The Legacy of Jeff Buckley in "Grace"
Death lurked around every corner of music in the 1990s. Many of the influential artists of the 90s only lived long enough to leave their mark on the world, before tragically passing and leaving music lovers with a deep sense of sorrow. Jeff Buckley’s death was perhaps the most devastating of them all; after all, he simply went for a swim in a river and drowned after he was pulled under the current from a passing boat.
When Buckley died, he had only released one album ― his 1994 debut, Grace. Though Buckley released this album during what could be considered to be alternative rock’s best year (see: Soundgarden’s Superunknown, Weezer’s first self-titled album, Green Day’s Dookie, and Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral), Grace set Buckley apart from the other artists because his music sounded so fundamentally different that what was being released that year.
One fundamental difference lies in Buckley’s guitar work, which was often acoustic and was much softer and more melodic than his other alternative grunge counterparts. 90s alternative was loud, raw, and actively sent the middle finger to society via the music. Grace was beautiful and gentle. The biggest difference was Buckley’s voice; often described as angelic, soft, and even, yes I will say it, ethereal, his voice served as his greatest instrument. In a genre that was often filled with throaty, wailing voices, Buckley naturally stood out.
Out of the ten tracks on the album, eight of them are originals written by Buckley and a variety of co-writers, while the remaining two tracks are covers of Nina Simone’s “Lilac Wine” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. The latter of which has taken on a life of its own since Buckley’s death, which is completely due to his incredible performance of the song. “Hallelujah” is the track that defined Buckley, for better or for worse. His take on the track beautifully exemplifies all of his remarkable characteristics, but overshadows his work on the remaining nine tracks.
Much of the album deals with a theme of saying goodbye, whether temporarily or permanently. The title track of the album was inspired by Buckley saying goodbye at the airport, while “Last Goodbye” is about lovers parting permanently ― “This is our last goodbye / I hate to feel the love between us die / But it’s over / Just hear this and then I’ll go” ― and being haunted by the relationship, “This is our last embrace / Must I dream and always see your face?”.
“Dream Brother” is the most personal track and closes out the album. Through Buckley’s vivid storytelling, Buckley is singing to a friend who is contemplating walking out on his pregnant girlfriend (a reference to his father walking out on his mother when he was a little boy), and he is convincing him not to do it. According to multiple sources, Buckley met his father only once when he was eight years old and had no relationship with him, though he later covered some of his songs as a goodbye during the “Greetings from Tim Buckley” tribute concert in 1991. Buckley sings, “Don’t be like the one who made me so old / Don’t be like the one who left behind his name / ‘Cause they’re waiting for you like I waited for mine / And nobody ever came”.
Grace is a collection of songs that leave the listener breathless and effectively cemented Jeff Buckley’s place in music history. It’s a shame that Grace is the only album Buckley completed, but it certainly holds a rightful legacy.
When Buckley died, he had only released one album ― his 1994 debut, Grace. Though Buckley released this album during what could be considered to be alternative rock’s best year (see: Soundgarden’s Superunknown, Weezer’s first self-titled album, Green Day’s Dookie, and Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral), Grace set Buckley apart from the other artists because his music sounded so fundamentally different that what was being released that year.
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| The cover of Jeff Buckley's Grace |
One fundamental difference lies in Buckley’s guitar work, which was often acoustic and was much softer and more melodic than his other alternative grunge counterparts. 90s alternative was loud, raw, and actively sent the middle finger to society via the music. Grace was beautiful and gentle. The biggest difference was Buckley’s voice; often described as angelic, soft, and even, yes I will say it, ethereal, his voice served as his greatest instrument. In a genre that was often filled with throaty, wailing voices, Buckley naturally stood out.
Out of the ten tracks on the album, eight of them are originals written by Buckley and a variety of co-writers, while the remaining two tracks are covers of Nina Simone’s “Lilac Wine” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. The latter of which has taken on a life of its own since Buckley’s death, which is completely due to his incredible performance of the song. “Hallelujah” is the track that defined Buckley, for better or for worse. His take on the track beautifully exemplifies all of his remarkable characteristics, but overshadows his work on the remaining nine tracks.
Much of the album deals with a theme of saying goodbye, whether temporarily or permanently. The title track of the album was inspired by Buckley saying goodbye at the airport, while “Last Goodbye” is about lovers parting permanently ― “This is our last goodbye / I hate to feel the love between us die / But it’s over / Just hear this and then I’ll go” ― and being haunted by the relationship, “This is our last embrace / Must I dream and always see your face?”.
“Dream Brother” is the most personal track and closes out the album. Through Buckley’s vivid storytelling, Buckley is singing to a friend who is contemplating walking out on his pregnant girlfriend (a reference to his father walking out on his mother when he was a little boy), and he is convincing him not to do it. According to multiple sources, Buckley met his father only once when he was eight years old and had no relationship with him, though he later covered some of his songs as a goodbye during the “Greetings from Tim Buckley” tribute concert in 1991. Buckley sings, “Don’t be like the one who made me so old / Don’t be like the one who left behind his name / ‘Cause they’re waiting for you like I waited for mine / And nobody ever came”.
Grace is a collection of songs that leave the listener breathless and effectively cemented Jeff Buckley’s place in music history. It’s a shame that Grace is the only album Buckley completed, but it certainly holds a rightful legacy.
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