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.
Her
Richard Buckner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
sure: coming back from who-knows-where,
locked-up, downstairs. do you remember
what you were thinking of?
"well maybe."
call out to nothing in the wake of watching
some missing night. but, did just-enough
ever give it up?
"when was i someone who you let inside
and held-on, too?"
(and somewhere)
a note, just inside the door, is hoping
something is still where it was:
'i came to dance and
passed it up. once i
land, won't you come?
think of me: i just can't
move. i couldn't see
i never knew
i'd wander where
i'll never be.'
The song "Her" by Richard Buckner is a contemplative and introspective exploration of the idea of uncertainty and the concept of loss. The lyrics are cryptic and ambiguous, with several potential interpretations. On one level, the song appears to be an address to a former lover, with the singer expressing his uncertainty about their relationship and questioning whether it was ever genuine or lasting. The verse "when was I someone who you let inside and held-on, too?" suggests a feeling of ambivalence or distrust about the singer's place in the other person's life.
The chorus, on the other hand, takes a more abstract approach, with the singer calling out to "nothing" and asking if the act of trying is ever enough. The line "did just-enough ever give it up?" reflects a sense of frustration or futility, as if the singer has been trying to accomplish something but is not sure if his efforts are paying off. The bridge of the song introduces another layer of complexity, with the singer describing a note that he found "just inside the door." The note is addressed to him, and it contains a request for him to come and find the person who wrote it. However, the note also expresses a sense of melancholy and detachment, as if the writer is resigned to wandering aimlessly without finding what he is looking for.
Overall, "Her" is a song that invites multiple interpretations and leaves a lasting impression on the listener. Richard Buckner's lyrics are both poetic and evocative, and the melancholic melody of the song serves to deepen the sense of longing and uncertainty that pervades its themes.
Line by Line Meaning
o, sometimes, i don't think i'll ever be sure: coming back from who-knows-where, locked-up, downstairs. do you remember what you were thinking of?
Uncertainty surrounds me as I return from a distant location, trapped downstairs. Are you able to recall your thoughts from that time?
"well maybe."
The response to the previous inquiry is uncertain: perhaps the person can recollect what they were thinking, but it's possible they cannot.
call out to nothing in the wake of watching her sipping wine from a camping cup on some missing night. but, did just-enough ever give it up?
I reflect on a night where I watched her sip wine from a camping cup, calling out to an empty space thereafter. I wonder if my minimal effort was sufficient in regards to our relationship.
"when was i someone who you let inside and held-on, too?"
I ponder when I was significant enough to be let into and remembered by the person I'm addressing.
(and somewhere)
A sudden transition occurs here, signifying a change in location or time for the artist's thoughts.
a note, just inside the door, is hoping something is still where it was: 'i came to dance and passed it up. once i land, won't you come? think of me: i just can't move. i couldn't see i never knew i'd wander where i'll never be.'
A note near a door expresses hope that the situation inside remains unchanged, mentioning an opportunity to dance that was passed up. The writer is asking for the person reading the note to meet them once they arrive. The writer feels stuck and is uncertain of their future, having never anticipated ending up where they are now.
Contributed by Alex P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.