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).
Wings
Tim Buckley Lyrics
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A sight of birth he leaves you by a door
And now you know he doesn't understand
And all you need is the warmth of his hand
And if he'd smile your loving blood would dance
One silent kiss leaves you in a trance
And now you know you cannot live alone
One day the questions rise, on wings of chance you fly
And on that day your laughs and tears will die
And fall as free as seabirds climb the skies
And you will love when love comes your way
And when it comes there's nothing more to say
And now you know he doesn't understand
And now you know you don't need his hand
One day the questions die, on wings of chance you fly
The lyrics of Tim Buckley's "Wings" explore the themes of love, independence, and the journey into the unknown. The song starts with the realization that although the singer and his partner have spoken many times before, there are still misunderstandings, leading to a sense of isolation. He yearns for the warmth of his partner's hand, knowing that a simple gesture such as a smile or a kiss can bring him to a state of euphoria.
As the song progresses, the lyrics shift to a more hopeful tone, as the singer acknowledges that he cannot live alone, but also cannot rely completely on his partner. He realizes that he needs to find his own future, even if it means venturing into the unknown. The chorus suggests that taking the chance to fly, even if it means leaving behind everything familiar, is the only way to truly experience love.
This idea of taking a chance and spreading one's wings is reinforced in the final verse of the song. The questions that have plagued the singer throughout the song finally die, and he is able to take a leap of faith, knowing that he will fly on the wings of chance. In this way, the song can be interpreted as a journey of self-discovery and a celebration of the beauty and freedom that comes with taking risks.
Line by Line Meaning
Although you've spoken many times before
Despite previous attempts at communication
A sight of birth he leaves you by a door
The singer's father left them as a child
And now you know he doesn't understand
The singer has come to the realization that their father doesn't comprehend their struggles
And all you need is the warmth of his hand
The artist desires physical comfort from their father
And if he'd smile your loving blood would dance
The artist's father has the power to make them happy with a simple smile
One silent kiss leaves you in a trance
Physical affection from the father is powerful and all-consuming
And now you know you cannot live alone
The singer realizes that they need connections with others to survive
But you will find your future is unknown
Despite this realization, the artist doesn't know where life will take them
One day the questions rise, on wings of chance you fly
At some point, the artist will find themselves asking big questions and feeling uncertain about the future
And on that day your laughs and tears will die
The gravity of these questions will overshadow other emotions
And fall as free as seabirds climb the skies
However, this exploration can also feel liberating and provide a sense of freedom
And you will love when love comes your way
The artist looks forward to experiencing romantic love
And when it comes there's nothing more to say
Romantic love will be a complete experience that doesn't require explanation or justification
And now you know he doesn't understand
The singer's father doesn't comprehend their romantic desires either
And now you know you don't need his hand
Despite wanting physical comfort from their father, the singer realizes that they can find comfort elsewhere
One day the questions die, on wings of chance you fly
Eventually, the questioning and uncertainty will dissipate and the artist will feel free to pursue their life path
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Timothy Buckley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind