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.
Down By The River
Roy Buchanan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Be on my side,
I'll be on your side,
Baby
There is no reason
For you to hide
It's so hard for me
When you could be
Taking me for a ride.
Yeah, she could drag me
Over the rainbow,
Send me away
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river,
Dead, oh, shot her dead.
You take my hand,
I'll take your hand
Together we may get away
This much madness
Is too much sorrow
It's impossible
To make it today.
Yeah, she could drag me
Over the rainbow,
Send me away
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river,
Dead, oh, shot her dead.
Be on my side,
I'll be on your side,
Baby
There is no reason
For you to hide
It's so hard for me
Staying here all alone
When you could be
Taking me for a ride.
Yeah, she could drag me
Over the rainbow,
Send me away
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river,
Dead, oh, shot her dead
The lyrics to Roy Buchanan's song "Down By The River" describe a conflicted relationship and a sense of entrapment. The first verse establishes a desire for mutual support and a lack of reason for one partner to hide from the other. The second verse reveals a sense of frustration with the current situation and a desire to escape into something new. The line "she could drag me over the rainbow" suggests a desire for something more exciting or fulfilling. However, the sudden shift in tone in the chorus with the violent act of shooting a lover dead by the river introduces a jarring reality check.
The song's title and recurrent imagery of a river may symbolize the passage of time or transformative power of nature. The river may also represent a point of no return, as once the singer has taken a violent action, there is no going back. The final verse repeats the desire for connection and escape established earlier, suggesting a cycle of desire, frustration, and violent resolution. Overall, the lyrics offer a dark and complex portrayal of a troubled relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Down by the river
The singer wants to go to a peaceful place by the river.
Be on my side,
The singer wants the listener to be their ally in life.
I'll be on your side,
The singer wants the listener to know that they too will be their ally in life.
Baby
An endearing term for the listener.
There is no reason
There is no logical explanation for the listener to hide their feelings from the artist.
For you to hide
The singer is encouraging the listener to open up and share their thoughts and feelings.
It's so hard for me
The singer is struggling emotionally and finds it difficult to continue without the listener's support.
Staying here all alone
The artist feels lonely without the listener by their side.
When you could be
The artist is pointing out that the listener has the ability to bring happiness into the artist's life.
Taking me for a ride.
The artist is asking the listener to take them on an adventure, to live life to the fullest together.
Yeah, she could drag me
The singer is willing to be led by a woman who makes them feel happy and content.
Over the rainbow,
The artist is describing a dream-like feeling, a place of happiness and peace.
Send me away
The singer is willing to be taken away from their current situation.
Down by the river
The river is seen as a place of peace and tranquility.
I shot my baby
The singer has had a moment of intense emotion and made a serious mistake.
Down by the river,
The artist's tragic mistake happened at the peaceful river.
Dead, oh, shot her dead.
The artist is expressing deep remorse for their actions and the irreversible consequences.
You take my hand,
The singer is offering their trust and partnership to the listener.
I'll take your hand
The singer is willing to take the listener's hand and walk through life together.
Together we may get away
The artist sees the listener as an escape from their current situation, someone to find happiness with.
This much madness
The artist acknowledges that the world is chaotic and unpredictable.
Is too much sorrow
The artist feels overwhelmed by the madness of the world which leads to a great deal of sadness.
It's impossible
The singer believes that it's impossible to deal with the sadness of the world on their own.
To make it today.
The artist feels defeated and hopeless about life right now.
Contributed by Dylan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
AlanSturgess
picolodaemao3 I bought my copy via Amazon uk. Look for 'Roy Buchanan: American Axe [Paperback]' ...
Backbeat Books (6 Sep 2001)
ISBN-10: 0879306394
ISBN-13: 978-0879306397
Lots of insights into his early life and the many struggles he had with fame, drugs and an ever-increasing family. Later parts of the book do tend to slip into detailed accounts of particular gigs, but the bulk of the book really does help you try to understand Roy's Blues. Although his wife Judy appears again and again in the body of the book, there's a very interesting reference to her in Carson's introduction. I'll leave you to spot that.
Hope you find the book and enjoy it.
It's certainly sent me back to listen with new ears to my large collection of Roy's recordings.
James Mackes
I would give everything I ever known just to spend a day in the 70s-80s, go out to a bar, and see this man. So many others as well. I could almost make myself cry at the thought of it, but I am equally grateful to live in a time where I can listen to the best recording of a song at my very whim. RIP Roy.
Donald Featheroff
right......
Mary Shumate
The 1970's bar scene WAS a lot of fun!!
MartyReese
Classic. I was so fortunate to see him live at the Cabooze in Minneapolis. It was so packed I had to climb up on the speaker stacks to watch the show. Phenomenal ❤
Roy Douglas
I just love the way Roy hugged his guitar like a baby.He was truly Legendary!! I met a man who lived outside Washington D.C. and saw Roy often performing at a small bar quite a few times near there.No one played like Roy did and never will !!
SoCalGoombah
Sucks this album wasn't well received at the time. This is an underappreciated piece.
EZTrades
Got to love it ! What a beautiful and haunting melody . Also love Buddy Miles' version , killer !
Elias MIHOUB
And the meters version is awesome as fuck too ! As same as the one of undisputed truth and of course the original from Neil young in love !!
Linda Jones
One of the most spectacular solos, fascinating to watch. I once read that Roy's fingers on the fret board were akin to spiders dancing on a hot-plate, (something like that) the man was astonishing. You'll never convince me that Roy suicided either. RIP Roy.
Donald Elley
Roy was from a Pentecostal Christian family and had faith in God. No way a suicide. Cops bashed him and killed him cos he didn't look like them