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.
What You Gonna Do
Buckwheat Zydeco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you want it all night
but i gotta go
sweet little country girl
sweet little brown eyed girl
she loves me in the morning,
she love me in the evening
late at night
hot tamale baby
Buckwheat Zydeco's song 'What You Gonna Do?' is a lively tune that features an interesting mix of zydeco, rock, and blues elements. The lyrics follow conversations between the singer and a sweet little country girl who seemingly has his heart. The opening lines of "it's alright, you want it all night, but I gotta go" suggest that the girl is persistent in her advances towards the singer, but he is unsure if he can stay with her all night. However, the chorus of "sweet little country girl, sweet little brown-eyed girl, she loves me in the morning, she loves me in the evening, late at night, does everything right, hot tamale baby" reveals that the singer has found a connection with this woman, and she satisfies him both physically and emotionally.
The use of a repeating melody, the accordion, and the electric guitar all come together to create a joyful and somewhat funky sound that's sure to get people up and dancing. Additionally, the song's lyrics are sung in an easy to understand and relatable way, making it a crowd favorite. In summary, the song is about two people connecting and finding pleasure in each other's company, even in the midst of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
its alright
There's nothing to worry about
you want it all night
You desire to be with me all night long
but i gotta go
I have to leave you now
sweet little country girl
A charming girl hailing from the countryside
sweet little brown eyed girl
An attractive girl with brown eyes
she loves me in the morning,
She expresses her love for me every morning
she love me in the evening
She expresses her love for me every evening
late at night
At a time when it's late at night
does everything right
She does things in an impeccable way
hot tamale baby
An expression of admiration for someone who is attractive and appealing
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: STANLEY DURAL JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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.