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.
Figure
Richard Buckner Lyrics
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and the words are done and the silence just smokes on through.
Well, I'm not some clipped lil clipper, just a friend with too much time.
I'll send off a postcard to stay inside of you.
"Hands aweigh," I used to say, aching and arching as I do.
Well, you can take your friend along and say you'll be back later tonight
Oh, but if I had your two-time figure close just one last time...
Made, away'd, dogged + hammered, you ride the flame on out.
But tonight the woods are folding, and you're not @ my side.
Oh but if I had your lil two-time figure, close just one last time...
The lyrics of Richard Buckner's "Figure" are filled with vivid imagery and poignant emotion. The first line, "Well, when it's down to this: overturned and @ the roof," paints a picture of a situation that's gone awry, with things turned upside down and in disarray. The following line speaks of a feeling of resignation and acceptance, with the words being done and the silence taking over. The next few lines are a plea to a lost love, with the singer expressing regret and desire that they could be together one last time.
The lines "Can I cool off in your ashes, did a lil ember burn me down?" are particularly powerful, with the singer seeking solace in the aftermath of a fiery relationship that has left them feeling burnt out. The rest of the lyrics continue in this vein, with references to sailing and the imagery of a burning flame. The final lines, "Oh but if I had your lil two-time figure, close just one last time," are a hauntingly sad refrain that speaks to the pain of lost love and the desperate yearning to be reunited with someone who's already gone.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, when it's down to this: overturned and @ the roof.
When everything seems to be falling apart, and there's chaos everywhere.
and the words are done and the silence just smokes on through.
When there's nothing left to say, and the silence takes over.
Well, I'm not some clipped lil clipper, just a friend with too much time.
I'm not someone who's perfect or always in control, just a friend who has a lot of free time.
I'll send off a postcard to stay inside of you.
I'll try to stay in touch, even when we're apart.
"Hands aweigh," I used to say, aching and arching as I do.
I used to say goodbye and feel a sense of pain and longing.
Well, you can take your friend along and say you'll be back later tonight
You can go out with your friend and promise to come back later tonight.
Oh, but if I had your two-time figure close just one last time...
But if I could be with you one last time, I wouldn't care if you were seeing someone else.
Can I cool off in your ashes, did a lil ember burn me down?
Can I find comfort in the remains of our relationship, or did it destroy me completely?
Made, away'd, dogged + hammered, you ride the flame on out.
You've been through a lot, running away and facing challenges, but you've managed to survive through it all.
But tonight the woods are folding, and you're not @ my side.
Tonight everything seems uncertain, and I'm feeling lonely without you by my side.
Oh, but if I had your lil two-time figure, close just one last time...
But if we could be together one last time, it would make everything okay.
Contributed by Lincoln S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.