Guitarist/Singer Alan Mirikitani realized that he wanted to pursue a career in music after playing an eighth-grade dance with his first band while in junior high school in his hometown of Downey.
"After we got done, some girls came and sat in our laps," he said. "I thought, wow, this is really cool. I like this."
He's been playing ever since. The Burbank resident, who goes by the nickname "B.B. Chung King" when he fronts his band, the Buddaheads, longtime favorites on the local music scene, gravitated toward the blues at 4.
After a few releases for a Japanese label, Mirikitani and his group, which includes bassist Boyd Lefan and drummer Joe "The Bricklayer" Pafumi, released a compilation of those Japan-only recordings titled "In the Mirror" in 1998, and last year came out with a collection of new songs, "Go for Broke."
Supporting the album through numerous club and festival dates, the Buddaheads have built a fanatically loyal and large following. And, by recording it in his own studio (The Dawghouse, Burbank CA) and releasing it on his own, Mirikitani discovered another benefit of being independent.
"Actually, we're making more money on the Internet through mail-order sales than we ever did at RCA," he said. "And besides, we have control over everything this way."
Mirikitani took a year and a half off to build his state-of-the-art 24-track studio, which is busy with all sorts of outside projects.
"The Dawghouse has ProTools and everything else you might need," he said. "It's amazing what they can allow you to do, but ultimately they're just tools. We still like the magic of playing live."
Even though B.B. Chung King is Chinese and not Japanese, the name hung on Mirikitani by a friend, in reference to his hero, B.B. King, has stuck throughout the years, and he's comfortable with it. As for the band name, there is a legacy behind it.
"Buddah Head was always a derogatory term for Asians," the guitarist said, "but it was also the highest-decorated infantry unit in World War II composed of Japanese Americans who wanted to prove their loyalty to their country. We've taken it on as sort of a personal underdog theme and today we're trying to break down the term, and break down walls."
"After all," he said with a laugh, "the guys in the band are white, but as far as I'm concerned, we're all Buddaheads."
911
Buddaheads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you come again, in the night
My way
Wants to see you, in the light
I cant find the cause
You hide away
And you still love my bed
Down, down, down in pain again
You comfort me
Before you strike me with your lies
You hold me, yeah
In my mind, with blood shot eyes
I cant find the cause
You hide away
And you still love my bed
Down, down, down in pain again, deep down inside
Down, down, down in pain again, but I'm gonna try
I will not cry, I will not die
I wont be fooled again
Make me strong, from the pain
I wont be fooled again
When you come, I see you fall
Our time, oh the lies
I come for help, I come for help
Each time you take me
Down, down, down in pain again
Yeah, yeah
I'm down, down, down in pain again
I cant take the pain
Down, down, hurts so bad
Lord I feel the pain
Deep down inside
Down, down, down, down
Down in pain again, yeah
The song "911" by Buddaheads is about a relationship that is causing the singer a great deal of pain, but they keep returning to it even though they know it's not healthy. The lyrics suggest that the singer's partner is dishonest with them and that they use lies to manipulate them, but they still hold onto the hope that things will get better. The repeated phrase "down, down, down in pain again" emphasizes the cycle of pain and hurt that the singer experiences.
The first verse talks about how the singer wants their partner to come back to them, but only in the light, suggesting that they want honesty and transparency in the relationship. However, they can't find the cause of their partner's behavior and they still love being in bed with them, despite the pain it causes. The second verse continues this theme of being comfortable with the pain and holding onto hope, despite the lies and manipulation.
The chorus is a defiant statement that the singer won't be fooled again and they won't let the pain defeat them. They want to be strong and move on from the cycle of pain that they've been experiencing. The final verse seems to suggest that the singer has tried to get help, but it hasn't worked, and they continue to be dragged down by their partner's behavior.
Overall, "911" is a powerful song about the difficulty of breaking free from a toxic relationship and the hope that things will eventually get better.
Line by Line Meaning
Miles away
I am far from you
Would you come again, in the night
Will you visit me again in the dark hours of the night?
My way
Towards me
Wants to see you, in the light
I want to see you clearly
I cant find the cause
I am unable to understand why
You hide away
You retreat and do not communicate
And you still love my bed
You love the idea of being with me intimately
Down, down, down in pain again
I am experiencing tremendous pain once more
Yes I'm down, down, down in pain again
I am indeed feeling a great deal of pain
You comfort me
You offer reassurance
Before you strike me with your lies
But then you deceive me
You hold me, yeah
You embrace me
In my mind, with blood shot eyes
But I can see through your charade
Down, down, down in pain again, deep down inside
I am feeling great agony within
Down, down, down in pain again, but I'm gonna try
However, I will still attempt to overcome this pain
I will not cry, I will not die
I will not give in to despair
I wont be fooled again
I refuse to be deceived repeatedly
Make me strong, from the pain
I want to use this pain to become stronger
When you come, I see you fall
I observe you break down when you are with me
Our time, oh the lies
Our relationship was based on falsehoods
I come for help, I come for help
I seek aid to escape from this situation
Each time you take me
Each time you manipulate me
Down, down, down in pain again
I am experiencing immense pain once more
Yeah, yeah
Yes, it is true
I'm down, down, down in pain again
I am in great pain yet again
I cant take the pain
I cannot endure this torment
Down, down, hurts so bad
The pain is excruciating
Lord I feel the pain
I am feeling an intense pain
Deep down inside
I am pained to my core
Down, down, down, down
I am sinking deeper and deeper into despair
Down in pain again, yeah
I am experiencing pain again
Contributed by Maria D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.