He had emerged in New York City's avant-garde club scene in the 1990s as one of the most remarkable musical artists of his generation, acclaimed by audiences, critics, and fellow musicians alike. His first commercial recording, the four-song EP Live At Sin-é, was released in December 1993 on Columbia Records. The EP captured Buckley, accompanying himself on electric guitar, in a tiny coffeehouse in New York's East Village, the neighbourhood he'd made his home.
Buckley made his public singing début at a tribute concert for his father called "Greetings from Tim Buckley". The event, produced by show business veteran Hal Willner, was held at St. Ann's Church in Brooklyn on 26 April 1991.
By the time of the EP's release during the fall of 1993, Buckley had already entered the studio with Mick Grondahl (bass), Matt Johnson (drummer), and producer Andy Wallace and recorded seven original songs (including "Grace" and "Last Goodbye") and three covers (among them Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", Benjamin Britten's "Corpus Christi Carol") that comprised his debut album Grace. Guitarist Michael Tighe became a permanent member of Jeff Buckley's ensemble and went on to co-write and perform on Grace's "So Real" just prior to the release of the album.
In early 1994, not long after Live At Sin-é appeared in stores, Jeff Buckley toured clubs, lounges, and coffeehouses in North America as a solo artist from January 15th to March 5th as well as in Europe from March 11th to 22th. Following extensive rehearsals in April to May of 1994, Buckley's "Peyote Radio Theatre Tour" found him on the road with his band from June 2nd to August 16th. His full-length full-band album, Grace, was released in the United States on August 23rd, 1994, the same day Buckley and band kicked off a European tour in Dublin, Ireland; the 1994 European Tour ran through September 22nd, with Buckley and band performing at the CMJ convention at New York's Supper Club on September 24. The group headed back into America's clublands for a Fall Tour lasting from October 19th until December 18th.
On New Year's Eve 1994-95, Buckley returned to Sin-é to perform a solo set; on New Year's Day, he read an original poem at the annual St. Mark's Church Marathon Poetry Reading. Two weeks later, he and his band were back in Europe for gigs in Dublin, Bristol, and London before launching an extensive tour of Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium, and the United Kingdom which lasted from January 29th to March 5th. On April 13th 1995, it was announced that Jeff Buckley's Grace had earned him France's prestigious "Gran Prix International Du Disque -- Academie Charles CROS -- 1995"; an award given by a jury of producers, journalists, the president of France Culture, and music industry professionals, it had previously been given to Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Yves Montand, Georges Brassens, Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Joni Mitchell, among other musical luminaries. France also awarded Buckley a gold record certification for Grace.
From March 5th through April 20th, Buckley and his band rehearsed for an American spring tour with gigs running from April 22th until June 2nd. From June through August, Jeff and company toured the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Switzerland. The band took off for Down Under to play six Australian shows between August 28th and September 6th, 1995. In November 1995, Buckley played two unannounced solo shows at Sin-é. He performed songs including the new "Woke Up In A Strange Place" on Vin Scelsa's "Idiot's Delight" show on WXRK-FM on December 17 and celebrated New Year's Eve 1995-96 with performances at New York's Mercury Lounge and Sin-é.
Jeff Buckley and his touring ensemble went back to Australia, where Grace had earned a gold record certification, for the "Hard Luck Tour," which ran from February 9th to March 1st of 1996. Drummer Matt Johnson left the group after the final Australian show. The posthumous album Mystery White Boy brings together some of the high points from Jeff's 1995-1996 live performances. The DVD/home video release Live In Chicago documents, in its entirety, Jeff's concert at The Cabaret Metro in Chicago on May 13th, 1995.
