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.
Straight
Richard Buckner Lyrics
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Probably gonna slow down, no way of knowing
Let's hear the outline, I see where it's going
I know where it came from a bubble in the moment
Someone'll find out
Finishing the time
Crashing around and one night you'll try it
Seen off safely but I could've used
A chance at maybe, a time or two
One for the distance and speaking of the roar
Stopping just to listen at her number on the door
Isn't something calling
Coming as you go?
Never and always and missing the throw?
With hours on the fade
It wasn't where you found it
Returning late again
Waking dressed from before in some week long bed
Leave it all still made
Fall to a weak floor and let it lay
Think of somebody, too far away
Get something easy, lost in the fuel?
Come back tomorrow with a new excuse
Sparklers are passing to the corners of the night
I feel the heat and they move on glowing
But I can pull away
The song Straight by Richard Buckner is a contemplative ballad that deals with themes of uncertainty, regret, and missed opportunities. The song opens with a scene of a washed-out car on the road with its brake lights still visible, providing a sense of stasis and anticipation. The lyrics then refer to the singer's desire to hear the outline of a situation before it unfolds, though they already have an idea of where it's going, as if they are resigned to their fate. The reference to a "bubble in the moment" suggests that the singer is reflecting on a defining moment in their life that has already passed them by.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more abstract, with references to something being at stake and missing the throw. These lines suggest a sense of regret over missed chances or missed connections with others. The lyric "One for the distance and speaking of the roar" could refer to a long-distance relationship or a missed opportunity for adventure. Towards the end of the song, the lyrics become more cryptic, with references to "falling to a weak floor" and "something easy lost in the fuel." These lines could suggest a disillusionment with life or a sense of being trapped.
Overall, the lyrics of Straight suggest a sense of restlessness and dissatisfaction with life, combined with a desire to escape or transcend one's current situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Another washout, brake lights showing
Another disappointment, as indicated by the sight of red brake lights
Probably gonna slow down, no way of knowing
It's likely that things will slow down, even though there's no way to be sure
Let's hear the outline, I see where it's going
Explain the plan in more detail, I understand what's about to happen
I know where it came from a bubble in the moment
I recognize that this idea came from a sudden, fleeting inspiration
Someone'll find out
Eventually, someone will discover the truth
Finishing the time
Completing what needs to be done before time runs out
Crashing around and one night you'll try it
Going to great lengths to make something work, despite its unlikeliness
Is something at stake?
Is there something important on the line that we stand to lose?
Seen off safely but I could've used
You were sent away safely, but I could have used your company
A chance at maybe, a time or two
An opportunity to spend some time together and see if it works out
One for the distance and speaking of the roar
One to take on a long journey, while the singer ponders the sound of the ocean
Stopping just to listen at her number on the door
Pausing to quietly contemplate the possibility of reconnecting with a past love
Isn't something calling
Doesn't it feel like something is beckoning us forward?
Coming as you go?
Will we discover what's calling as we move forward?
Never and always and missing the throw?
Is it possible to both have and lack opportunities we've thrown away?
With hours on the fade
As time passes, we feel and see its effects more deeply
It wasn't where you found it
The thing we hoped for wasn't actually in the place we looked
Returning late again
Once again, we're coming back after being gone for a while
Waking dressed from before in some week long bed
Waking up in a place we've been for a while and feeling like we haven't changed
Leave it all still made
Just leave everything as it is, without trying to change anything
Fall to a weak floor and let it lay
Letting our guard down and just being vulnerable and honest
Think of somebody, too far away
Focusing on someone who's physically distant or emotionally unavailable
Get something easy, lost in the fuel?
Trying to find comfort in something, but ultimately feeling empty and unfulfilled
Come back tomorrow with a new excuse
Putting off dealing with a difficult situation by making up a new excuse for why it can wait
Sparklers are passing to the corners of the night
As time goes on, things are slipping away into the darkness
I feel the heat and they move on glowing
The singer experiences the intensity of the moment, while others continue on without noticing
But I can pull away
Despite being drawn in by the moment, the singer can detach themselves from it and move on
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Richard Carl Buckner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind