From Jeff Buckley Interviews:
I think people are divine and eternal. I think that people live on many many different levels ... You know see things, understand things, in a way, yes, we're totally mortal,
I don't even know what this is [points to his flesh], this flesh thing, but Im finding out all the time. "
Other known Euro-tributes
Manchester 6th May
Nottingham 20th May
London / Essex 26th May
Dublin 29th May
London 29th May
Paris 5th June
So Real (Buckley / Tighe)
Interview on Belgian TV Interview, Path to Sine
Grace "Its about not fearing death or fearing any of those countless slings and arrows that you suffer sometimes on this earth because somebody loves you. You're not afraid to go, withstand what you need to withstand because there's a tremendous fuel that you feel regenerating inside because of somebody else's love for you, thats what Grace is about, and just about sometimes life being so long. At the time, I was anticipating leaving Los Angeles for NY, so I was waiting to go, and I'm not afraid to die or go away from this place, but it just goes so slow, and I had someone who loved me in NY, and it was amazing, still is. Lovely, LOVE."Jeff Buckley, in interview (Belgium)"Grace is a death prayer. Not something of sorrow, but of casting away any fear of death.No relief will come, you just have to stew in life till its time to go, but sometimes someones faith in you can do wonders." Jeffrey Scott Buckley, in interview, RIP."Grace" (Jeff Buckley & Gary Lucas)There's the moon asking to stay Long enough for the clouds to fly me away Well it's my time coming, i'm not afraid to die My fading voice sings of love, But she cries to the clicking of time Of timeWait in the fire...And she weeps on my arm Walking to the bright lights in sorrow Oh drink a bit of wine we both might go tomorrow Oh my love And the rain is falling and i believe My time has come It reminds me of the pain I might leave Leave behindWait in the fire...And I feel them drown my name So easy to know and forget with this kiss I'm not afraid to go but it goes so slow"Grace is what matters, in anything, especially in life, especially growth, tragedy, pain, love, death. About people, thats what matters, thats a quality I admire greatly, it keeps you from reaching for the gun too quickly, it keeps you from destroying things too foolishly, and it sort of keeps you alive and keeps you open for more understanding." Jeff Buckley, in interview. "Lover, you should've come over" (Words and Music by Jeff Buckley)Looking out the door i see the rain fall upon the funeral mourners Parading in a wake of sad relations as their shoes fill up with water And maybe i'm too young to keep good love from going wrong But tonight you're on my mind so you never knowWhen i'm broken down and hungry for your love with no way to feed it Where are you tonight, child you know how much i need it Too young to hold on and too old to just break free and runSometimes a man gets carried away, when he feels like he should be having his fun And much too blind to see the damage he's done Sometimes a man must awake to find that really, he has no-oneSo i'll wait for you... and i'll burn Will I ever see your sweet return Oh will I ever learnOh lover, you should've come over 'Cause it's not too lateLonely is the room, the bed is made, the open window lets the rain in Burning in the corner is the only one who dreams he had you with him My body turns and yearns for a sleep that will never comeIt's never over, my kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder It's never over, all my riches for her smiles when i slept so soft against her It's never over, all my blood for the sweetness of her laughter It's never over, she's the tear that hangs inside my soul foreverWell maybe i'm just too young To keep good love from going wrongOh... lover, you should've come over 'Cause it's not too lateWell I feel too young to hold on And i'm much too old to break free and run Too deaf, dumb, and blind to see the damage i've done Sweet lover, you should've come over Oh, love well i'm waiting for youLover, you should've come over 'Cause it's not too late "Lover, you should've come over", live in Chicago
...
I think people are divine and eternal. I think that people live on many many different levels ... You know see things, understand things, in a way, yes, we're totally mortal,
I don't even know what this is [points to his flesh], this flesh thing, but Im finding out all the time.
Sometimes I just think its a dream your soul had just to reach out to people, to kiss or dance or something. I'm not so sure that some guy in the sky with a beard baked you in the oven and put his finger in your bellybutton and thats how you came out.
Its all arbitrary, but I dont go for gurus, but I dont relish the idea of people kissing the foot of a Yogi somewhere in an Ashram in order to achieve enlightenment. I mean learning is great and learning from people who know more than you is fine, but I just come from a long ... I come from a culture that is prone to giving itself up to some sort of desperate trend. [you know, but i dont believe in that]
I believe in people, and their divinity, I believe in the divinity of nature totally and the order of things and the many many many systems that make up chaos [and and I love it]
Anybody knows what its like to create an artistic moment, a so called artistic moment, its just a heightened human language.
If you've spent a night making love, you know exactly what it means to strip your ego down when you are there, expressing yourself, wordlessly, collaborating on a moment, that has an energy about it that is replenishing, or even, completely inspirational ... in a way you can never imagine, thats the way art really is, or if you've raised a child, that is an artistic venture baby, you've solved problems, you've expressed yourself to the kid, you feed your soul to the kid, or else he or she doesnt *get* you ... and thats art, thats an artistic moment, and everybodys done it, everybody will do it, its not just musicians.
I love jazz ...
Jeff should have been here
Bob Dylan, Joni and Van - I Shall Be Released - 1998 George
And now, Nina Simone having a go on this Dylan classic ...
Even distorted by a telephone, he sounds like an angel ...
Lyrics to Vancouver:
Lady
All the troubles are my fright, I disgust you
Feel the power you cut the truth into you
Why do you think Id hidden out on this rely
I could kiss you
With lines of escape in my mouth
Please let me bring back these gifts of mine to the woman
His eyes shined on my back as I slept and knew you
You didnt leave it all
You made an even call
My belly released the stars
And tears between the scars. ooooh
Were where we belong
It should end here
Until the end of time
Beyond the moment
That ends our bondage
I am your failed husband contender
Im your loan shark of bliss.
This dream youve ridden on
Turns your world to explosions
You need to be alone
To heal this bleeding stone
Now, smell the rain of london it still insists
That we beg for our purity
As if we are pure in the rain of our contentment
As if I can think of this no more.
Jeff's 'Elvis', who died 77 days after Jeff Buckley, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Yeh Jo Halka Halka Saroor Hai
Yeh Arzoo Thi Madiney, Naat
The late great Nina Simone
Four Women
Young, Gifted and Black
Nina Simone singing 'If you knew'
Mississippi Goddamn
Nina Simone again with "I loves you Porgy"
Nina Simone, 'House of the Rising Sun'
Jeff's early influences were Led Zeppelin, on both his guitar playing and singing.
No story about Jeff would be complete without a word from his father, Tim Buckley, rest in peace:
Jeff singing Tim Buckley's Mountain Song ...
Jeff singing Tim Buckley's Sefronia Song ...
Jeff's singing Tim's 'Once I was'
"Dream Brother" ... A song for his father?
Playing with Gary Lucas and singing Van Morrison
Another important influence on Jeff, the great Joni Mitchell, here singing her beautiful 'California'
One more Nina Simone (I think Jeff would approve) ... "Aint got no"
Just one more
Perhaps Jeff's most significant influence as lyricist and songwriter was Bob Dylan. Here he is singing Farewell Angelina, by Bob Dylan, with his former performance and songwriting partner, Gary Lucas, Gods and Monsters ...
Jeff's mother was partly of French descent and Jeff seemed to have a strong affinity for French culture and, in particular the work of Edith Piaf. Here he is performing 'Hymne a l'Amour' with Gary Lucas