In May of '96, Jeff played four gigs as a bass player with Mind Science of the Mind, a side-project of Buckley's friend, Nathan Larson of Shudder To Think. In September Buckley played another unannounced solo gig at his old favorite haunt Sin-é. December of 1996 found Jeff Buckley embarking on his "phantom solo tour"; designed to experiment with new songs in a live setting (as in his Sin-é days), these unannounced solo gigs throughout the Northeast U.S. were played under a succession of aliases: the Crackrobats, Possessed By Elves, Father Demo, Smackrobiotic, the Halfspeeds, Crit Club, Topless America, Martha & the Nicotines, and A Puppet Show Named Julio.
At midnight on February 9th, 1997, Jeff Buckley debuted his new drummer, Parker Kindred, in a show at Arlene Grocery on New York's Lower East Side. He also played a couple of solo gigs in New York during the first months of 1997: a gig at the Daydream Cafe (featuring band members Mick Grondahl and Michael Tighe as "special guests") and a solo performance February 4th as part of the Knitting Factory's 10-Year Birthday Party.
Buckley and his band had recorded intermittently — with Tom Verlaine as producer — during Summer/Fall 1996 and early winter 1997 in New York and in February 1997 in Memphis. After the conclusion of those sessions, Jeff sent the band back to New York while, during March and April 1997, he remained in Memphis and continued to craft his work-in-progress, making various four-track home recordings of songs to present to his bandmates. Some of these were revisions of the songs recorded with Verlaine, some were brand new compositions, and some were surprising cover versions. The new lineup debuted Buckley's new songs at Barrister's in Memphis on February 12th and 13th. Beginning March 31st, Jeff began a series of regularly scheduled Monday night solo performances at Barrister's. His last show there was on Monday, May 26th, 1997.
Buckley passed away in a drowning accident in the Wolf River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, on May 29th, 1997. The night Buckley died, he was on his way to meet his band to begin three weeks of rehearsals for My Sweetheart, the Drunk; producer Andy Wallace, who'd helmed the boards on Grace, was to join them in Memphis in late June to record his new album.
In addition to his Columbia Records releases, Live At Sin-é and Grace, Jeff Buckley has appeared as a guest artist on several other recordings. He can be heard singing "Jolly Street," a track on the Jazz Passengers 1994 album In Love. He contributed tenor vocals to "Taipan" and "D. Popylepis," two recordings on John Zorn's Cobra Live At The Knitting Factory (1995). On Rebecca Moore's Admiral Charcoal's Song, Buckley plays electric six-string bass on "If You Please Me," "Outdoor Elevator," and "Needle Men" (on which he also plays drums). He both plays guitar and sings backup vocals on Brenda Kahn's "Faith Salons," a key track on her Destination Anywhere album (released 1996). Patti Smith's critically acclaimed Gone Again album features Buckley adding "voice" to the song "Beneath the Southern Cross" and "essrage" (a small fretless Indian stringed instrument) to "Fireflies." On Kerouac: Kicks Joy Darkness, a various artists' spoken word tribute to beat poet Jack Kerouac, Jeff Buckley performed on "Angel Mine"; Jeff plays guitar, sitar, and mouth sax (adding words at the poem's conclusion) on the track. Buckley can be heard reading Edgar Allan Poe's "Ulallume - A Ballad," on Closed on Account of Rabies: Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe (disc 2: The Devil's Brew) (Poems & Tales by Edgar Allan Poe) on Mouth Almighty/Mercury Records. He sang "I Want Someone Badly" (Epic) for Shudder To Think's soundtrack to First Love, Last Rites. Sandy Bell, a friend of Buckley's during his L.A. days, released the resurrected track "Hollywould" in 2000, which she co-wrote and recorded with Buckley.
An ardent enthusiast for a myriad of musical forms, Jeff Buckley was an early champion among young American musicians for the work of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the world's foremost Qawwali (the music of the Sufis) singer. Buckley conducted an extensive interview with Nusrat in Interview magazine (January 1996) and wrote the liner notes Nusrat's The Supreme Collection album, released on Mercator/Caroline records in August 1997. On May 9th, 2000, Columbia Records released Mystery White Boy, an album of live performances, and Live In Chicago, a full-length concert (available on DVD or VHS) recorded live at The Cabaret Metro in Chicago on May 13, 1995, in the middle of Jeff's "Mystery White Boy" tour.
