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.
Lover You
Jeff Buckley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see the rain fall upon the funeral mourners
Parading in a wake of sad relations
As their shoes fill up with water
Maybe I'm too young
To keep good love from going wrong
But tonight you're on my mind so
You'll never know
Broken down and hungry for your love
With no way to feed it
Where are you tonight?
Child, you know how much I need it
Too young to hold on
And too old to just break free and run
Well, sometimes a man gets carried away
When he feels like he should be having his fun
But much too blind to see the damage he's done
Yeah, sometimes a man must awake to find that, really
He has no one
So I'll wait for you and I'll burn
Will I ever see your sweet return
Oh, will I ever learn?
Oh oh oh, lover, you should've come over
'Cause it's not too late
Mm
Lonely is the room, the bed is made
The open window lets the rain in
Burning in the corner is the only one
Who dreams he had you with him
My body turns and yearns for a sleep
That won't ever come
It's never over
My kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder
Yeah, it's never over, all my riches for her smiles
When I slept so soft against her
It's never over
All my blood for the sweetness of her laughter
It's never over
She is a tear that hangs inside my soul forever (mm)
Ah, but maybe I'm just too young
To keep good love from going wrong
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh lover, you should've come over, yeah yeah, yes, yes
I feel too young to hold on
I'm much too old to break free and run
Too deaf, dumb, and blind
To see the damage I've done
The sweet lover, you, you should've come over
Oh, love, well I've waited for you
Lover, lover, lover
Lover, love, lover
Love, love, love, love, love
Lover, you should've come over
If it's not too late
The song "You Should Have Come Over" by Jeff Buckley is a powerful ballad about lost love and regret. The opening lines depict a dreary funeral procession in the rain, setting a melancholic tone for the song. The singer then reflects on his own failed relationship and the pain of being unable to rekindle a lost flame. He feels too young to have made the mistakes that led to the breakup, yet also too old to just move on and start over. He is tormented by memories of his lover, yearning for her return and willing to do whatever it takes to regain her affection.
The chorus of the song is perhaps the most poignant and memorable part, with Buckley pleading for his lover to "come over" because it's not too late to salvage their relationship. This refrain speaks to the universal human experience of regret and the desire for second chances. The final lines of the song emphasize this theme by repeating the phrase "lover, you should've come over," and expressing a sense of desperation and hopelessness at the possibility of ever finding love again.
Overall, "You Should Have Come Over" is a haunting and emotional song that captures the raw intensity of heartbreak and the complexity of human relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking out the door
I see the rain fall upon the funeral mourners
Parading in a wake of sad relations
as their shoes fill up with water
And maybe I'm too young
To keep good love from going wrong
But tonight you're on my mind so
(you'll never know)
Observing the rain pouring at a funeral where mourners are walking alongside the coffin, we see the sorrow flowing steadily. Essentially, the singer realizes he may be inexperienced at keeping love alive, but he cannot stop thinking about the person in question.
I'm broken down and hungry for your love
With no way to feed it
Where are you tonight?
Child, you know how much I need it.
The singer faces the burden of unrequited love, realizing that it is impossible to force someone into feeling the same emotions. Losing his appetite, he wonders where his lover is, knowing how much he craves them.
Too young to hold on
And too old to just break free and run
Sometimes a man gets carried away,
When he feels like he should be having his fun
And much too blind to see the damage he's done
Sometimes a man must awake to find that, really,
He has no-one...
At times, one can feel stuck in a situation where they cannot move forward or retreat. Men, in particular, have a habit of pursuing pleasure recklessly, without realizing the harm they are causing. The realization of such behavior dawns on them after they've lost everything.
So I'll wait for you... And I'll burn oh
Will I ever see your sweet return,
Oh/or, will I ever learn?
Lover, you should've come over
'Cause it's not too late.
Even when it seems hopeless, the artist continues to wait, dreadfully hopeful for his lover's return. Ruminating over the possibility of love never working out or the fear of not learning the lesson, he hopes that the person he loves will come back to him as it's never too late to start again.
Lonely is the room the bed is made
The open window lets the rain in
Burning in the corner is the only one
Who dreams he had you with him
My body turns and yearns for a sleep
That will never come
It's never over,
Feeling lonely and forsaken, the artist's room is the perfect reflection of his love life - cold and unyielding. The rain and the emptiness outside portray his perpetual gloom. He sits in the corner, burning with the thought of his lover with him, while his body yearns for sleep that ultimately remains elusive. The sense of loss and pain never leaves the artist.
My kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder
It's never over, all my riches for her smiles
When I slept so soft against her...
It's never over,
All my blood for the sweetness of her laughter
It's never over, she is the tear
That hangs inside my soul forever
At this point, the singer's obsession with his departed lover only grows stronger. In his mind, he would give everything up for the slightest of memories of his lover. From a kiss to her smile, to the sound of her laughter, he holds onto vivid memories of her, cherishing them always, even though they hurt him.
Maybe I'm just too young to keep good love
From going wrong
Oh... lover you should've come over...
'Cause it's not too late...
Finally, the singer admits to his inadequacy as a lover, realizing that his youth is, in fact, a disadvantage. To this day, he still believes that it was not too late for the lover to cross the distance and reconnect if only they had taken the chance.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jeffery Scott Buckley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Pride317
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Looking out the door I see the rain
Fall upon the funeral mourners
Parading in a wake of sad relations
As their shoes fill up with water
Maybe I'm too young
To keep good love from going wrong
But tonight you're on my mind
So you never know
[Verse 2]
Broken down and hungry for your love
With no way to feed it
Where are you tonight, child
You know how much I need it
Too young to hold on
And too old to just break free and run
[Verse 3]
Sometimes a man gets carried away
When he feels like he should
Be having his fun
And much too blind to see
The damage he's done
Sometimes a man must awake
To find that really, he has no-one
So I'll wait for you, and I'll burn
Will I ever see your sweet return
Oh, will I ever learn?
[Chorus]
Oh lover, you should've come over
Cause it's not too late
[Verse 4]
Lonely is the room, the bed is made
The open window lets the rain in
Burning in the corner is the only one
Who dreams he had you with him
My body turns and yearns
For a sleep that won't ever come
It's never over
My kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder
It's never over
All my riches for her smiles
When I slept so soft against her
It's never over
All my blood for
The sweetness of her laughter
It's never over
She's the tear that hangs
Inside my soul forever
Well maybe I'm just too young
To keep good love from going wrong
[Chorus]
Oh... Ohh...
Ohhhhh... Ohhhhhh...
Ohh..... lover, you should've come over
Yes, yes, I feel too young to hold on
And I'm much too old to break free and run
Too deaf, dumb, and blind
To see the damage I've done
Sweet lover, you should've come over
Oh, love well I'll wait for you
Lover, lover, lover
Lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover
Lover, lover, lover you should've come over
Cause it's not too late
@ale1641
Looking out the door
I see the rain fall upon the funeral mourners
Parading in a wake of sad relations
As their shoes fill up with water
Maybe I'm too young
To keep good love from going wrong
But tonight you're on my mind so
You'll never know
Broken down and hungry for your love
With no way to feed it
Where are you tonight?
Child, you know how much I need it.
Too young to hold on
And too old to just break free and run
Sometimes a man gets carried away,
When he feels like he should be having his fun
Much too blind to see the damage he's done
Sometimes a man must awake to find that, really,
He has no one
So I'll wait for you and I'll burn
Will I ever see your sweet return,
Or, will I ever learn?
Lover, you should've come over
'Cause it's not too late.
Lonely is the room the bed is made
The open window lets the rain in
Burning in the corner is the only one
Who dreams he had you with him
My body turns and yearns for a sleep
That won't ever come
It's never over,
My kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder
It's never over, all my riches for her smiles
When I slept so soft against her
It's never over,
All my blood for the sweetness of her laughter
It's never over,
She is the tear that hangs inside my soul forever
But maybe I'm just too young,
To keep good love from going wrong
Oh lover, you should've come over, yeah yeah yes
I feel too young to hold on
I'm much too old to break free and run
Too deaf, dumb, and blind
To see the damage I've done
Sweet lover, you should've come over
Oh, love I've waited for you
Lover, you should've come over
'Cause it's not too late
@bjwnashe5589
With Jeff it's always 3 am and all hearts are broken forever.
@33melissaj
But it hurts so good.
@annagaszkowska283
This comment 👏 it's crazy how effortless this song is in capturing that pain of losing somone and knowing it's too late
@bjwnashe5589
It breaks my heart every time I listen to it. Morgan James did a great cover of this song. Check it out.
@sertyuhg
Jeff was real, there aren't many like him
@austinmcmillen9008
345 a.m right now
@that70sgeek
I listened to this song a lot the months following my wife's death. The entire album, actually. Every time I hear "it's never over.. she's a tear that hangs inside my soul forever..." I lose it. Like just now.
@gelflingmama
I’m sorry you lost your other half. My husband has MS. Someday I’ll be right there with you. But for now, I cling. I cherish. I hope you find some joy again. ❤️❤️
@ccxxz4233
😭😭
@shreddingwithfingersSLUM
man