James McMurtry — No More Buffalo (live)
Album: Live In Aught-ThreeAvg rating:
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Length: 6:05
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I guess we knew the cards were stacked
Started out the best of friends
And we beat that highway 'til it quit beating back
It didn't mean much in the end
Some you win, some you lose, some you throw away
We headed South across those Colorado plains
Just as empty as the day
We looked around at all we saw and all we'd hoped to see
Looking out through the bugs on the windshield
Somebody said to me
No more buffalo, blue skies or open road
No more rodeo, no more noise
Take this Cadillac park it out in back
Mama's calling, put away the toys
Don't chase that carrot 'til it makes you sick
What do you think you're gonna prove
Just let it dangle 'til it falls off that stick
That's when you make your move
Don't go chasing after shooting stars
Trying to make yourself a name
You could joust at windmills with that old Fender guitar
Probably do about the same
No more buffalo, blue skies or open road
No more rodeo for this old boy
Take my Cadillac park it out in back
Mama's calling, put away the toys
I never thought they'd ever doubt my words
I guess they were just too tired to care
I'd point to the horizon, to the dust of the herds
Still hovering in the air
Somebody said it ain't any such
Man you wish so hard you're scaring me
'Cause those are combines kicking up that dust
But you can see what you want to see
And go on chasing after what used to be there
Top that rise and face the pain
But man they were here, they were here I swear
Not just these bleaching bones, stretching across the plain
No more buffalo, blue skies or open road
No more rodeo for this old boy
Take my Cadillac park it out in back
Mama's calling, put away the toys
No more buffalo, blue skies or open road
No more rock and roll 'cause we all know that
Take my Cadillac park it out in back
Mama's calling, put away the toys
Started out the best of friends
And we beat that highway 'til it quit beating back
It didn't mean much in the end
Some you win, some you lose, some you throw away
We headed South across those Colorado plains
Just as empty as the day
We looked around at all we saw and all we'd hoped to see
Looking out through the bugs on the windshield
Somebody said to me
No more buffalo, blue skies or open road
No more rodeo, no more noise
Take this Cadillac park it out in back
Mama's calling, put away the toys
Don't chase that carrot 'til it makes you sick
What do you think you're gonna prove
Just let it dangle 'til it falls off that stick
That's when you make your move
Don't go chasing after shooting stars
Trying to make yourself a name
You could joust at windmills with that old Fender guitar
Probably do about the same
No more buffalo, blue skies or open road
No more rodeo for this old boy
Take my Cadillac park it out in back
Mama's calling, put away the toys
I never thought they'd ever doubt my words
I guess they were just too tired to care
I'd point to the horizon, to the dust of the herds
Still hovering in the air
Somebody said it ain't any such
Man you wish so hard you're scaring me
'Cause those are combines kicking up that dust
But you can see what you want to see
And go on chasing after what used to be there
Top that rise and face the pain
But man they were here, they were here I swear
Not just these bleaching bones, stretching across the plain
No more buffalo, blue skies or open road
No more rodeo for this old boy
Take my Cadillac park it out in back
Mama's calling, put away the toys
No more buffalo, blue skies or open road
No more rock and roll 'cause we all know that
Take my Cadillac park it out in back
Mama's calling, put away the toys
Comments (56)add comment
No More Buffalo overlaid with Never Two Late on RP is growing on me. I've heard this version at least twice now.
deadheadmark wrote:
I'm hearing the same thing...never too late.
I am hearing two tracks playing as well. Must be an issue in studio. Peter Murphy is also playing behind this song.
I'm hearing the same thing...never too late.
I am hearing two tracks playing as well. Must be an issue in studio. Peter Murphy is also playing behind this song.
ArchiTech wrote:
I'm hearing the same thing...never too late.
Am I wrong or are there two songs in one?
I'm hearing the same thing...never too late.
Relayer wrote:
Yes, I am hearing The New Number 2 song Never Too Late in the background.
Same thing today, makes for sort of an interesting mash-up, and now it McMurtry and Cuts You Up by Peter Murphy...sorta surreal.
Yes, I am hearing The New Number 2 song Never Too Late in the background.
