lit Up"), as the song hit #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart, #13 on Modern Rock, and became the first Buckcherry song to cross over to the Billboard Hot 100, where it hit #59, and also landed at #52 on the Billboard Pop 100, and #37 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart. The song's success was largely driven by its success on the radio, as MTV rejected the band's initial video, demanding more than 80 cuts.
On Tuesday, May 30th, 2006, after a fan-made video for "Crazy Bitch" spread across the internet, the band, in a posting that appeared on their MySpace and Buckcherry.com, announced that they were accepting submissions from fans with their own videos, and would feature more interpretations of "Crazy Bitch" in the weeks to come. The original fan video was later submitted to MTV, before being passed over in favor of an edited version of the original clip, with added live footage.
Helpless
Buckcherry Lyrics
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Because I don't want to hear my life go by
Sing me a song
And let the melody dance through our hearts tonight
And if you face it you'll find that,
The love we can make is so strong
Forget what they're saying
See the city at night
See the street life the restaurants, the passer by's
Somebody's home
To the shower they go clean the stress away
Is anyone out there
To the heartbreak station
I'm gone
Forget what they're saying
Stay true to yourself and move on
I don't want to live my life today
I'm all out of love and I'm tired of changing.
I hope you could help pass the time away
Is anyone out there
To the heartbreak station
I'm gone
I fell out of love this time again
I can't stand one more fight
I'm too tired and crazy
I know someday I will be strong again
Forget what they're saying
To the heartbreak station
I'm gone
Heartbreak station I'm gone
Heartbreak station I'm gone
Heartbreak station I'm gone
I don't want to live my life today
I'm all out of love and I'm tired of changing.
I hope you could help pass the time away
Is anyone out there
To the heartbreak station
I'm gone
I fell out of love this time again
I can't stand one more fight
I'm too tired and crazy
I know someday I will be strong again
Forget what they're saying
Stay true to yourself
They'll laugh and they'll praise you
And find all the guilt
Is anyone out there
To the heartbreak station
I'm gone
The song Helpless by Buckcherry is an emotional plea for comfort and understanding. The lyrics express a feeling of being lost and desperate for someone to sing them a song to distract them from the pain of daily life. The hope is that the melody can dance through their hearts and remind them that there is still beauty in the world.
The song also touches on the struggles of relationships and the hurt that is caused when love fades. The singer has fallen out of love and is tired of the constant fighting, but also recognizes that someday they will be strong again.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of disconnect from the world around them. The singer references the city at night and the people going about their lives, but still feels alone and helpless. The repeated line of "Is anyone out there to the heartbreak station, I'm gone" emphasizes this feeling of being lost and isolated.
Line by Line Meaning
Sing me a song
Ask someone to sing him a song.
Because I don't want to hear my life go by
He doesn't want to listen to his life go by without any special moments.
Sing me a song
Asks again for someone to sing him a song.
And let the melody dance through our hearts tonight
Asks for a song that would make them happy and dance to the melody tonight.
And if you face it you'll find that,
Trying to encourage someone to face himself/herself.
The love we can make is so strong
Their relationship is so strong that they can overcome any obstacle.
Forget what they're saying
Ignore what other people say about them and their relationship.
Stay true to yourself and move on
Remain true to oneself and move forward in life despite what others say.
See the city at night
Observe the city at night.
See the street life the restaurants, the passer by's
Observe the street life, restaurants, and people walking by.
Somebody's home
Someone has returned home after a long day.
To the shower they go clean the stress away
They take a shower to relieve themselves of the day's stress.
Is anyone out there
Asking if anyone is there to listen to his problems.
To the heartbreak station
Referring to a place where people go after experiencing heartbreak.
I'm gone
He has left the place where he was before.
I don't want to live my life today
He doesn't want to live life the way it is today.
I'm all out of love and I'm tired of changing.
He has lost all his love and is tired of the constant changes in his life.
I hope you could help pass the time away
He wants someone to help divert his attention from the current situation and pass the time.
I fell out of love this time again
He ended a loving relationship yet again.
I can't stand one more fight
He can't handle another argument with his partner.
I'm too tired and crazy
He is mentally and physically exhausted from the relationship's turmoil.
I know someday I will be strong again
He hopes that someday he will find the strength to overcome his problems.
They'll laugh and they'll praise you
Others will try to make fun of him and criticize his actions.
And find all the guilt
Others will try to make him feel guilty for his decisions.
Is anyone out there
He is still asking if someone is there for him.
To the heartbreak station
Referring to the place people go to when heartbroken.
I'm gone
He has left the place where he was before.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: DEVON GLENN, JONATHAN BRIGHTMAN, JOSHUA TODD GRUBER, KEITH NELSON, YUGOMIR LONICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind