Grant Lee Buffalo has an Americana-tinged sound, clearly influenced by the likes of Neil Young and elements of old-fashioned country music, and often tackled political and social issues in their lyrics (for example, "Lone Star Song" from Mighty Joe Moon references the infamous Waco siege). They toured with major bands of the early-to-mid 1990s such as R.E.M., Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins.
Orpheus
Grant Lee Buffalo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Snuck out the back way while you slept face down
Bound for the underworld he rolled down his wool sleeves
And like a serpent coiled about the wet leaves
Tennessee waltzing a dance of disease
Can't you see
Pick up your shears Delilah right there
Outside a carriage waits to take you home
Its tricky handbrake will not hold out for long
Do hop inside for your map it has been drawn
Can't you see
What leads you
What leads you
What leads you
What leads
Pickin' the mandrake I would use for tea
I heard the water spirits calling me
And faintly a peacock cried behind the tulles
Can't you see
That when you feel it tickle your brain
Filling your skull's bowl with a butane
Maybe the genie wants back in the lamp
He's run out of wishes and his clothes are all damp
Back to the bottle though he knows just how cramped
That can be
What leads you
What leads you
What leads you
What leads you
What is it now now
What is it
What is it
What is it now
What is it now now
What leads
Well what leads you
What leads you now now now
Down down down
Down down down down down
What leads you
The song "Orpheus" by Grant Lee Buffalo is a surreal and cryptic narrative that touches upon themes such as betrayal, temptation, and lost love. The song opens with the allusion to the Greek mythology of Orpheus, the legendary musician who ventured into the underworld to rescue his wife Eurydice. However, in the song, Orpheus "done left town," abandoning his partner while she was asleep. The mention of "wool sleeves" and "wet leaves" could be a reference to how Orpheus used music to move nature and human emotions, but it failed to move his wife's heart. The line, "Tennessee waltzing a dance of disease," could be a metaphor for the wild life that Orpheus lived, which perhaps led to his inevitable departure.
In the second verse, the narrative shifts to the perspective of Delilah, notorious for her deception of Samson in the Bible. The song urges her to "Pick up your shears" and cut away all worries and problems, similar to how she cut Samson's hair to diminish his strength. Delilah is given an opportunity to leave in a carriage, but its "tricky handbrake" suggests that it could be a devious trap. As the song progresses, the references become more obscure, with the mention of "mandrake" being a hallucinogenic herb and "water spirits" being a ghost-like entity that's often linked to drowning victims.
The repeated lines "What leads you" indicate a sense of confusion and lack of direction. The song suggests that people may be tempted by different things, be it music, power, or drugs, but the ultimate destination and outcome may be uncertain. The song creates a dreamlike and unpredictable atmosphere that allows the listener to interpret the lyrics based on their own experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard that your Orpheus he done left town
I heard that the person you loved and relied on has left you in a difficult situation
Snuck out the back way while you slept face down
Left without informing you and took advantage of your vulnerable state
Bound for the underworld he rolled down his wool sleeves
Went to a dark and dangerous place, prepared for the task ahead
And like a serpent coiled about the wet leaves
Moved slowly and quietly, hiding in the shadows
Tennessee waltzing a dance of disease
Living in a place full of sickness, both physical and mental
Can't you see
Can't you understand what's happening?
Pick up your shears Delilah right there
Take control of your life and make the decision you need to, just like Delilah did when she cut Samson's hair
Leave all your cares to fall like dead hair
Forget about your worries, let them go like you would cut off dead hair
Outside a carriage waits to take you home
There's an escape waiting for you that will take you back to where you came from
Its tricky handbrake will not hold out for long
The solution is temporary and won't last forever
Do hop inside for your map it has been drawn
Take advantage of the opportunity before it's too late, as the path forward has already been defined
What leads you
What motivates you to take action or make decisions
Pickin' the mandrake I would use for tea
Gathering natural remedies to help with physical or emotional distress
I heard the water spirits calling me
Feeling drawn towards something spiritual or supernatural
And faintly a peacock cried behind the tulles
Hearing strange and mysterious sounds in the environment
That when you feel it tickle your brain
The feeling you get when ideas or inspirations come to you unexpectedly
Filling your skull's bowl with a butane
Igniting a spark of creativity or passion inside your mind
Maybe the genie wants back in the lamp
Concern that something powerful has been unleashed but cannot easily be contained again
He's run out of wishes and his clothes are all damp
Feeling powerless and vulnerable despite having once held great power
Back to the bottle though he knows just how cramped
Giving up on trying to control the situation and resorting to destructive or unhealthy coping mechanisms instead
What is it now now
What's happening in the situation right now?
What is it
What's causing the confusion and uncertainty?
What is it now
What's happening at this moment in time?
What is it now now
Asking again for clarity or explanation
What leads
What is the driving force behind your actions or decisions?
Well what leads you
Asking directly what is motivating the listener's actions
What leads you now now now
Urgently seeking to understand what is causing the current situation to unfold
Down down down
Feeling overwhelmed and hopeless
Down down down down down
Descent into despair and confusion
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Grant Phillips
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind