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.
MEDLEY: Hallelujah/I Know It's Over
Jeff Buckley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That David played and it pleased the lord
But you don't really care for music, do you
Well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing hallelujah
Hallelujah
Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah
Hallelujah
Baby I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
But love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah
Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do you?
But remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was hallelujah
Oh mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head
And as I climb into an empty bed - oh well, enough said
I know it's over still I cling, I don't know where else I can go, over and over
Oh mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head
See the sea it wants to take me, the knife wants to slit (cut) me
Do you think you can help me?
Sad veiled bride please be happy - handsome groom give her room
Loud loutish lover treat her kindly though she needs you
More than she loves you - and I know it's over - still I cling
I don't know where else I can go - over and over
Oh mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head
Oh mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head
Well, maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
It's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah
Jeff Buckley's song Hallelujah is a haunting and emotional song that captures the essence of love and heartache. The lyrics contain several religious references that allude to King David and his musical prowess. King David played a secret chord that pleased the Lord, but the singer wonders whether his lover appreciates music at all. The following lyrics introduce the musical structure of the song with "the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, and the major lift." These lyrics are then followed by the "baffled king composing hallelujah."
As the song progresses, the singer enters into a relationship with a woman of great beauty whom he saw bathing on a roof. She ultimately betrays him by tying him to a kitchen chair, breaking his throne and cutting his hair. But he still feels drawn to her, and they share a broken hallelujah.
In the final verse, the singer acknowledges that while love is beautiful, it is also destructive. The hallelujah is cold and broken, and the cries at night are not about joy but pain. Despite this, the singer clings to his relationship with his beloved, even though he knows it is over.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard there was a secret chord
There is a special chord that David played to please God, but no one really cares about music.
That David played and it pleased the lord
David played the secret chord that pleased God.
But you don't really care for music, do you
Music is not something you are interested in.
Well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
The chord progression goes four, five.
The minor fall and the major lift
The chords change from minor to major, giving an uplifting feeling to the song.
The baffled king composing hallelujah
The king was confused but figured out how to write a song of praise: hallelujah.
Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
Your faith was strong, but you still needed evidence.
You saw her bathing on the roof
You saw her bathing on the roof.
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
Her beauty and the moonlight made you fall in love with her.
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She tied you to a chair in her kitchen.
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
She destroyed your power and took control over you.
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah
She made you sing praises to her (hallelujah).
Baby I've been here before
I've experienced this situation before.
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I've been in this room before and have walked around here before.
I used to live alone before I knew you
Before I met you, I used to live by myself.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
I've seen your flag on the marble arch.
But love is not a victory march
Love is not a competition that you can win.
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Love can be hard and often ends in heartbreak.
Well there was a time when you let me know
There was a time when you told me the truth.
What's really going on below
You told me what was really happening.
But now you never show that to me do you?
Now you don't tell me anything.
But remember when I moved in you
Remember when we became one.
And the holy dove was moving too
And the Holy Spirit was present.
And every breath we drew was hallelujah
Every breath we took was a prayer of praise (hallelujah).
Oh mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head
Oh mother, I can feel death approaching.
And as I climb into an empty bed - oh well, enough said
As I get into an empty bed, it's clear what is happening.
I know it's over still I cling, I don't know where else I can go, over and over
I know it's over, but I still hold on. I don't know where else to go, so I keep repeating the cycle.
See the sea it wants to take me, the knife wants to slit (cut) me
The sea and the knife threaten to kill me.
Do you think you can help me?
Can you help me?
Sad veiled bride please be happy - handsome groom give her room
Sad veiled bride, please be happy. Handsome groom, give her space.
Loud loutish lover treat her kindly though she needs you
Care for your lover (even if they don't make sense).
More than she loves you - and I know it's over - still I cling
She's willing to give more than you are willing to receive. Even though the relationship is over, I still hold on.
Well, maybe there's a God above
It's possible that there's a God above.
But all I've ever learned from love
But all I learned from love is how to get revenge.
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
How to harm someone who has caused you harm.
It's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not something you can hear with your ears.
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's not someone who has received divine illumination.
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
It's a hallelujah without the warmth and faith.
Hallelujah
Praise be to God.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dtm3000
I love the way he goes at 5:20 into the Smiths....beautiful stuff and
improvised. Jeff held you in the palm of his hand at moments like this
...and brought us to a better place :-) Listen with the lights low if you can... #JeffBuckley #Hallelujah #Smiths #Morrissey #ThePowerOfMusic
J W
I am forever grateful this recording is available..I was there. God bless your spirit Jeff.
canvas shoes
This song cures everything and while it's playing, nothing else matters and I can put down my issues and emotions and just listen... Magic.
William
Best version of hallelujah Ive heard. He sounds actually sensitive instead of "only" a very skilled artist. Bless Jeff.
formzino
I ought this album when I was 14 to impress my girlfriend. Still listening 14 years later
Sofia Noiti
0:40 ... a very small detail...the guitar slide with a "sitar" sound. Listen after 5:06. He had a unique dreamy sound... he was such a great guitarist.
EvRoKo
Been listening to Jeff for years, and I think this may be my favorite live performance of any song ever...jeff or not.
rojocuarzo
The most beautiful version of "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen. Outstanding voice!!
Anna L. Vajda
Nah I always preferred Cohens I remember I dated a guy in my mid twenties who loved Buckly and played the album for me and our moods just could never match about some things not that I ever insulted Jeff or my date who was also a musician but I also preferred the original poet and some differences in opinion drive wedges between people when we broke up I gave him a foxglove for his garden he asked how to care for it I said partial shade partial sun like you. Moody people are not bad but you have to understand them.
Mojodream94
my first introduction to Jeff ... 10 years ago. Still in love.