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.
Roy's Bluz
Roy Buchanan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Raise that..?)
Yeah, My soul laid down last friday
Yeah, But it rose again today
Yeah, My soul laid down last friday
Yeah, But it rose again today (by the way)
Yeah, I think I like life better
Yeah, I dreamed of heaven
Yeah, And I saw my baby there
I dreamed, I dreamed of heaven
Yeah, And I saw my baby there
You know she had real pretty eyes
Yeah, and she had long, black, wavy hair (I could almost touch it)
Yeah if I go to hell
I'm gonna speak very highly of you
Yeah, woah, If I go to hell
I'm gonna speak very highly of you
(Thats what I'm gonna do right, now, lord, lord, lord)
Cause you've done some things pretty mama
I don't believe that the devil would-a do (Hoo-Hoo *Laugh*)
In "Roy's Bluz," Roy Buchanan describes his recent experiences with his emotions and thoughts about life and death. He feels that his soul died last Friday, but it rose again and he sees the beauty in life. Buchanan explains that he previously had a dream about heaven and saw his beloved baby there. He describes her as having pretty eyes and long wavy black hair, that he could almost touch. In the last part of the song, he makes a promise to speak highly of someone if he ends up in hell. Although he doesn't explicitly say who this person is, he assures them they have done things that the devil himself would not do.
The song demonstrates a complex blend of feelings ranging from gritty despair to the hope that life can improve. Buchanan recognizes that life is a mixed bag with moments of joy and moments of pain. He states that his soul died last Friday, which could symbolize the death of his spirit, happiness, or the end of a relationship. However, he also emphasizes that his soul rose again, indicating that he has found hope or solace. Moreover, the song also highlights the importance of loyalty and appreciation towards close ones. Buchanan recognizes someone's kindness that has touched him so deeply that he promises to speak highly of them even in the face of eternal damnation.
Line by Line Meaning
(Yeah make me feel so good I think my nose gon' bleed)
This experience is so exhilarating that I feel like I might have a nosebleed.
(Raise that..?)
This part is unclear without context and cannot be reworded for true meaning.
Yeah, My soul laid down last friday
Last Friday, I was very down and defeated.
Yeah, But it rose again today
But today, I feel revitalized and renewed.
Yeah, My soul laid down last friday
I was undoubtedly in a low place last Friday.
Yeah, But it rose again today (by the way)
But thankfully, I was able to overcome that low point and move forward.
Yeah, I think I like life better
Now, I feel like I have a newfound appreciation for life.
Ooh, I might even decide to stay
As a matter of fact, I'm enjoying my life so much that I may want to stick around for a while.
Yeah, I dreamed of heaven
I had a dream about heaven.
Yeah, And I saw my baby there
In that dream, I saw my beloved partner in heaven.
I dreamed, I dreamed of heaven
I cannot emphasize enough the vividness of this dream.
Yeah, And I saw my baby there
My partner, who has passed away, was truly present in this dream.
You know she had real pretty eyes
I remember specifically admiring her beautiful eyes.
Yeah, and she had long, black, wavy hair (I could almost touch it)
Her hair was wavy, black, and so long that I felt as if I could touch it.
Yeah if I go to hell
Even if I end up going to hell in the afterlife.
I'm gonna speak very highly of you
I will always speak very favorably of you, despite any consequences.
Yeah, woah, If I go to hell
Going to hell won't change how much respect and admiration I have for you.
I'm gonna speak very highly of you
In fact, I will always hold you in high regard.
(Thats what I'm gonna do right, now, lord, lord, lord)
This is a solemn promise I am making, as witnessed by God himself.
Cause you've done some things pretty mama
The reason for my unwavering loyalty and respect is because of the good things you have done.
I don't believe that the devil would-a do (Hoo-Hoo *Laugh*)
I am certain that even the devil himself wouldn't be capable of doing such good things.
Contributed by Ryan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sebraca Beats
I've never heard anyone with this style of blues playing, very unique.
The Dark Lørd
He’s an amazing blues player but it’s not exactly unique, a lot of his playing is derived from Les Paul, Jeff Beck, among others, and with all the standard blues influences of course. But he’s definitely one of the greats! An unappreciated great
Rodney H
@Zachary Smith Uh you might want to go and do some reading Jose is correct that is exactly where blues came from, any group of people can claim it and that's exactly what they will be doing false claiming it. I am black and this man right here was a beast just listen to him bend those strings. I listen to this at least once a day and that is no lie.
Joshua Dowling
@Sebraca Beats Buddy, I hope not. Nobody sounds or plays like Roy. Was there an argument or question in there? I never compared him to any of those that you mentioned. I just said that he is one of my guitar heroes.
Sebraca Beats
@Joshua Dowling I'm not the biggest blues fan, but there's no way I'll confuse Roy's playing with BB King, SRV, Mike Bloomfield or any other blues player that I know. If you think all blues players have this same style of playing, you probably need to listen to music more carefully.
Joshua Dowling
@Sebraca Beats yeah. Every blues guitar player, ever.Start with that. Just saying.
Michael Ulbricht
Absolutely stunning! It's possible that you may run across a guitarist that's as good as Roy, but you'll never see one who's better.
Michael Ulbricht
@telecaster fanatic Look at the two posts above yours. I agree with you about Danny. Take care!
telecaster fanatic
Danny Gatton for one.
Michael Ulbricht
@Tommy Butler Yes, Danny's in the top tier. I still don't know how he could douse his Telecaster in beer, then dry the fretboard off with a towel, and still play clean & coherently? Sadly, both men would die before they turned 50; allegedly by their own hand. Take care and Peace!