Following the release of Grace on August 23rd, 1994, Jeff and his group spent much of 1994-1996 performing around the world on the Unknown, Mystery White Boy, and Hard Luck tours. Mystery White Boy brings together, for the first time, some of the high points of those shows. Produced by Michael Tighe (guitarist for Jeff's band throughout their international touring and the recording of Grace) and Mary Guibert (Jeff's mother) and Mystery White Boy provides an evocative cross-section of Jeff's repertoire: previously-unreleased Buckley compositions, electrifying live interpretations of songs from Grace, and obscure and marvelous cover choices. The recordings heard on Mystery White Boy have been hand-picked from scores of concert tapes by Mary Guibert and the members of Jeff's band who played such a large role in helping Jeff realize his musical vision.
According to Mary, the tracks on Mystery White Boy are "the individual performances that represented transcendent moments from each of the concerts we'd identified as being in the 'overall outstanding' category."
"It was obvious which performances were contenders for the record," concurs Michael Tighe, "and in some cases a performance would be so supreme and unpredictable that I knew it had to be brought to the public."
The posthumous album Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk was released in 1998 and included songs Buckley was working on while in Memphis for his upcoming release.
Tribute songs:
PJ Harvey - Memphis
Rufus Wainwright- Memphis Skyline
Mark Eitzel - To the Sea
Zita Swoon - Song for a Dead Singer
Amy Correia - Blind River Boy
Duncan Sheik - A Body Goes Down
Chris Cornell - Wave Goodbye
Katatonia - Nightmares by the Sea
Willie Nile - On the Road to Calvary
Rachael Sage - Grace
Aimee Mann - Just Like Anyone
Cocteau Twins - Rilkean Heart
Jim Major - Angels Fall (Song for Jeff Buckley)
A film about Buckley's life, a biopic called "Mystery White Boy", is currently in pre-production. Actors have not yet been cast, according to IMDB.
Demon John
Jeff Buckley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In your defenseless, winning smile.
What do you hope to win?
And bliss face down, defended.
Well, now stoned Demon John
There's no town the boy cannot belong
Why did you come here?
Slaughter like the daughter of the devil you send me.
I have to deal, you called me here.
You couldn't say that you were juiced
The night that you were introduced
To Demon John
Gonna take him with you when you go?
Dance down slow. Oh, way down.
You cannot escape the bar-side angel dissector
You undo you life with too much cocoon,
Who's your protector?
Dark is the city where the white girls walk by,
Down below your eyes, just like fireflies.
You call me here, come on here, follow me dear,
Past cascades of rage and fear.
You called me here.
You couldn't say that you had been juiced
The time that you were introduced to Demon John.
Well, you knew you had to want to go , dance down slow.
By the light of the sun, murder comes
Today or tonight
Better get yourself and transcend it,
Or burst of light
Blaze stars into me,
While the love breaks through here and now.
So, murder by the light of the sun.
Please don't get too close to me.
You said you are for real, it's not pretend.
All memories stolen, know this for yourself.
How would you like to be the happiest man in the world?
Behind the weathered field hands, whose blistered
Paws
Harvest cut, for wedding clothes they'll never wear,
Marching down a road that was never there.
It takes place on a sunlit face and the backbone broken.
Please bring us light, Demon John, you Demon John.
Take him with you when you go.
In Jeff Buckley's song Demon John, the lyrics paint a haunting picture of a person who has fallen under the spell of a demon named John. The song begins with a farewell to a person named Sonny-Jim, who is described as having a winning smile that is defenseless. The lyrics ask what Sonny-Jim hopes to win and then move on to describe how this person is now blissfully unaware and stoned from the influence of Demon John. The song then asks why Demon John was brought here and if it was to excavate sins and boil within. The lyrics later reveal that Demon John has called the singer here, and the singer must now deal with the aftermath of this decision.
