Stanley Dural, Jr. (November 14, 1947 – September 24, 2016), better known b… Read Full Bio ↴Stanley Dural, Jr. (November 14, 1947 – September 24, 2016), better known by his stage name Buckwheat Zydeco, was an American accordionist and zydeco musician. He was one of the few zydeco artists to achieve mainstream success. His music group was formally billed as Buckwheat Zydeco and Ils Sont Partis Band, but they often performed as merely Buckwheat Zydeco.

The New York Times said,: “Stanley ‘Buckwheat’ Dural leads one of the best bands in America. A down-home and high-powered celebration, meaty and muscular with a fine-tuned sense of dynamics…propulsive rhythms, incendiary performances.” USA Today called him “a zydeco trailblazer.” Buckwheat Zydeco performed with a large number of famous musicians from Eric Clapton (with whom he also recorded) and U2 to the Boston Pops. The band performed at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics to a worldwide audience of three billion people. Buckwheat performed for President Clinton twice, celebrating both of his inaugurations. The band appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, CNN, The Today Show, MTV, NBC News, CBS Morning News, National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition.

Dural was born in Lafayette, Louisiana. He acquired his nickname as a youth, because, with his braided hair, he looked like the character Buckwheat from Our Gang/The Little Rascals movies. His father, a farmer, was an accomplished amateur traditional Creole accordion player, but young Dural preferred listening to and playing rhythm and blues.

Dural became proficient at the organ, and by the late 1950s he was backing Joe Tex, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and many others.

In 1971, he founded Buckwheat & the Hitchhikers, a funk band that he led for five years before switching to zydeco. They were a local sensation and found success with the single, “It’s Hard To Get,” recorded for a local Louisiana-based label.

He began backing Clifton Chenier, one of the most legendary zydeco performers. Though not a traditional zydeco fan when growing up, Buckwheat accepted an invitation in 1976 to join Clifton Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band as organist. He quickly discovered the popularity of zydeco music, and marveled at the effect the music had on the audience. “Everywhere, people young and old just loved zydeco music,” Dural says. “I had so much fun playing that first night with Clifton. We played for four hours and I wasn’t ready to quit.”

Dural's relationship with the legendary Chenier led him to take up the accordion in 1978. After practicing for a year, he felt ready to start his own band under the name Buckwheat Zydeco. They debuted with One for the Road in 1979 on the Blues Unlimited label and then recorded for New Orleans’ Black Top label. In 1983, they were nominated for a Grammy Award for Turning Point and in 1985 for Waitin’ For My Ya Ya after switching to the Rounder Records label. The band then signed to Island Records, becoming the first zydeco act on a major label, and released On a Night Like This, a critically acclaimed album that was nominated for a Grammy as well. The band appeared in the movie The Big Easy in 1987.

In 1988, Eric Clapton invited the band to open his North American tour as well as his 12-night stand at London’s Royal Albert Hall. As even more doors opened, Buckwheat found himself sharing stages and/or recording with Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples, David Hidalgo, Dwight Yoakam, Paul Simon, Ry Cooder, the Cherry Poppin' Daddies and many others, including indie music stalwarts Yo La Tengo on the soundtrack to the Bob Dylan bio-pic, I'm Not There. His music has been featured in films including The Waterboy, The Big Easy, Fletch Lives and Hard Target. BET’s show Comic View, used his live version of “What You Gonna Do?” as theme music for the program’s 10th anniversary “Pardi Gras” season. He also wrote and performed the theme music for the PBS television series Pierre Franey’s Cooking In America. Buckwheat won an Emmy for his music in the CBS TV movie, Pistol Pete: The Life And Times Of Pete Maravich.

Buckwheat Zydeco has played many major music festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (numerous times), Newport Folk Festival, Summerfest, San Diego Street Scene, Bumbershoot, Montreux Jazz Festival, the Voodoo Experience, and countless others.

During the 1990s and early 2000s Buckwheat recorded for his own Tomorrow Recordings label and maintained an extensive touring schedule. Buckwheat Zydeco's latest album, Lay Your Burden Down, was released on May 5, 2009 on the Alligator Records label. It was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos and included guest appearances by guitarists Warren Haynes and Sonny Landreth, Trombone Shorty, JJ Grey and Berlin himself. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award. Sonicboomers.com says, “The CD is a vastly entertaining and appealingly diverse package. Bandleader Dural remains an ever-engaging vocalist and a whiz on any keyboard he touches. So, for Buckwheat Zydeco fans, Lay Your Burden Down finds the maestro and his group near the top of their form. For listeners with less interest in the ol' accordion get-down, the collection supplies enough interesting wrinkles to get the good times rolling."

