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.
Traitor
Richard Buckner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
somewhere to stay together/apart, where everyone traded as they faded in the dark, caught in the lights they
couldn't show through and just beyond.
They'd always known you would give it away, even as dust, falling just out of frame, leaving everything
untouched, held and returned.
Who did you cry to?
Was Someone else too close to find?
You sold what you'd saved, woke where you'd like and said what they wouldn't say to the shadows in the night
left in your place and still lashing out, coming to life to make you finally live it down.
O, watch that temper, now.
Is it worth it, wasted?
How far will you get?
The song "Traitor" by Richard Buckner seems to be about the dilemma of being stuck in the middle of something or someone, not being able to choose a side or stand up for oneself. The singer wakes up too late - perhaps too late to make amends or too late to change something that has already started. They were waiting for strangers to come together apart, which could represent a sense of longing for something that is unattainable or not coming together in the way desired. They fade into the dark, caught in the lights they couldn't show through and just beyond. This could represent a feeling of being caught and exposed, but unable to express or communicate what is happening.
The singer seems to be aware that they were always going to give it away, perhaps referring to the tendency to be vulnerable or easily influenced by others. They leave everything untouched, held and returned, not making any significant impact or change. The lines "Who did you cry to?" and "Was someone else too close to find?" could mean that the singer is seeking validation or looking for someone who understands but cannot seem to find it. They sold what they saved, waking up where they like and saying what they wouldn't say to the shadows in the night, perhaps finally finding a voice but still feeling the weight of past mistakes or decisions. The listener is reminded to watch the temper, to consider whether something is worth wasting time or energy on and wondering how far the singer will get.
Line by Line Meaning
You woke up too late, but know what they thought while you were waiting for the strangers that had gone somewhere to stay together/apart, where everyone traded as they faded in the dark, caught in the lights they couldn't show through and just beyond.
You missed your chance and now you understand what others thought of you while you were waiting for those who had already left to form their own cliques. They all pretended to be someone they're not, blending in the darkness they couldn't reveal beyond.
They'd always known you would give it away, even as dust, falling just out of frame, leaving everything untouched, held and returned.
Others always knew that you would reveal secrets, just like dust falling and showing up in view, leaving no stone unturned, even if it meant betraying others whom you held dear.
Who did you cry to?
You sought for a confidant to pour out your troubles to.
Was Someone else too close to find?
Maybe someone else was too close to notice that you were in distress.
You sold what you'd saved, woke where you'd like and said what they wouldn't say to the shadows in the night left in your place and still lashing out, coming to life to make you finally live it down.
You sold your precious belongings, went wherever you wanted, and said things others wouldn't dare confess to the faceless shadows of the night. Even though you fled, it still haunts you and threatens to catch up to you.
O, watch that temper, now.
You need to control your temper before it gets out of hand.
Is it worth it, wasted?
Is betraying others worth the time you wasted?
How far will you get?
How much longer can you run and escape the consequences of your actions?
Contributed by Isabelle B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
dunkbot
This is top notch songwriting and production.
James Croy
Does he have a bad record? I think not.
sarahzentexas
Oh oh oh oh yes yes yes yes