Same thing today, makes for sort of an interesting mash-up, and now it McMurtry and Cuts You Up by Peter Murphy...sorta surreal.
something else is streaming in the background....
STILL AN UN-MANNED SHIP
2 SONGS STILL
2 SONGS STILL
ArchiTech wrote:
Yes, I am hearing The New Number 2 song Never Too Late in the background.
Am I wrong or are there two songs in one?
Yes, I am hearing The New Number 2 song Never Too Late in the background.
ArchiTech wrote:
Thank you. Thought I was audio hallucinating again for a moment.
Am I wrong or are there two songs in one?
Thank you. Thought I was audio hallucinating again for a moment.
Am I wrong or are there two songs in one?
This songs sounds like Bruce Cockburn singing Tom Petty's The Waiting with revised lyrics.
Hippostar wrote:
Am I wrong? Obviously he was unhappy in his childhood. Has he actually made any songs that aren't blame, resent and toxic sanctimoniousness?
You say it like it's a bad thing...
c.
Am I wrong? Obviously he was unhappy in his childhood. Has he actually made any songs that aren't blame, resent and toxic sanctimoniousness?
c.
If you like this, you should really look into Steven Fromholz. He was Texas' Poet Laureate in 2007 - a well-deserved honor. His "Texas Trilogy" runs very much along the same lines as Mr. McMurtry does here.
c.
c.
A fantastic song from a true Troubadour of our time.
Bluenoser wrote:
Segue. SEGUE! Wait, William, do you actually have a Segway? Well, if you do, I'll bet it IS nice. : )
Was reminding me of Bruce Coburn and there he was, Bruce, right after. Guess I'm not the only one. Nice segway Bill.
Segue. SEGUE! Wait, William, do you actually have a Segway? Well, if you do, I'll bet it IS nice. : )
James is the real deal.
bahalana wrote:
And who are you crapping on? Think about it...
Am I wrong? Obviously he was unhappy in his childhood. Has he actually made any songs that aren't blame, resent and toxic sanctimoniousness?
And who are you crapping on? Think about it...
Am I wrong? Obviously he was unhappy in his childhood. Has he actually made any songs that aren't blame, resent and toxic sanctimoniousness?
RP got me interested in James McMurtry with a rash of Choctaw Bingo spins. I thought I wouldn't find much beyond that rowdy cut. Maybed it would prove to be just a passing interest like with Alejandro Escovedo's "Castanettes" but I was wrong. His 'clearly-viewed, slice-of-life' themes are thoughtful, insightful eyeopeners. Conveys his America lost stories of change and unconscious migration from the security and wholesomeness of the, not to distant, past. His poetry and solid slaps at complacency rile me in just the way I'm sure he intends.
The individual/societal/industrial triple entendre in the title of "You Can't Make It Here Anymore" is particularly poignant. For me, it goes deeper than his well worded lyric. I've had over 20 jobs.
From 15 yr old ambulance driver, to ocean lifeguard, to home construction & renovation, to cartographic assistant for petroleum exploration company operating a high speed blueline machine; (biggest job: made 35 prints of 35 seismic study maps for each for 35 major oil companies ~$35M revenue), to geophysical associate equalizing gravity readings from altitude maps then digitizing the programs with IBM cards for geophysicist performing seismic clearance for construction of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant, to biomed device assembler of infectious disease test kits - advancing step-wise to Plant Engineer, to auto mechanic for Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Ferrari and other foreign exotics at the only authorized Rolls repair facility between San Fernando and Monterrey, to custom audio-visual installation, maintenance and repair of high end equipment in Aspen Co., to commissioned recruiter for electronic engineers and plant construction specialists; included retainer sales for difficult to fill positions, recruitment, placement, interview travel, salary negotiation, eliciting spousal & other family cooperation and relocation. These are the shiniest positions I've held. Mixed in are many entry level, dead-end and temporary positions.
Did all this training and vast variety of experience, plus a Bachelors in Science from the University of California make me a desirable asset? Not hardly. With the advent of Human Resource departments it became more difficult to get to the hiring authorities themselves. Those HR drones only look at company employees as commodities. Their only interest is to place square pegs and round pegs in the properly fitting slots. My years of gaining knowledge and skills only earned me a designation of over-educated, under paid, job hopper. Before finally admitting to retirement my last two jobs were: a year each at of+ two day labor temporary services, mostly doing construction site clearance. Fortunately, I had a regular partner who's organizational talent and work diligence matched mine. We enjoyed creating which often led entertaining responses from site managers who marveled at the volume of our output We especially looked forward to unpacking commercial kitchen and industrial air handling equipment since we liked to assemble the systems as well...for a surprise...just for fun. We frequently asked each other for a break which meant the other was busy, visable and highly mobile for the day while the first napped in my vehicle. Not as rewarding as one hoped for.
The individual/societal/industrial triple entendre in the title of "You Can't Make It Here Anymore" is particularly poignant. For me, it goes deeper than his well worded lyric. I've had over 20 jobs.
From 15 yr old ambulance driver, to ocean lifeguard, to home construction & renovation, to cartographic assistant for petroleum exploration company operating a high speed blueline machine; (biggest job: made 35 prints of 35 seismic study maps for each for 35 major oil companies ~$35M revenue), to geophysical associate equalizing gravity readings from altitude maps then digitizing the programs with IBM cards for geophysicist performing seismic clearance for construction of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant, to biomed device assembler of infectious disease test kits - advancing step-wise to Plant Engineer, to auto mechanic for Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Ferrari and other foreign exotics at the only authorized Rolls repair facility between San Fernando and Monterrey, to custom audio-visual installation, maintenance and repair of high end equipment in Aspen Co., to commissioned recruiter for electronic engineers and plant construction specialists; included retainer sales for difficult to fill positions, recruitment, placement, interview travel, salary negotiation, eliciting spousal & other family cooperation and relocation. These are the shiniest positions I've held. Mixed in are many entry level, dead-end and temporary positions.
Did all this training and vast variety of experience, plus a Bachelors in Science from the University of California make me a desirable asset? Not hardly. With the advent of Human Resource departments it became more difficult to get to the hiring authorities themselves. Those HR drones only look at company employees as commodities. Their only interest is to place square pegs and round pegs in the properly fitting slots. My years of gaining knowledge and skills only earned me a designation of over-educated, under paid, job hopper. Before finally admitting to retirement my last two jobs were: a year each at of+ two day labor temporary services, mostly doing construction site clearance. Fortunately, I had a regular partner who's organizational talent and work diligence matched mine. We enjoyed creating which often led entertaining responses from site managers who marveled at the volume of our output We especially looked forward to unpacking commercial kitchen and industrial air handling equipment since we liked to assemble the systems as well...for a surprise...just for fun. We frequently asked each other for a break which meant the other was busy, visable and highly mobile for the day while the first napped in my vehicle. Not as rewarding as one hoped for.
As someone who's lived on the Great Plains most of my life and made countless trips to Colorado and New Mexico (no, not for weed), this song captures the spirit of the High Plains. I don't know what this song is trying to say exactly but it does make me think a lot of those little dusty, forgotten towns east of Interstate 25, like Lamar, Springfield, and Eads. I always wonder about the people who live there.
James taught me the main riff for this song at his house in South Austin. I saw McMurtry after one of his shows at the Continental Club here in Austin, Texas and we began hanging out. Been too long since I've seen him these days. No more buffalo...blue skies or open road...
absolute musical stud
Long a fan of his father's novels, I didn't know anything about James until I found out he wrote Levelland, which I knew from the cover by Robert Earl Keen. At first I was disappointed Keen didn't write it, because I'm a fan of his. But that turned around quickly as it led me to find what a great song writer James McMurtry is. I'll stop and listen to anything he wrote.
One of the most underrated singer-song writers of our generation. He writes as well as his dad did, and knows how to sew the stories into music in a poetic, gentle way.
Hippostar wrote:
And who are you crapping on? Think about it...
This guy again. Let's see... who's he gonna crap on this time...
And who are you crapping on? Think about it...
This guy again. Let's see... who's he gonna crap on this time...
RP should play some songs from his "Too Long in the Wasteland" album.
saw him about three years ago in a small music hall and bar
great show
great show
Love McMurtry. Thanks RP!! Any chance we can get some Iolanthe played on RP? That's my favorite song of his.
Brutal songwriting. Beautifully brutal.
c.
c.
Was surprised to find that this wasn't Bruce Cockburn when i looked at the bio.
exjunkie wrote:
Definitely a western man, and gal's, Bruce Cockburn or Lou Reed. Sitting astride a horse squinting thru the dribble of smoke coming off his hand-rolled cigarette, at the sun setting in the west on all that he has ever loved..
Times come. Times go. You live your life on the in-between. And once it's done it's done. There is no going back.
So it goes.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
Like this. He has shades of Bruce Cockburn and Lou Reed.
Definitely a western man, and gal's, Bruce Cockburn or Lou Reed. Sitting astride a horse squinting thru the dribble of smoke coming off his hand-rolled cigarette, at the sun setting in the west on all that he has ever loved..
Times come. Times go. You live your life on the in-between. And once it's done it's done. There is no going back.
So it goes.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
Like this. He has shades of Bruce Cockburn and Lou Reed.
Saw the man (and the band) at TargheeFest a week ago. Great show. Love his music -- and he played this tune.
Troubadour
LPCity wrote:
Spent many a day (night?) there in my younger days!
That place rocked. And supposedly they had an excellent sound board — hence the recording.
Recorded at the now long gone Zephyr Club in Salt Lake City.
Spent many a day (night?) there in my younger days!
That place rocked. And supposedly they had an excellent sound board — hence the recording.
Recorded at the now long gone Zephyr Club in Salt Lake City.
Can't wait to see James in Flagstaff tomorrow. One of the best of our time for sure.
Great song!
TerryS wrote:
YES
Don't Bogus that joint my friend, seems just fine to me.
Never seen this guy live, btw, is he worth watching?
Never seen this guy live, btw, is he worth watching?
YES
excellent
Zzzzzz. I can mentally see the man cleaning the bar room floor as the night draws drearily to a close. So actually an atmospheric track for a place and time I've never been in.
This song was playing in the background of many good times...
Somebody said it ain't any such
Man you wish so hard you're scaring me
Man you wish so hard you're scaring me
it's not all bad news
https://www.cpr.org/news/story/small-herd-pure-buffalo-be-released-northern-colorado
https://www.cpr.org/news/story/small-herd-pure-buffalo-be-released-northern-colorado
As good as Levelland and I enjoy them both.
it's a beauty : ) 9
easmann wrote:
A Segway in Paradise would be as appropriate as a camel caravan in Times Square. Now watch...Bill will reply that Paradise is awash in Segways...can't swing a dead cat and so on.
A Segway in Paradise would be as appropriate as a camel caravan in Times Square. Now watch...Bill will reply that Paradise is awash in Segways...can't swing a dead cat and so on.
Don't Bogus that joint my friend, seems just fine to me.
Never seen this guy live, btw, is he worth watching?
Never seen this guy live, btw, is he worth watching?
just happened, bogus dude
ColdMiser wrote:
There were a series of problems with this file. Should be OK now.
I've noticed that everytime this song comes on the sound kicks out about a quarter of the way in. Seeing the comments below I suspect the file is corrupt on Bill's end.
There were a series of problems with this file. Should be OK now.
I've noticed that everytime this song comes on the sound kicks out about a quarter of the way in. Seeing the comments below I suspect the file is corrupt on Bill's end.
Same here. RP has no audio now. Wish it had been that problem for Talking Heads...
timmus wrote:
Seems to have happened again, maybe its a corrupt file. To bad I like James McMuurtry
Is Radio Paradise down? The audio channels are dead.
EDIT: Never mind, it came back up.
EDIT: Never mind, it came back up.
Seems to have happened again, maybe its a corrupt file. To bad I like James McMuurtry
Is Radio Paradise down? The audio channels are dead.
EDIT: Never mind, it came back up.
EDIT: Never mind, it came back up.
Was reminding me of Bruce Coburn and there he was, Bruce, right after. Guess I'm not the only one. Nice segway Bill.
Amazing storyteller and performer...