The song's lyrics continue to describe the dark side of the city and how the white girls walk by like fireflies below the eyes. The lyrics also suggest that Demon John can undo a person's life with too much cocoon, and ask who their protector is. As the song progresses, the lyrics shift into a plea to avoid getting too close to Demon John, and the possibility of murder by the light of the sun. The song ends with a haunting and repeated call for Demon John to bring light and take him with you when you go.
Overall, the song explores the dark and destructive influence of Demon John, who may represent the demon inside all of us. The lyrics suggest that it is easy to become lost in this influence and that it can be challenging to find a way out. The haunting and almost hypnotic melody of the song adds to the atmosphere of the lyrics, making it a chilling and powerful song.
Line by Line Meaning
Say farewell, g'night, Sonny-Jim,
Bid goodbye, good night, Sonny-Jim.
In your defenseless, winning smile.
Showing off a defenseless yet charming smile.
What do you hope to win?
What are you trying to achieve?
And bliss face down, defended.
Even blissfulness can be defeated.
Well, now stoned Demon John
Referring to a person known as Demon John who is now high on drugs.
There's no town the boy cannot belong
Demon John is accepted everywhere despite his dark past.
Why did you come here?
What is your purpose for coming here?
Is it to excavate all your sins? Boil within?
Are you trying to confront and deal with all the wrongdoings you have done in the past?
Slaughter like the daughter of the devil you send me.
Killing people like a devil would, knowing that it is wrong but still choosing to do so.
I have to deal, you called me here.
I have to confront this situation because you brought me here.
You couldn't say that you were juiced
You couldn't admit that you were drunk.
The night that you were introduced
The night you were first introduced to Demon John.
To Demon John
Referring to the person named Demon John.
Gonna take him with you when you go?
Are you going to take Demon John with you wherever you go?
Dance down slow. Oh, way down.
Dance slowly, down low.
You cannot escape the bar-side angel dissector
You cannot escape the person who emotionally dissects you while you are at the bar.
You undo you life with too much cocoon,
You destroy your life by doing too many drugs.
Who's your protector?
Who is protecting you from the consequences of your actions?
Dark is the city where the white girls walk by,
The city seems gloomy despite the presence of white girls walking around.
Down below your eyes, just like fireflies.
The city below your eyes looks like a group of fireflies.
You call me here, come on here, follow me dear,
You called me here, so come and follow me, my dear.
Past cascades of rage and fear.
Going past a series of emotions like anger and fear.
You knew you had to want to go
You knew that you wanted to go, despite the consequences.
By the light of the sun, murder comes
Murder can happen during broad daylight.
Today or tonight
It can happen at any moment, whether it is during the day or at night.
Better get yourself and transcend it,
You need to surpass the situation you are in.
Or burst of light
Or you might end up exploding like a light bulb.
Blaze stars into me,
Make me shine as bright as the stars do.
While the love breaks through here and now.
While the affection is the one that is prevailing in this moment, right here and now.
Please don't get too close to me.
Please stay away from me.
You said you are for real, it's not pretend.
You claimed that you are truly sincere, and it is not just an act.
All memories stolen, know this for yourself.
All your memories were taken away from you, you need to learn this by yourself.
How would you like to be the happiest man in the world?
Would you like to have endless happiness?
Behind the weathered field hands, whose blistered
Paws
Harvest cut, for wedding clothes they'll never wear,
Marching down a road that was never there.
Descriptive language referring to people who work hard but will never have the chance to indulge in things they desire.
It takes place on a sunlit face and the backbone broken.
A traumatic event happened in a bright, sunny place.
Please bring us light, Demon John, you Demon John.
Asking for guidance from Demon John to bring light to the dark situations.
Take him with you when you go.
Take Demon John with you when you leave.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MICHAEL TIGHE, JEFF BUCKLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind