According to Songfacts, Buffalo Tom's name is derived from the band Buffalo Springfield and the first name of the drummer Tom Maginnis. The band epitomized the rise of indie guitar rock in the 1990s, but unfortunately they had only limited commercial success, despite the consistently high quality of their records.
While Buffalo Tom never 'officially' broke up, they took a seven year break, starting around 1999/2000. During that time while singer/guitarist Bill Janovitz and singer/bassist Chris Colbourn worked on solo material and other projects (Bill with his band, The Crown Victoria, Chris with former Fuzzy singer/guitarist Hilken Mancini). Drummer Tom Maginnis took up a day job in publishing.
In 2007 the trio began playing again and released an album of new material, Three Easy Pieces.
As of 2018 they are again active, touring behind their album released 3/2/2018, "Quiet and Peace."
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Postcard
Buffalo Tom Lyrics
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The photo's fading
And nothing is going right
A shooter's hand
To turn a cheek to
A cough in an empty room at night
Leaves are eyes
A secret society
Here's victory now if
That's what you're into
Just take it away from me
"May God strike me dead"
she shouted from her bed
I said "Look at your mouth
It's bleeding now and so all pours out
Too easily you choose
My version of the truth
When all I ask of you
Is send me a postcard when you get there"
A monkey's tooth
A lukewarm bath
A stray dog out in the driveway
Here's Albany in a photo finish
Just wipe the dust away
"May God strike me dead"
she shouted from her bed
I said "Look at your mouth
It's bleeding now and so all pours out
Too easily you choose
My version of the truth
When all I ask of you
Is send me a postcard when you get there"
Yeah, when you get down there
Send me a postcard
Yeah, when you get down there
Wherefore art thou
Johnny Carson?
Retired and never coming back
A backroom basement
A sixty watt bulb
There's nothing that I lack
"May God strike me dead"
she shouted from her bed
I said "Look at your mouth
It's bleeding now and so all pours out
Too easily you choose
My version of the truth
When all I ask of you
Is send me a postcard when you get there"
Yeah, when you get down there
Send me a postcard
Yeah, when you get down there
Send to me a postcard from anywhere
Send to me a postcard from anywhere
Send to me a postcard from anywhere
The song "Postcard" by Buffalo Tom is a heartfelt plea for communication and connection. The lyrics explore the themes of distance, disappointment, and the longing for genuine human contact. The chorus "all I ask of you is send me a postcard when you get there" is repeated throughout the song and serves as a reminder that even the smallest gesture of communication can bridge the gap between people who are physically separate.
The opening verse "you have spoken, the photo's fading, and nothing is going right" sets the melancholic tone for the rest of the song. The singer is experiencing feelings of disillusionment and disconnection, and is searching for something to make them feel close to someone else. The second verse provides a glimmer of hope, with the line "leaves are eyes that look inside, a secret society." This line suggests that even in a world where people can feel detached and alone, there are still small moments of connection and shared experience.
Throughout the song, the lyrics are full of vivid imagery and metaphor, such as "a shooter's hand to turn a cheek to, a cough in an empty room at night," "a monkey's tooth, a lukewarm bath, a stray dog out in the driveway," and "Albany in a photo finish, just wipe the dust away." These images give the song a dreamy, poetic quality, and reinforce the idea that even in the midst of sadness and loneliness, there is beauty to be found.
Overall, "Postcard" is a powerful and emotive song that speaks to the universal human desire for connection and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
You have spoken
Someone has expressed their thoughts or opinions
The photo's fading
The image from a photo is gradually disappearing
And nothing is going right
Things are not proceeding as planned
A shooter's hand
The hand of someone who is aiming to shoot
To turn a cheek to
To ignore or pretend not to see something that is unpleasant
A cough in an empty room at night
A noise made by a person clearing their throat in a quiet, empty space at night
Leaves are eyes
The leaves on trees appear to be like eyes that are looking at something
That look inside
These imaginary eyes seem to be peering inward rather than outward
A secret society
A group of people that keeps their activities and goals hidden from the rest of the world
Here's victory now if
Success is within reach at this moment if
That's what you're into
If that is what you are focused on or interested in
Just take it away from me
Please remove this success or victory from me
'May God strike me dead', she shouted from her bed
She exclaimed a dramatic statement about her own death as if she were willing to die for something
I said 'look at your mouth, it's bleeding now and so all pours out'
I pointed out that she is causing herself physical harm by inflicting damage to her mouth and that this suffering is self-imposed
Too easily you choose
You have made a very easy decision without enough thought or consideration
My version of the truth
My interpretation of the situation or the facts
When all I ask of you
I am merely requesting one simple task of you
Is send me a postcard when you get there
All I want from you when you arrive is for you to send me a postcard to let me know you arrived safely
A monkey's tooth
Something strange or unusual, like a tooth from a monkey
A lukewarm bath
A bath with water that is neither hot nor cold
A stray dog out in the driveway
A random dog found wandering outside in the area designated for cars
Here's Albany in a photo finish
Albany, New York, captured in a close-up photo
Just wipe the dust away
Simply remove any layers of dust that cover something
'May God strike me dead', she shouted from her bed
She is still determined to make her earlier statement about her own death come true
I said 'look at your mouth, it's bleeding now and so all pours out'
Once again, I am calling her attention to the suffering she is causing herself
Send to me a postcard from anywhere
A request or plea for a simple postcard that acknowledges the sender's arrival at a destination from anywhere in the world
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: COLBOURN, JANOVITZ, MAGINNIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind