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.
You & I
Jeff Buckley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Based on some music that I heard in a dream
That I saw in a dream
Called, it's going to be called "you and I", ouch!
'Cause it's what the people in the dream were saying
You and I, you and I, you and I
All for you
It's like that, I heard the people singing that in a dream
Yeah, and it was a dream where I was in an auditorium at a college
And everybody was congregated and singing the same words
And there was this, y'know a bunch of
This band on stage and they were like, y'know, sorta spacey Deadhead band
With teen- y'know, like, guys in their twenties, like a bunch of grunge guys but
Kinda playing this, this, other thing, not like what I'm playing here on guitar
And the people kept on beating out, uh
Rhythms on drumsticks
This really great rhythm, it was in like, 7/4, this really cool space jam
And what it was, it was a song
I dreamed that this song was about, uh, about this guy, uh
Or, y'know, the person in the song is singing to his lover
Supposedly
That uh, y'know, he's completely theirs
The lover has forbidden anybody to have contact with him
The lover has taken away his freedom, taken away his days and nights
Taken away his, y'know, his dreams
Uh, sent away his friends
Forbidden him to, y'know, get close to his parents, all that stuff
And what it was, it was an AIDS rally
And that song was about AIDS
Or about something like that
So every time the refrain came around
The people would say "you and I, you and I, you and I"
And they point to the sign that said, y'know, like
It said AIDS with a circle with a slash through it
And they go "all for you"
They go like, point to the sign, so that was the dream
I woke up with it
'Kay?
Anyway, as long as you got that on tape, I'll remember that
Jeff Buckley's song "You & I" is a uniquely ethereal and poignant song that explores the depths of emotions and relationships. The introduction of the song explains that the idea of the song was based on music that Buckley heard in a dream. In this dream, Buckley found himself in an auditorium filled with people who were singing the same words: "You and I, you and I, you and I, all for you." Buckley describes the band as a "spacy Deadhead band" and the people were beating out rhythms on drumsticks. The song in Buckley's dream was about a lover who had forbidden anyone to have contact with him, taking away his freedom, days and nights, and dreams, sending his friends away, and forbidding him to get close to his parents. The refrain was "you and I, you and I, you and I" which the people would sing and point to a sign that read "AIDS with a circle with a slash through it," then they would say "all for you."
Line by Line Meaning
This is, uh
Jeff Buckley starts off the song with an uncertain expression, hinting that he is trying to recall something profound
Based on some music that I heard in a dream
Jeff Buckley recalls how he was inspired by music, which he heard in a dream
That I saw in a dream
Jeff reiterates that his inspiration comes from his dream, and that he can see the images in his mind's eye
Called, it's going to be called "you and I", ouch!
Jeff announces the song's name as 'you and I,' which he got from hearing the refrain in his dream, and his emotion ('ouch!') shows that the lyrics have a personal connection to him
'Cause it's what the people in the dream were saying
Jeff confirms that he heard the words, 'you and I' from a group of people singing together within his dream
You and I, you and I, you and I
Repeating the refrain, the lyrics revolve around the bond between two people, which is impressive because it came from a dream
All for you
The phrase, 'all for you' signifies the sacredness of the relationship between the two people, emphasizing that it is something very selfless and special
It's like that, I heard the people singing that in a dream
Jeff reiterates that the melody and lyrics he's using were from the dream where people sang together with the band
Yeah, and it was a dream where I was in an auditorium at a college
Jeff provides further detail of his dream setting, mentioning that it was in a college auditorium which potentially symbolizes a place of learning and experiences
And everybody was congregated and singing the same words
Jeff visualized everyone joining in and singing the same lyrics, representing a community and shared experience that influenced the song
And there was this, y'know a bunch of This band on stage and they were like, y'know, sorta spacey Deadhead band
Jeff describes the type of band he was imagining in his dream. He saw a collective of people that had the vibe of the 'Deadheads' group- people who followed Grateful Dead band everywhere they went
With teen- y'know, like, guys in their twenties, like a bunch of grunge guys but Kinda playing this, this, other thing, not like what I'm playing here on guitar
Jeff tries to describe the band on stage he saw in his dream, and how different their music is from his style. He alludes to 'grunge' music style that had become popular in the '90s
And the people kept on beating out, uh Rhythms on drumsticks
Jeff heard the crowd tapping the rhythmic beats in unison on their drumsticks, emphasizing the powerful and unified energy dream he had
This really great rhythm, it was in like, 7/4, this really cool space jam
Jeff describes the unusual time signature (7/4) in the dream that added to the novelty of the beat of the song. He imbibed the dream's spacey and cool music style into the song
And what it was, it was a song I dreamed that this song was about, uh, about this guy, uh Or, y'know, the person in the song is singing to his lover Supposedly That uh, y'know, he's completely theirs
Jeff explains that the song he composed 'You and I' was inspired by the character in his dream narrating to his lover, whom they belong entirely, perhaps intended to evoke a sense of intimacy
The lover has forbidden anybody to have contact with him The lover has taken away his freedom, taken away his days and nights
Jeff narrates the scenario in his dream where the lover has cut off all contact with the outside world and taken away the person's freedom- days & nights. This could be a reflection of a feeling of being possessed in a relationship
Taken away his, y'know, his dreams Uh, sent away his friends
He adds that the lover takes away his dreams and alienates him from his friends, reinforcing the extent of control the lover has over him
Forbidden him to, y'know, get close to his parents, all that stuff
Jeff goes on to describe the restrictions imposed by the lover, prohibiting the person towards people and things that matter to them, further emphasizing the lover's controlling behavior
And what it was, it was an AIDS rally And that song was about AIDS Or about something like that
Jeff reveals that his dream was set at an AIDS rally, where a community came together to address the disease. He infers that the song he created might signify that sickness or perhaps another grave issue
So every time the refrain came around The people would say "you and I, you and I, you and I"
He further elaborates that the dream started to shape the lyrics of the song as he repeated hearing the phrase 'you and I' at the AIDS rally every time the chorus came around
And they point to the sign that said, y'know, like It said AIDS with a circle with a slash through it
Jeff recollects in the dream attendees pointing towards the sign, depicting the disease's symbol, affirming their collective fight against it
And they go "all for you" They go like, point to the sign, so that was the dream
He confirms that the lyrics repeating in the background, 'all for you,' resonate as a significant message from the dream that may embody fighting AIDS, beliefs, or love's power
I woke up with it 'Kay?
Jeff acknowledges how the song's inspiration and lyrics came from a dream, which he woke up with and remembered
Anyway, as long as you got that on tape, I'll remember that
Jeff jokingly comments that as long as the conversation was recorded, he could remember the exact account of the dream and its impact on his song
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JEFF BUCKLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind