"I drink much more..."

There has been a resurgence for Jeff Buckley in the last few months and I thank George for introducing him to me nearly year and a half ago. But even when Grace was released in 1994 it still has the same power, intensity and energy of its original date release.
What stroke me the most of Buckley's lyrycs was their "Poetic" aspect. But what nonsense am I talking about!? Does this term exists? Well it has its roots on the primal definition of Poetry and the Poetic. If we take Jakobson' definition of poetry it would seem too simplistic, but I would agree in the definition of Conceit for this case and particularly for Buckley's work; that what means something else with one or several intentions in one statement/utterance. So, in a wide and loose definition of "Poetic" in Buckley's lyrics I shall start the discussion.





I do not intend to make a full and deep analysis of the lyric because, unlike many others, it has its elements well "Explained" and it also has a metaphorical sense. It would seem as a paradox but actually it is very evident. Here the definition of Conceit for Buckley fits perfectly. The wine can be taken as the harvest of the mind or the love or simply as the fruit of the tree. Many metaphors containing harvesting occur in Latin literature and the transcendance can be traced as far as "Lycidas." The rhymes, although a bit forced, establish a clear pattern to follow and the musicality of the text, as if it were treated as a poem, fits perfectly. The "meaning" of the lyric along with its prosody could make perfect sense regarding it as a poem. Although the musicality of the pattern in the lyric fits as in a poem several conjunctions and commas could be added in order to make it as close as possible to verse, and to give a fluent reading. Repetition also could be avoided or rearranged. In any case if we treat Buckley's lyric as a poem following my definition of Conceit we could easily talk of "Formal" poetry in Jeff Buckley's lyric, and not only in this song but in others that share these elements. Try to read it out loud, dear reader, and tell me of you agree with me, or disagree in any case.


"Lilac Wine"

I lost myself on a cool damp night
Gave myself in that misty light
Was hypnotized by a strange delight
Under a lilac tree
I made wine from the lilac tree
Put my heart in its recipe
It makes me see what I want to see
and be what I want to be
When I think more than I want to think
Do things I never should do
I drink much more that I ought to drink
Because (it) brings me back you...

Lilac wine is sweet and heady, like my love
Lilac wine, I feel unsteady, like my love
Listen to me... I cannot see clearly
Isn't that she coming to me nearly here?
Lilac wine is sweet and heady where's my love?
Lilac wine, I feel unsteady, where's my love?
Listen to me, why is everything so hazy?
Isn't that she, or am I just going crazy, dear?
Lilac Wine, I feel unready for my love...