Buckwheat’s especially powerful and haunting version of the classic "Cryin' in the Streets" appears on the benefit album for Hurricane Katrina recovery, Our New Orleans: A Benefit Album for the Gulf Coast.

Buckwheat's version of Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy's "When the Levee Breaks" appeared on 2011's Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection. It originally appeared on the 2009 Buckwheat Zydeco album Lay Your Burden Down.

Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural Jr. died on September 24, 2016, at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center. Dural, who had lung cancer, was 68.

Finding My Way Back Home
Buckwheat Zydeco Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been hurryin', I've been worryin'
I've been runnin' against the wind
I've been bettin' my soul on a long shot roll
That a good man never wins

I've been tossin', and I've been turnin'
I've been burnin' it at both ends
I've been seein' myself in the rear view

And I don't like where I've been

So I'm takin' my time
Holdin' and hopin' and drivin'
And dreamin' and lovin' every minute of it

Just enjoyin' the ride
Slowly and soulfully feeling the wheels unwind
Finding my way back home

I've been toolin' along the two lane
I got off of the interstate
I've been goin' too fast, I got off of the gas
I've been learnin' the charm of the brake

I've been rollin' down all the windows
And lettin' the world rush in
The smell of the grass and the fields that I pass
And the sun dance on my skin

So I'm takin' my time
Holdin' and hopin' and drivin'
And dreamin' and lovin' every minute of it

Just enjoyin' the ride
Slowly and soulfully feeling the wheels unwind
Finding my way back

I'm takin' my time
Holdin' and hopin' and drivin'
And dreamin' and lovin' every minute of it

I'm takin' my time
Holdin' and hopin' and drivin'
And dreamin' and lovin' every minute of it

Just enjoyin' the ride
Slowly and soulfully feeling the wheels unwind
Slowly and soulfully feeling the wheels unwind

Finding my way back home
I'm finding my way back home

Overall Meaning

The song “Finding My Way Back Home” by Buckwheat Zydeco is all about the journey of a lost soul trying to find his way back to himself. The lyrics describe the struggles of a person who has been living a fast-paced life, always on the move, but feeling lost at the same time. The singer appears to have been living a life of recklessness, betting his soul on a long shot, running against the wind and burning at both ends. He is searching for his true self, and he is willing to take his time to find it.

The singer appears to have taken a detour from the fast life that he has been living, and he is now driving along two-lanes, away from the interstate. He is learning how to slow down and savor life’s simple pleasures. He has realized that by doing this, he can experience the world in a whole new way. The fresh air, the fields, and the sun on his skin are now all contributing players in the symphony of life that he is beginning to appreciate. He is taking his time to find what he has been missing and is enjoying the journey.

Overall, the song encourages listeners to slow down, appreciate the journey, and find their way back home to themselves. The lyrics are a reminder that in this fast-paced world, we need to take our time to find what we are searching for and enjoy the ride along the way.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been hurryin', I've been worryin'
I've been rushing and filled with anxiety

I've been runnin' against the wind
I've been struggling to make progress and advance

I've been bettin' my soul on a long shot roll
I've been taking big risks hoping for a successful outcome

That a good man never wins
That a person with good intentions and pure heart doesn't always succeed

I've been tossin', and I've been turnin'
I've been restless and not at ease

I've been burnin' it at both ends
I've been overworking and exhausting myself

I've been seein' myself in the rear view
I've been looking at my past instead of my present or future

And I don't like where I've been
And I am not happy with my previous decisions and actions

So I'm takin' my time
So I am slowing down

Holdin' and hopin' and drivin'
Holding onto hope and driving forwards

And dreamin' and lovin' every minute of it
And enjoying every moment with hope and joy

Just enjoyin' the ride
Just enjoying this journey

Slowly and soulfully feeling the wheels unwind
Relaxing and letting go of stress and anxiety

Finding my way back home
Rediscovering my peace and happiness

I've been toolin' along the two lane
I've been driving on a less traveled road

I got off of the interstate
I stopped following the usual route or path

I've been goin' too fast, I got off of the gas
I was moving too quickly, and now I'm slowing down

I've been learnin' the charm of the brake
I am discovering the beauty and usefulness of slowing down and stopping

I've been rollin' down all the windows
I am embracing the environment and the world around me

And lettin' the world rush in
And opening myself to new experiences and perspectives

The smell of the grass and the fields that I pass
The sensory experience of being in nature

And the sun dance on my skin
The physical experience of being present in the moment and enjoying life

I'm finding my way back home
I am finding my way back to my true self and my happiness

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRISTOPHER STAPLETON, CRAIG MICHAEL WISEMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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