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).
Song of the Magician
Tim Buckley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Flying down from dizzy air
To the ground because I care
You will be love and your love will live
When I smile I beguile all the while every mile
As I walk across the sky
Of the clockwork of your eye
Casting spells from the well I can tell you the bells
Listen to my magic voice
Learn the tune of children's toys
You will be love and your love will live
When I die do not cry hear my sigh passing by
After I have turned to win
I will try to help you then
You will be love and your love will live
The lyrics to Tim Buckley's song, Song of the Magician, can be interpreted in a number of ways. The song appears to be a love song, with the magician singing about his love for someone and promising that his love will live on. However, there are also elements of mysticism and magic in the lyrics, with the magician referring to his ability to cast spells and his belief that he can help his loved one even after he has died.
The opening lines of the song refer to the magician's ability to bring things down from the air and to care for the person he loves. This could suggest a desire to protect and nurture the relationship, while also acknowledging the ephemeral nature of love. The second stanza builds on this idea of the magician's love being all-encompassing, using the metaphor of walking across the sky and the clockwork of the beloved's eye to suggest a deep and profound connection.
The third stanza is perhaps the most interesting, as it delves into the magician's belief in his own magical powers. He claims to be able to cast spells and teaches the listener to "learn the tune of children's toys". This could be a reference to the idea that the simplest things in life are often the most magical, and that by tapping into our childlike wonder we can experience a deeper sense of love and connection. Finally, the last stanza shifts the tone somewhat, with the magician acknowledging his own mortality and promising to help his loved one even after he has died. This could be seen as a kind of transcendent love, which extends beyond death and into the realm of the spiritual.
Overall, Song of the Magician is a complex and intriguing song, which blends elements of love, mysticism and magic to create a powerful and thought-provoking experience for the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
When I sing I can't bring everything on the wing
My singing cannot fully express everything I feel inside.
Flying down from dizzy air
My emotions are intense and overwhelming.
To the ground because I care
I am grounded in reality even though I have strong emotions.
You will be love and your love will live
You will embody love and your love will live on.
When I smile I beguile all the while every mile
When I smile, I am charming and captivating, even over long distances.
As I walk across the sky
I have a sense of freedom and expansiveness.
Of the clockwork of your eye
I am mesmerized by the inner workings of your mind and heart.
You will be love and your love will live
You will embody love and your love will live on.
Casting spells from the well I can tell you the bells
I have the power to enchant and influence others, and I can sense what is happening around me.
Listen to my magic voice
Pay attention to what I am saying or singing, as it holds power and meaning.
Learn the tune of children's toys
Like the simple joy of a child's toy, my message is pure and uncomplicated, yet profound and meaningful.
You will be love and your love will live
You will embody love and your love will live on.
When I die do not cry hear my sigh passing by
When I die, please do not mourn me, but instead listen for the echoes of my spirit that will remain.
After I have turned to win
After I have passed on, I will have transcended the limitations of the mortal world.
I will try to help you then
Even in death, I will try to offer guidance and support.
You will be love and your love will live
You will embody love and your love will live on.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Larry Beckett, Tim Buckley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ThumbsUp
When I sing, I can't bring everything on the wing
Flying down from dizzy air
To the ground, because I care
You will be love and your love will live
When I smile, I beguile all the while, every mile
As I walk across the sky
Of the clockwork of your eye
You will be love and your love will live
Casting spells from a well
I can tell you, the bells listen to my magic voice
Learn the tunes of children's toys
You will be love and your love will live
When I die, do not cry, hear my sigh passing by
After I have turned to wind
I will try to help you then
You will be love and your love will live
NovaScotiaChick
How on earth can a 19-year old have SUCH a voice? Many singers take years, or a decade or more to discover the genre that suits their voice. Yes Tim, I'm listening to your magic voice... unfortunately (at times). Because it's so good and so sad at the same time. But a must.
ironAnion
This is one of the few individuals who come around every once in awhile truly deserving of the title "musician" not the silly "recording artist" label. Buckley is as consummate a musical genius as I've ever heard. It's one thing to have have talent, its a whole 'nother to have the skill to bring forth that talent in the most extraordinary of ways--Buckley is a shinning example of this kind of skill and mastery with what talents you've been given. Music like this is a gift from the other-side and let no one tell you any different
kate davenporty
could not agree more my friend.I also put others in this category,like Gram Parsons,Otis Redding etc....they came from elsewhere .
ThumbsUp
When I sing, I can't bring everything on the wing
Flying down from dizzy air
To the ground, because I care
You will be love and your love will live
When I smile, I beguile all the while, every mile
As I walk across the sky
Of the clockwork of your eye
You will be love and your love will live
Casting spells from a well
I can tell you, the bells listen to my magic voice
Learn the tunes of children's toys
You will be love and your love will live
When I die, do not cry, hear my sigh passing by
After I have turned to wind
I will try to help you then
You will be love and your love will live
JahinIinI
I can bring*
Bina Prairie
This is so haunting, touches the soul... Whatever Tim sings his voice transcends 🌀💚
Simon Walsh
Underrated masterpiece
unacopadete
Tim and Jeff Buckley RIP both! Love them both so much! <3
William Thomas
Yes... and thank you for the tribute!
Donna DeMeo
I miss his voice so much. He died so young. I still love his voice and songs