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."
Road To Ruin
Buddaheads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hip hip
Hip hip
Hip hip
When you're on a holiday
You can't find the words to say
All the things that come to you
On an island in the sun
We'll be playing and having fun
And it makes me feel so fine
I can't control my brain
Hip hip
Hip hip
When you're on a golden sea
You don't need no memory
Just a place to call your own
As we drift into the zone
On an island in the sun
We'll be playing and having fun
And it makes me feel so fine
I can't control my brain
We'll run away together
We'll spend some time forever
We'll never feel bad anymore
Hip hip
Hip hip
Hip hip
On an island in the sun
We'll be playing and having fun
And it makes me feel so fine
I can't control my brain
We'll run away together
We'll spend some time forever
We'll never feel bad anymore
Hip hip
We'll never feel bad anymore
No no
We'll never feel bad anymore
No no
No no
No no
The Buddaheads' song "Road to Ruin" opens with a catchy repetition of "Hip hip" which sets a lighthearted tone for the song. The lyrics then describe the experience of being on vacation and feeling carefree and happy. The singer expresses a desire to share in that feeling, saying "And I wanna feel it too". This sentiment could be interpreted as a desire to connect with others and experience joy together.
Next, the lyrics describe being on a "golden sea" and not needing to remember anything. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for living in the moment and enjoying life without the stress or burden of the past. The chorus repeats the idea of being on an island in the sun and having fun, which reinforces the idea of living in the moment and enjoying life.
The final section of the song repeats the idea of running away and spending time together, suggesting a desire for escape from the pressures and challenges of everyday life. Overall, the song has a positive and carefree tone, celebrating the joy of living in the moment and enjoying time with others.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're on a holiday
When you're away from daily life
You can't find the words to say
It's hard to express your feelings in this state of mind
All the things that come to you
You have a lot of thoughts and ideas that you can't articulate
And I wanna feel it too
I want to experience it as well
On an island in the sun
In a place where everything is pleasant and carefree
We'll be playing and having fun
We'll be enjoying ourselves and engaging in leisure activities
And it makes me feel so fine
It feels great to be in this state of mind
I can't control my brain
My thoughts and emotions are overwhelming and beyond my control
When you're on a golden sea
When you're in a perfect and desirable situation
You don't need no memory
You don't need to remember anything from the past
Just a place to call your own
A place that you have complete control over
As we drift into the zone
As we enter a state of mind where we are completely immersed in our experiences
We'll run away together
We'll escape from our current lives together
We'll spend some time forever
We'll be in this state of mind forever
We'll never feel bad anymore
We'll be free from negative feelings and experiences
We'll never feel bad anymore
We'll be free from negative feelings and experiences
No no
Absolutely not
No no
Absolutely not
Contributed by Jasmine M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@forgiven21801
Excellent album! I have worn out Raw, Here's to You and Howlin' at the Moon! These guys were awesome!
@adalbertodorneles4470
Excelente música - ótimo guitarrista
@DarthWray1138
I seen you guys back in the 90's. I love your music! Is there a chance that you can play a Gators 3 in Apple Valley CA? I would love to see another show.
@fenderstratguy
Sorta has that ZZ Top vibe to it
@seamusbrennan6302
Amazing! So, Buddaheads, ZZ Tops aaaaand Lunasa make sense. I must get out my harps.
@sdu7066
Little ZZ Top and a little Leslie West