Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Nile came from a musical family—his grandfather was a vaudeville pianist who played with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Eddie Cantor; his uncles played boogie-woogie. His listened to the music of Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Fats Domino, brought home by his older brothers. Nile himself began playing piano at age eight and took classical music lessons until he was a teenager, when he taught himself his first rock & roll song. He soon began to compose short songs and continued the habit into his college years, when during the summers he made trips into New York City to frequent hootenanny clubs like Folk City and the Gaslight.
Nile studied philosophy at the University at Buffalo where he received a BA in 1971, before heading for Greenwich Village. After graduation, Nile took an apartment in the heart of Greenwich Village; however, during his first winter in New York, he contracted pneumonia, which put him out of commission for about a year. He continued writing songs while recuperating, determined to make a name for himself as a latter-day troubadour. That he did throughout the ’70s, becoming a fixture in the Village folk and rock scenes and getting tabbed as the next big thing to come out of that long-thriving artistic community.
He began hanging out at clubs like CBGB's, where he would see bands like Patti Smith, Television, the Ramones and Talking Heads.
EARLY CAREER
Establishing residency at the Village club Kenny's Castaways on Bleecker St., Nile began drawing ever-growing crowds, which in turn led to his first record deal. In a glowing review in The New York Times, rock critic Robert Palmer wrote of Nile; "Every once in awhile the times seems to produce an artist who is at once an iconoclast and near-perfect expression of contemporary currents. He is one of the best singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in a long time."
Following a flurry of critical acclaim, he found himself courted by representatives from close to a dozen record companies; he chose Arista Records, and went into the studio with a band that included Jay Dee Daugherty from the Patti Smith Group. More rave reviews compared the singer to Bob Dylan and Buddy Holly, and called him "a one-man Clash." The excitement surrounding his self-titled debut album, Willie Nile, prompted Pete Townshend to request Willie's presence on the Who 's summer tour. Nile and his band were soon on the road with The Who, only a few months after Willie's first experience playing with a band. After two acclaimed albums, the self-titled 1980 debut and 1981's Golden Down, Nile fell prey to protracted legal problems which derailed his career for a number of years.
RE-EMERGENCE
Although he continued to write, Nile did not perform live or record again until a 1987 performance in Oslo, Norway, with Eric Andersen. A videotape of Nile’s performance in Norway prompted a Columbia talent scout to sign him to the label in 1988, but production on his album didn't start for two more years. Issued in 1991, His Columbia Records CD Places I Have Never Been contained the songs "Everybody Needs A Hammer" and "Heaven Help The Lonely." Places I Have Never Been featured appearances by backing musicians including Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright III, Roger McGuinn, and members of the Hooters and the Roches. His 1992 EP release, Hard Times in America, became a favorite among some listeners in Europe.
Nile has recorded and performed with many musicians, including Ringo Starr, Tori Amos, Elvis Costello, Lucinda Williams, Ian Hunter, and Barenaked Ladies. A live Central Park concert album, Willie Nile-Archive Alive, was released on Archive Recordings, and Nile was one of the vocalists on the ensemble album Largo, along with Joan Osborne, Cyndi Lauper, Levon Helm, The Chieftains, Taj Mahal and Carole King. Another project found Nile writing and performing most of the songs for the soundtrack to the Kevin McLaughlin film Pinch Me!
In the fall of 2003, Nile was invited to share the stage at three concerts with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, including the two final Giants Stadium shows.
“Nile’s defining quality is his charismatic spirit. It’s a passion and enthusiasm that is infectious and earned Nile the admiration of fans and peers alike.” From Shea to the clubs and concert halls of Europe, "his live performances are legendary.
Studio albums
* 1980 - Willie Nile
* 1981 - Golden Down
* 1991 - Places I Have Never Been
* 1999 - Beautiful Wreck of the World
* 2006 - Streets of New York
* 2009 - House Of A Thousand Guitars
* 2010 - The Innocent Ones
Live albums
* 1997 - Live in Central Park - Archive Alive!
* 2007 - Live at Turning Point
* 2008 - Live From the Streets of New York
Gathering together his resources over time, he put out his first self-released album, Beautiful Wreck of the World, in 1999. It was chosen as one of the Top Ten Albums of the Year by critics at Billboard Magazine, The Village Voice and Stereo Review. Lucinda Williams called "On the Road to Calvary," Nile's song for Jeff Buckley, "One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard." The album reached the finals of the Independent Music Awards for Best Rock Album of the Year.
In 2006, Nile released Streets of New York, which some consider to be his best work to date, due to quality production and clever songwriting. Former Time magazine music critic and Academy Award winning screenwriter Jay Cocks writes of Streets of New York, "The tunes he writes and plays with such blowtorch vibrancy get the myth and magic and danger and sadness and love in this town--of this town--truer, and righter, than anything I've heard since Dion. This record is a head-twister and heart-wrencher. It's rock and roll at its best. It's New York at its best. And there's nothing better than that."[citation needed]
House Of A Thousand Guitars was released on April 14, 2009.
On September 30, 2009, at his show at Giants Stadium in E. Rutherford, NJ, Bruce Springsteen invited Nile on stage to play with the E Street Band.
In addition, on November 22, 2009 Bruce Springsteen again invited him onstage to play the second last song of Springsteen's final concert of his tour, which was in Willie's hometown of Buffalo at HSBC Arena. Nile joined Springsteen and the E Street Band for the cover of Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher".
You Gotta Be a Buddha
Willie Nile Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Plagues wars demons whores
0ld age blind rage knockin′ at the doors
Earthquakes mudslides fire and rain
Feels Iike you're ridin′ on a runaway train
Car insurance sex endurance
Come-ons tease lotteries
I think you know what I mean
You laugh you cry you live you die
You wake up in the morning and you don't know why
You're flesh you′ve bone you piss you moan
As you stare into the vacuum of the great unknown
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
Every now and then there′s a momentary bliss
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
Reproduction liposuction
Implants plasfic surgery
Jowls jugs overweight mugs
It's a 911 emergency
Mind pollution no solution
Media hype and thought control
Phone solicitation over-stimulation
Three more weeks to the Super Bowl
Love for rent love for sale
Love connection through the mail
First you come then you go
New York Paris Tokyo
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
Every now and then there′s a momentary bliss
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
You laugh you cry you live you die
You wake up in the morning and you don't know why
You′re flesh you've bone you piss you moan
As you stare into the vacuum of the great unknown
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
Every now and then there′s a momentary bliss
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
The song "You Gotta Be a Buddha" by Willie Nile is a commentary on the chaos and noise of modern life. The lyrics explore the challenges that people face in today's world,including natural disasters, societal pressures, and personal insecurities. The song suggests that in order to maintain one's sanity and find inner peace, one must adopt the calm and wise demeanor of the Buddha.
The first verse of the song describes the tumultuous nature of the world, from plagues and wars to everyday annoyances like car troubles and telephone solicitations. The second verse addresses the preoccupation with physical appearance and attraction, and the pressure to constantly improve one's body and relationships. The chorus reinforces the message that, in the midst of all this madness, one must maintain a level head and a serene spirit, like that of the Buddha.
The final verse brings the song full circle, repeating the sentiments of the first verse and underscoring the need for mindfulness and clarity amidst the chaos. The repetition of the chorus (with the addition of new lines) reinforces the idea that this state of mindfulness is not a one-time achievement, but rather an ongoing practice.
Line by Line Meaning
Plagues wars demons whores
Life is filled with sickness, conflict, evil, and temptation
0ld age blind rage knockin′ at the doors
Aging and uncontrollable anger are inevitable
Earthquakes mudslides fire and rain
Natural calamities exist and can happen unexpectedly
Feels Iike you're ridin′ on a runaway train
Life can feel overwhelming and out of control
Car insurance sex endurance
Society often values material possessions and physical performance over deeper qualities
Weight reduction wrinkle cream
There is a societal pressure to maintain youth and beauty
Come-ons tease lotteries
There are constant temptations and distractions in life
I think you know what I mean
These struggles and pressures are familiar to all of us
You laugh you cry you live you die
Life is filled with joy and sorrow, growth and decay
You wake up in the morning and you don't know why
Sometimes it's hard to find meaning or purpose in life
You're flesh you′ve bone you piss you moan
We are physical beings with a range of emotions and experiences
As you stare into the vacuum of the great unknown
There are mysteries and uncertainties in life that we can't fully comprehend
Reproduction liposuction
Society focuses on both creating new life and altering existing bodies
Implants plasfic surgery
People alter their physical appearance in various ways
Jowls jugs overweight mugs
Societal pressure to conform to certain standards of beauty affects people of all ages and body types
It's a 911 emergency
These pressures can feel urgent and overwhelming
Mind pollution no solution
Media can have a negative effect on our thoughts and values
Media hype and thought control
The media can affect public opinion and beliefs
Phone solicitation over-stimulation
We are constantly bombarded with advertising and sales pitches
Three more weeks to the Super Bowl
These distractions often take precedence over more important issues
Love for rent love for sale
Love is often seen as transactional or superficial
Love connection through the mail
Technology has changed the way we form relationships
First you come then you go
Everything in life is temporary, including relationships
New York Paris Tokyo
People and cultures all over the world experience these struggles and pressures
Every now and then there′s a momentary bliss
Though life can be difficult, there are also moments of joy and contentment
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
To find enlightenment and peace, we must accept life's struggles and pressures with equanimity
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
Again affirming that finding peace and enlightenment is necessary
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
It takes effort to achieve peace and enlightenment, especially in a challenging world
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
Once more emphasizing that accepting life's struggles with equanimity is key to enlightenment
You gotta be a Buddha in a place like this
Concluding that to achieve peace we must acknowledge the world is a blend of good and bad experiences.
Writer(s): Willie Nile, Marc Blatte
Contributed by Sadie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.