Buckley often regarded his tenor voice as an instrument, a talent most noticeable on his albums Happy Sad, Lorca, and Starsailor. His first marriage was to Mary Guibert, with whom he had a child, musician Jeff Buckley. They divorced in 1968 and after this Buckley would meet with his son only once more. Buckley married second wife Judy Brejot Sutcliffe in 1970 and adopted her son, Taylor.
Born in Washington DC, Buckley,an Irish-American, lived for 10 years in Amsterdam, New York, before moving to southern California, initially to Bell Gardens and later settling in Anaheim in 1965. His experiences with music were through his family, artists such as Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland being particular favorites in the household. During his childhood, Buckley was a fan of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Nat King Cole and Miles Davis, although country music was his foremost passion. Reflecting this, at the age of 11 Buckley learned how to play the banjo, an instrument which his mother had bought to occupy him following a bout of mumps. He attended Loara High School in Anaheim, California, and, amongst others, made friends with Don Gordon, Larry Beckett, Jim Fielder (original member of Blood, Sweat & Tears) and future wife, Mary Guibert. He was an accomplished high school athlete, becoming a quarterback for the school team in addition to getting a place on the baseball team. During this period playing as quarterback, Buckley broke the first two fingers on his left hand but they never fully returned to normal and made guitar playing more difficult. At the age of 15, Buckley abandoned the banjo and moved on to the guitar, playing with Princess Ramona & The Cherokee Riders, a country and western band. However, the lead singer saw Buckley was uninterested and instead suggested he apply himself to the emerging 1960's folk scene.
Buckley's career began with his 1966 debut Tim Buckley, its mix of pop and folk rock drawing on popular influences of the time. His popularity peaked with second album Goodbye and Hello, a more mature record with avant-garde influences and political sentiments. In the three years that followed Buckley was at his most prolific and experimental, producing four albums of varying styles. Happy Sad and Blue Afternoon showed Buckley's folk roots while Lorca veered to more avant-garde styles. The final album of this period, Starsailor, is a mix of jazz, funk and avant-garde styles, representing his continual evolution in genre. This period, while garnering some critical success, proved disastrous for his record sales as the disparity of his styles caused his fan-base to all but disappear.
Following this Buckley changed genres again, with 1972 release Greetings from L.A., which incorporated the funk, rhythm and blues and soul sounds of the early 1970s in to his music. However, this release and the following album Sefronia did not match up to the success of his previous work. In 1974, having alienated much of his fan-base and squandered money made at his peak, Buckley released Look at the Fool, which was neither well received by the public nor the majority of critics. By this point Buckley had grown disillusioned with the music industry and his drug abuse of the past seven years had affected him.
In spite of this, in early 1975, desperate for musical recognition and an escape from poverty and obscurity, Buckley dropped his drug dependencies and engaged the musical press regarding a live album comeback. Buckley began performing material drawn from his whole career as a response to the desires of his audience, desires he had always spurned in the past. However, Buckley relapsed and on June 28, 1975, he overdosed on heroin. His wife Judy, having earlier put him in bed, was unable to rouse him and paramedics pronounced him dead on arrival. He was 28 years old and was survived by his wife and adopted son Taylor, and his biological son, Jeff (who also died at a young age).
Grief in My Soul
Tim Buckley Lyrics
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Got grief in my soul nobody knows
I've got heartaches, I got stingin' water fallin' out of the sky
I've got heartbreaks, I got a long lost lover, got a reason to die
I got ten thousand troubles, a million woes
I got grief in my soul nobody knows
I got sorrow, I'm in a storm that'll spare no travelin' man
I got ten thousand troubles, a million woes
Got grief in my soul nobody knows
I got ten thousand troubles, a million woes
Got grief in my soul nobody knows
I've got a cold chain, I got rain fallin' on my head from above
I've got a bad pain, I got a gal don't know the meaning of love
I got ten thousand troubles, a million woes
I got grief in my soul nobody knows
I've got heartaches, I got stingin' water fallin' out of the sky
I've got heartbreaks, I got a long lost lover, got a reason to die
I got ten thousand troubles, a million woes
I got grief in my soul nobody knows
In the song "Grief in My Soul" by Tim Buckley, the singer presents a litany of problems that he is grappling with. The lyrics describe how he bears the weight of ten thousand troubles and a million woes that no one knows about. The problems come in different forms, and the singer seems to be experiencing a lot of pain and heartache. He mentions heartbreaks, heartaches, and a pain that is so bad, it is hard to bear. He also talks about losing a lover that he had hoped to love, but who never started their romance. The singer appears to be in a state of great emotional turmoil, and there seems to be no end in sight to his problems.
However, despite the singer's statement that his grief is unknown, the very act of singing this song feels like a form of release. As he sings about his pain, he pours his struggles out into the world, even if they are not fully understood by others. The act of singing becomes a means of expression for the singer, a way to digest and come to terms with his struggles. The song paints a picture of what it feels like to be deeply troubled, to carry a burden that you cannot easily share with others. The lyrics are raw and honest, giving insight into the complex experiences that can be part of the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got ten thousand troubles, a million woes
I am facing a multitude of problems and difficulties, both big and small.
Got grief in my soul nobody knows
I am carrying a deep sense of sadness and loss within me, and no one is aware or understands it.
I've got heartaches, I got stingin' water fallin' out of the sky
My emotional pain is overwhelming, like a never-ending deluge of tears.
I've got heartbreaks, I got a long lost lover, got a reason to die
My heart has been shattered by the loss of someone dear to me, and I feel like there is no reason to go on living.
I got sorrow, I'm in a storm that'll spare no travelin' man
I am consumed by grief, as if I am caught in a violent storm that shows no mercy to anyone who crosses its path.
I fear tomorrow, got a love that died long before it began
I am afraid of what the future may hold, as I have already experienced the death of my hopes and dreams for a future with the one I loved.
I've got a cold chain, I got rain fallin' on my head from above
I am held captive by the unrelenting coldness of life, and the constant barrage of negativity that surrounds me.
I've got a bad pain, I got a gal don't know the meaning of love
I am afflicted with a deep emotional pain, caused by the rejection and lack of love from the one I care for.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LARRY BECKETT, TIM BUCKLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind