In 1957, Buchanan made his recording debut, playing the solo on Dale Hawkins' "My Babe" for Chicago's Chess Records. Three years later, Buchanan headed north to Canada, where he took charge of the guitar role in Ronnie Hawkins' band (a group later to gain fame as The Band). The group's guitar player, Robbie Robertson, studied guitar under Buchanan, and took over the lead guitar spot when Buchanan left the group.
The early 60's found Buchanan performing numerous gigs as a sideman with multiple rock bands, and cutting a number of sessions as guitarist with musicians such as Freddy Cannon and Merle Kilgore.
Buchanan's 1962 recording with drummer Bobby Gregg, "Potato Peeler", first introduced the trademark Buchanan pinch harmonics. An effort to cash in on the British Invasion caught Buchanan with The British Walkers. In the mid-'60's, Buchanan settled down in the Washington, DC area, playing as a sideman before starting his own groups. One of these groups was called The Snakestretchers, an allusion to Buchanan's disdain for the vagaries of the band experience. The Snakestretchers became a semi-permanent combo for Buchanan starting in this period, with whom he made his first acclaimed recording as a front man, Roy Buchanan & the Snakestretchers. Danny Gatton was another respected Telecaster master who lived in Washington, D.C. at that time. Both musicians gained reputations as under-appreciated guitarists.
In 1971, riding on word-of-mouth reputation that included praise from John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Merle Haggard, and an alleged invitation to join the Rolling Stones, Buchanan gained national notoriety as the result of an hour-long Public broadcasting television documentary. Entitled "The Best Unknown Guitarist In The World", the show rejuvenated a contract with Polydor and began a decade of national and international touring. He recorded five albums for Polydor (one went gold) and three for Atlantic Records (one gold), while playing most major rock concert halls and festivals. Finally, Buchanan quit recording in 1981, vowing never to enter a studio again unless he could record his own music his own way.
Four years later, Buchanan was coaxed back into the studio by Alligator Records. His first album for Alligator, When a Guitar Plays The Blues, was released in the spring of 1985. It was the first time he was given total artistic freedom in the studio. It was also his first true blues album. Fans quickly responded, and the album entered Billboard's pop charts and remained on the charts for 13 weeks. Music critics, as well as fans, applauded Roy's efforts with favorable reviews.
His second Alligator LP, Dancing on the Edge, was released in the fall of 1986. The album, featuring three songs with special guest, rock'n'soul vocalist Delbert McClinton, won the College Media Journal Award for Best Blues Album of 1986.
He released the twelfth LP of his career and his third for Alligator, Hot Wires, in 1987. In addition to Donald Kinsey (formerly with Albert King and Bob Marley), keyboardist Stan Szelest, and Larry Exum (bass) and Morris Jennings (drums), this album includes guest vocals by veteran soul singer Johnny Sayles and blues singer Kanika Kress.
Buchanan died August 14, 1988 in the Fairfax County, Virginia jail while being held after an arrest for public drunkeness. His death was ruled a suicide, although that finding has been disputed by friends and family.
Black Autumn
Roy Buchanan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Flashing rows of neon lights
People with no place to go
Rushing madly to and frow
A shrine where all the nameless robots
Pay homage to their country idol
Got to pass the time of day
Between the canyon walls of stone and steel
And wish the world would spin the other way
Silver mantles speak the shouting
Talking loud but saying nothing
Sounds of hungry children crying
Drowned out by cannon firing
As the giant with the passing face manipulates his toys
And one by one they're trampled in the mud
The high priest and his sacrificial counsel hold a meeting
And demand another sacrifice of blood
The lyrics of Roy Buchanan's song "Black Autumn" reflect the chaotic, fast-paced nature of life in a bustling city. The opening lines describe subway trains rushing through the night, with neon lights flashing in the background. The people in the city are described as having no direction, running to and fro with no real destination. The lyrics suggest that people in the city are like robots, blindly following an idol in hopes of finding some meaning.
The song contains harsh imagery, as the children's cries are drowned out by cannon fire. The lyrics suggest a world of inequality, with the misers hoarding their gold and the priests demanding more sacrifices of blood. The silver mantles that speak of shouting aren't actually saying anything, reflecting the emptiness of life in the city.
Overall, "Black Autumn" is a compelling commentary on the challenges and complexities of modern society. It is a warning against the harsh and destructive forces that can be unleashed when humans become lost in the chaos of the modern world.
Line by Line Meaning
Subways stumbling through the night
In the night, subways are moving unsteadily as if they are struggling to move forward.
Flashing rows of neon lights
Many neon lights are blinking simultaneously in a specific order.
People with no place to go
Individuals with nowhere to turn to, no particular destination in mind.
Rushing madly to and frow
People are hastily and sporadically moving back and forth.
A shrine where all the nameless robots
A location where anonymous people come and worship a celebrity, symbolizing a robotic nature of the general public.
Pay homage to their country idol
Showing great respect or tribute to their national icon.
Got to pass the time of day
Occupying themselves to make time to go by.
Between the canyon walls of stone and steel
The environment where they are situated is hemmed by stone and metal barriers.
The misers count their gold
Individuals who hoard their wealth are busy calculating their riches.
And wish the world would spin the other way
Those individuals wish that the universe would revolve in reverse, showcasing their displeasure with life.
Silver mantles speak the shouting
Speech that does not communicate anything is being expressed loudly with distractions (silvery materials) surrounding it.
Talking loud but saying nothing
Speaking boisterously without delivering a real message.
Sounds of hungry children crying
Crying from malnourished kids can be heard.
Drowned out by cannon firing
The sound of cannon firing has drowned out the noise of children crying.
As the giant with the passing face manipulates his toys
The person in control toyed with people's lives as if playing with a child's toys.
And one by one they're trampled in the mud
People are ruthlessly crushed underneath someone's authority.
The high priest and his sacrificial counsel hold a meeting
A religious leader is presiding over a gathering of officials to undertake a rite that involves giving up something significant.
And demand another sacrifice of blood
The participants demand that something valuable should be surrendered, with dire consequences if it is withheld.
Contributed by Leo E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.