He recorded three albums, beginning in 1984 with a self-titled debut that had a such a strong country flavor that forever after he was most often referred to as a country artist. This may not have been such a problem as country & western has always been one of the most popular Anglo musics among aboriginal people, in Australia as well as the United States. (Down under, Hank Williams is the most-selected artists on aboriginal jukeboxes.) Red Bow's second recorded work, Journey to the Spirit World, remains a favorite of many listeners. It features songs and stories that he remembered learning from his elders and incorporates singing in both English and the Lakota language. His final work was the beautiful, eloquent Black Hills Dreamer, which featured two of his most famous songs, "Run, Indian, Run" and "Indian Love Song." A posthumous collection of favorites from each of these records, Indian Reservation has also been released. Several of his songs were also featured on the soundtrack to Hard Rider, which was not the opposite of Easy Rider, but a documentary on rodeo riders in Alberta and Saskatchewan. He was among the first group of artists to be inducted in the NAMA (Native American Music Awards) Hall of Fame, alongside Jimi Hendrix, who apparently had Cherokee as well as purple haze in his blood.
He has had a few small film parts, such as a walk-on in Thunderheart, but will mostly be remembered in the world of cinema for Pow Wow Highway, in which there is a character named Buddy Red Bow that is partially, if not totally, based on the famous singer. At first considered one of the best films about Native Americans, the film seems to have been the victim of a late critical backlash, in which one writer claimed the depiction of Red Bow made him "cringe." ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
Just Can't Take Anymore
Buddy Red Bow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another one night stand, in my lonesome life
And I saw her, as she walked, across the dance floor
She sat right down, and listened while I cried
Well, the next night, I was playing in Colorado
In a honkey-tonk, with sawdust on the floor
Then about midnight, I saw her in the corner
Well, I just can′t take anymore, lonely nights without you
And I just can't sing anymore, lonesome songs without you
Honey, I just can't take no more
Well, the next day, I headed for South Dakota
That Black Hills woman is calling me back home
Did I really see her, in that vision, in that barroom
Or do I see that face cause I′m all alone
Well, I just can′t take anymore, lonesome nights without you
And I just can't sing anymore, lonesome songs about you
Oh honey, I just can′t take no more
You know baby, I just can't take no more
Well, I just can′t take anymore, lonely nights without you
And I just can't sing anymore, lonesome songs about you
Honey, I just can′t take anymore
You know what baby, I just can't take anymore
The lyrics to Buddy Red Bow's song "Just Can't Take Anymore" tell a story of a lonely musician who has found himself playing in bars, night after night, without any meaningful connection. That is, until he sees "her" - a mysterious woman who captures his attention and sits and listens to him cry while he performs. The next night, he sees her again in Colorado, and then, after crossing state lines, he finds himself in South Dakota, feeling as though this woman is calling him back home. However, he's unsure if she's just a figment of his imagination, brought on by his loneliness.
The song is a poignant expression of the universal human desire for connection and the intense pain that can come from loneliness. The repetition of the lines "I just can't take anymore, lonely nights without you / And I just can't sing anymore, lonesome songs without you" underscores the depth of the singer's anguish and longing.
Overall, "Just Can't Take Anymore" is a testament to the power of music to bring people together and provide a temporary respite from loneliness. In the end, the hopefulness and uncertainty of the singer's situation leave the listener wondering if he will ever find the connection he so desperately craves.
Line by Line Meaning
I was singin′, in a barroom, in Wyoming
I was performing in a bar in Wyoming
Another one night stand, in my lonesome life
I had yet another short-lived romantic encounter
And I saw her, as she walked, across the dance floor
I noticed her walking on the dance floor
She sat right down, and listened while I cried
She sat down and gave me her full attention as I sang a sad song
Well, the next night, I was playing in Colorado
The following night, I was performing in Colorado
In a honkey-tonk, with sawdust on the floor
I was in a dive bar with sawdust covering the floor
Then about midnight, I saw her in the corner
At around midnight, I spotted her in a corner of the bar
That same strange lady I'd seen the night before
It was the same woman that I had seen the previous night
Well, I just can′t take anymore, lonely nights without you
I am unable to bear any more of these lonely nights without you
And I just can't sing anymore, lonesome songs without you
I can no longer sing melancholic songs without you
Honey, I just can't take no more
I simply cannot take it anymore
Well, the next day, I headed for South Dakota
The following day, I left for South Dakota
That Black Hills woman is calling me back home
The woman from Black Hills is drawing me towards her and making me feel at home
Did I really see her, in that vision, in that barroom
I wonder whether I truly saw her, or if I was simply imagining things
Or do I see that face cause I′m all alone
Perhaps I see her face because I am lonely
You know baby, I just can't take no more
My dear, I am at my limit and cannot handle any more of this
Well, I just can′t take anymore, lonely nights without you
I am unable to bear any more of these lonely nights without you
And I just can't sing anymore, lonesome songs about you
I can no longer sing sad songs about you
Honey, I just can′t take anymore
I simply cannot take it anymore
You know what baby, I just can't take anymore
My dear, I really cannot handle any more of this
Contributed by Leah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.