Richard Buckner is an American singer songwriter born in California, reside… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Buckner is an American singer songwriter born in California, resident in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for a number of years, and currently living in Brooklyn, NY. A critically-acclaimed artist most often associated with the Alternative Country movement, Buckner has in recent albums eschewed his initial acoustic approach and displayed an increasing interest in more abstract music styles.

Buckner began his career with the acoustic "Bloomed" (1994), a lyrically dense suite of songs recorded in Lubbock, Texas and heavily influenced by that state's tradition of whisky-soaked poet/troubadors, probably best embodied by Townes Van Zandt. In 1996, he released the major label "Devotion & Doubt," with members of Giant Sand backing him, displaying a more adventurous, almost avante garde approach to songwriting and arranging.

Since then, he has returned to recording for smaller labels, to continued critical acclaim and cult status. His 2000 album The Hill - his first for Chicago-based indie label Overcoat Recordings - features poems from Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology (1915), which Buckner set to music. The album plays as a single track, nearly thirty-five minutes long. He returned in 2002, first with the "teaser" EP Impasse-ette, then a full-length entitled Impasse one month later. In early 2003, his self-released, self-titled album was reissued by Overcoat, and was his final release for the label. In 2004, an edited version of Richard Buckner's song Ariel Ramirez, from the album Since (1998) was featured in one of the television ads for Volkswagen's Touareg.

He is currently aligned with North Carolina-based indie label Merge Records, who have released four of his albums so far: 2004's Dents and Shells, 2006's Meadow, 2011's Our Blood, and 2013's Surrounded, as well as the 7-inch single Willow (b/w Lost). He also recorded an album with Jon Langford (most notably of The Mekons) called Sir Dark Invader vs. The Fanglord (2005) for Buried Treasure Records.

Believer
Richard Buckner Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wrote it out in stones where the road divides.
I walked you home and the path was high.
Believe me, believer!
I've seen your run,
And I'll raze your faith until the vein is done and dry

Tell me when you slow down at all,
And stay around,

I'm coming home

I've been there soon
Have you had your days?
The sky is fine.
We're all blown away unknown
Wasted all the way to the fall
Before I'm inside,
You'd better know!

Let's make our own and wake up in some wild familiar time
I wrote it out in stones where the road divides

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Richard Buckner's "Believer" depicts a message of personal growth and self-discovery. The first line, "I wrote it out in stones where the road divides" suggests the singer's decision to choose their path in life, which is an irreversible choice. The next line, "I walked you home and the path was high," perhaps suggests that the singer's path might not be easy, but it's one they willingly take. The repetition of "Believe me, believer!" throughout the song reinforces the confidence and determination of the singer in their chosen path in life.

The line "I've seen your run, And I'll raze your faith until the vein is done and dry" could potentially mean that the singer has seen the listener's journey and will challenge them to have unwavering faith until the very end. When the singer sings, "Tell me when you slow down at all, And stay around, I'm coming home," it could suggest the singer is offering the listener a place of security to rest and recuperate in their own journey.

The last two stanzas of the song also suggest that the singer wants to build a life with the listener and experience life together on their chosen path. Overall, "Believer" is a song that encourages perseverance and faith in one's choices and personal growth through self-discovery.

Line by Line Meaning

I wrote it out in stones where the road divides.
I made a permanent and clear decision at a crucial point in my life.

I walked you home and the path was high.
I accompanied you through your highest of highs.

Believe me, believer!
Trust me and have faith in what I'm telling you.

I've seen your run,
I have observed your progress and actions.

And I'll raze your faith until the vein is done and dry
I'll challenge your beliefs until they're exhausted and you're out of reasons to hold onto them.

Tell me when you slow down at all,
Inform me if you ever show signs of slowing down or taking a break.

And stay around,
Remain with me.

I'm coming home
I'm returning to familiar territory.

I've been there soon
I've experienced something similar recently.

Have you had your days?
Have you experienced difficult moments?

The sky is fine.
Conditions are good.

We're all blown away unknown
We're all affected by circumstances we can't fully comprehend.

Wasted all the way to the fall
Exhausted all resources until reaching the end.

Before I'm inside,
Before I come into my own comfortable position.

You'd better know!
You need to be aware of what's going on.

Let's make our own and wake up in some wild familiar time
Let's create our own reality and live in a time that feels both new and familiar.

Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Richard Carl Buckner

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind