The band's 2003 album Up All Night reached the top five of the Australian Albums Chart, it achieved double platinum status and won four ARIA Awards in October. Two further top five albums were issued, Sun Dirt Water in 2007 and Temptation in 2011. The Waifs have three top fifty singles, "London Still" (2002), "Bridal Train" (2004) and "Sun Dirt Water". The band supported Bob Dylan on his 2003 Australian tour and then his 2003 North American tour, including a gig at the Newport Folk Festival.
The Waifs founded the independent label Jarrah Records in July 2002, co-owned with fellow musician John Butler, and their common manager Phil Stevens, which handles their Australian releases.
Buffalo
The Waifs Lyrics
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He has this dream
He gonna toil and till
The field of green
He gonna sinks his roots
Deep down in the land
Find himself
Buffalo
He has this dream
Buffalo
He has this dream
Yeah, he gonna buy himself
Some Navajo sheep
He wants to study beasts
And a woman to keep him warm at night
Ain't that just a man's right
She gonna bare him children
Two or three more
Raise a little family
Betwixt lovin' walls
And dirt floor rooms
Through desert winds
And harvest moons
Buffalo
He has this dream
Give a man a home
Let him toil no more
Let him roam
No matter what happens
I'm gonna take care of them
Oo oo oh, I wanna take care of them
Oo oo oh
Buffalo
He has this dream
He gonna toil and till
The field of green
He gonna sinks his roots
Deep down in the land
Find himself
He's wants to be a better man
Buffalo
He has this dream
The Waifs song "Buffalo" is a heartfelt ode to the American Dream, as the singer of the track, Buffalo, dreams of owning land and livestock, finding a wife to love, raising a family, and being his own boss. The song is a wistful affirmation of the inner strength and determination that can enable one to triumph over the challenges life may throw at them.
"Buffalo" takes its time, its gentle melody and simple guitar picking creating a sense of calm surrounded by the rolling green hills that Buffalo "gonna toil and till." The sense of peace is reinforced by the singer's desire to "sinks his roots/Deep down in the land/Find himself." He's not planning to merely survive in the world, but to thrive, to become a better man. The song's chorus is Buffalo's dream, repeated twice in succession that he is going to own a farm, buy himself Navajo sheep, and eventually raise a family." The final verse seems the most poignant, as Buffalo (possibly as a reference to the great beasts that used to roam North America) wants to "Give a man a home/Let him toil no more/Let him roam./No matter what happens, I'm gonna take care of them." The song ends as quietly as it started, Buffalo's dream, his reason for being, already woven deeper into the soil, settling among the roots and stretching out through the earth.
Line by Line Meaning
He has this dream
The singer of the song has a desire that he wants to fulfill.
He gonna toil and till
He is going to work hard and cultivate the land.
The field of green
The land he is going to work on is covered in greenery.
He gonna sinks his roots
He wants to settle down in this land and make it his home.
Deep down in the land
He has a strong desire to form deep connections with the land he is working on.
Find himself
By working on the land and settling down, he hopes to find his true identity.
He's gonna be a better man
He believes that by fulfilling his dream he will become a better version of himself.
Yeah, he gonna buy himself
Some Navajo sheep
He plans on buying sheep of a particular breed.
He wants to study beasts
And a woman to keep him warm at night
He wants to learn more about the animals that he will be raising and also desires a partner.
Ain't that just a man's right
He believes that his desire to have a partner is his inherent right as a man.
She gonna bare him children
Two or three more
Raise a little family
He wants to start a family with his partner.
Betwixt lovin' walls
And dirt floor rooms
Through desert winds
And harvest moons
He is willing to live in a simple home with his family and is ready for the challenges that come with living in the desert region.
Give a man a home
Let him toil no more
Let him roam
He wants to have a place he can call his own where he can work at peace and freedom.
No matter what happens
I'm gonna take care of them
Oo oo oh, I wanna take care of them
Oo oo oh
He promises to take care of his family no matter what.
Contributed by Molly N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.