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.
Picture Day
Richard Buckner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The day the news slipped out
I watched the big distraction glow
And suddenly was found
With hollow roads of "I don't know"
Think in our thin overthrows
And it"s closing time
Shallow in the light and thunder
Cold at the crown
Crudest as the shell was breaking
And someone looked around
I didn"t want to find a savior
Weighing off with other strangers
To the wind
Just to let you in
I left when nothing else was holding
Fasting as a way of folding
I'll never figure through
Where it was with you
Down to standing out and staring
I hear from some I lost
I caught my breath but it was done
And the harbor lights were gone
Someone moved like they'd waited so long
But didn"t stop to tell it wrong
Or come around
Or play it down
The lyrics to Richard Buckner's song "Picture Day" are reflective and emotive, describing a situation where the singer is disconnected from their partner, and there is a sense of distance and isolation. The opening line, "Made the way we never talk," sets the stage for this theme, describing a relationship where communication has broken down.
As the song progresses, the singer describes feeling lost and uncertain, with "hollow roads of 'I don't know'" and thoughts of "thin overthrows." There is a sense of regret and sadness, but also of acceptance and resignation: "I didn't want to find a savior... Just to let you in."
The imagery in the song is vivid and evocative, describing the "hollow roads" and "harbor lights" that have been left behind. There is also a sense of tension and urgency in lines like "And suddenly was found" and "It's closing time on the other line."
Overall, "Picture Day" is a poignant and introspective song that conveys a sense of loss and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Made the way we never talk
The dynamic between us was such that we rarely communicated directly
The day the news slipped out
On the day that we received bad news
I watched the big distraction glow
I witnessed a major event that held my attention and distracted me from my problems
And suddenly was found
I was struck with a realization or understanding
With hollow roads of "I don't know"
I was full of uncertainty and doubt
Think in our thin overthrows
Our thoughts and emotions were fragile and unstable
And it's closing time On the other line
There was a sense of finality or conclusion on the other end of the phone line
Shallow in the light and thunder
Despite the intensity of the situation, our feelings were superficial and fleeting
Cold at the crown
I felt isolated and alone in my emotional experience
Crudest as the shell was breaking
The situation was at its worst as it was coming to an end
And someone looked around
While everything was falling apart, someone was observing the situation
I didn't want to find a savior
I didn't want someone to come in and save me from my problems
Weighing off with other strangers
I was comparing myself or our relationship to other, unfamiliar people
To the wind
I was letting go of my worries or troubles
Just to let you in
In doing so, I was hoping to become closer with someone
I left when nothing else was holding
I left at a time when I felt I had nothing left to keep me there
Fasting as a way of folding
I resorted to self-denial or discipline as a way of coping
I'll never figure through Where it was with you
I will never fully understand what our relationship meant
Down to standing out and staring
All that was left was to observe and take in the situation
I hear from some I lost
I am getting some communication from people who were once in my life but are now gone
I caught my breath but it was done
While I was momentarily taken aback, it was too late to make a difference
And the harbor lights were gone
The bright, hopeful aspects of the situation had disappeared
Someone moved like they'd waited so long
Someone finally made a move, as if they had been waiting for a long time
But didn't stop to tell it wrong Or come around Or play it down
Instead of being cautious or trying to downplay the situation, they acted without hesitation
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.