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.
My Feet Can't Fail Me Now
Buckwheat Zydeco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feet don't fail me now, feet don't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet don't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet, you can't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet don't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet, you can't fail me now
Down in Louisiana, where we all come from
Everybody dancin', burnin' up the floor
Everybody doin' it, doin' the zydeco
Now feet!
Feet don't fail me now, feet don't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet, you can't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet don't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet, you can't fail me now
Feet!
Feet don't fail me now, feet don't fail me now, uh huh
Feet don't fail me now, feet, you can't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet don't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet, you can't fail me now
Down from Louisiana, up to the Texas weed
Everybody doin' it, everybody on the seed
Down in Lafayette, down in New Orleans
Everybody dancin', dancin' with the Zulu queen
Now feet don't fail me now, feet don't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet, you can't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet don't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet, you can't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet don't fail me now
Feet don't fail me now, feet, you can't fail me now
The lyrics to Buckwheat Zydeco's song "My Feet Can't Fail Me Now" refer to the importance of dancing in Louisiana and celebrating the zydeco music that comes from that area. The repetition of the chorus, "Feet don't fail me now, feet, you can't fail me now," emphasizes the urgency and excitement of dancing and enjoying oneself. The song encourages people to let loose and move their feet, to fully experience the joy of zydeco music.
The verses describe the lively atmosphere of Louisiana, where everyone is partying and dancing. The lyrics name-drop various cities and regions in Louisiana, rooting the song in a specific place and culture. The mention of the "Zulu queen" refers to the tradition of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, a New Orleans-based African American organization that organizes parades and other cultural events.
Overall, "My Feet Can't Fail Me Now" is an upbeat celebration of zydeco music and dance, and encourages listeners to let go of their inhibitions and join in on the fun.
Line by Line Meaning
Feet don't fail me now, feet, you can't fail me now
The singer is urgently pleading to their feet to not give out now as they are crucial for them to keep dancing and enjoying the party.
Down in Louisiana, where we all come from
The song is set in Louisiana, where the people there know how to have a good time and dance to the music.
Everybody partyin', everybody havin' fun
Everyone is enjoying themselves and letting loose, letting the good times roll.
Everybody dancin', burnin' up the floor
The dancing is so energetic and enthusiastic that it feels like the floor is on fire from all the movement.
Everybody doin' it, doin' the zydeco
The dance everyone is doing is called the zydeco, which is a lively and fast-paced dance native to Louisiana.
Down from Louisiana, up to the Texas weed
The partygoers are dancing and having fun from Louisiana and all the way up to Texas.
Everybody doin' it, everybody on the seed
Everyone is participating in the dancing and feeling the rhythm of the music.
Down in Lafayette, down in New Orleans
The singer is naming two cities in Louisiana where the party and dancing are happening.
Everybody dancin', dancin' with the Zulu queen
Even the Zulu queen is letting loose and dancing along with everyone else.
Writer(s): S. Dural Jr.
Contributed by Liam G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Zenobia Chaney
on Mon Papa
I've always loved the Music in this Cajun Waltz-I Loved my grandpapas. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and their generation.