BUDDY WAKEFIELD:ELEPHANT ENGINE HIGH DIVE REVIVAL

[jaderrbuggg]

"it's just that i could have sworn you sung me a love song back there, and that you meant it. i guess some people just chew with their mouth open."

favorite line in the ENTIRE thing. this is so beautiful.

[shmehblerg]

I watch this all the time and it's beautiful...only, i find myself getting really frustrated by the woman in the crowd who goes "hmmmmmmm" a lot.

[TCthomasonpoetry]

@shmehblerg she's quite distracting. buddy is worth it though. see him live if you havent yet!

[thisisyesterdayx]

This was honestly beautiful, I felt every word and I can't stop crying. Speechless.

[Cgreene159]

Goddamn Buddy... I'm left speechless after watching this every single day.

[aesop2020]

Dude, I love this man. This kinda shit makes me happy to be alive, even when so much out there tries to convince me that hope doesnt exist

[jonahharper]

FUCK

[Imperialfire]

He's wearing Ede beads

[themptyspace1]

so beautiful

[00jacketlong00]

Gah, he as at our school today. He was so funny, and his poems were so deep and true... I can say he's my new role model

[punkyhiphopdood]

This man oozes integrity. I used to speak to him way back on MySpace and he was a lovely fella. One of the few "good men" left on this planet.

[FilthyDubz1]

i can listen to filthy dubstep all day but i can still sit back and tear up when i listen to this. buddy is a god of poetry

[edburgon]

You can't help but be entirely moved by this.

If anyone's interested, the music is 'Spiegel Im Spiegel' by Arvo Pärt.

[KeepWindowsOpen]

Stunning.

[rockerchickomg30]

It makes me want to cry and just let everything out.

[punkyhiphopdood]

2.00 + Damn...

[thisisrachels]

wow

[TheReKkztherapper]

come to my school PLEASE! you are my favorite writer. i live in St.Helens oregon and now i am in 8th grade =]] email me my teacher will like you to Dylanbigley9898@hotmail.com

[amy1ou]

This reminds me of someone

[djifnf]

How did I get swept away in the emotion of this? Granted it's really really good... But the music especially made it drill into my heart, and wow I didn't know it'd get to me so much...

[mmjohnston21]

@djifnf If you ever have the opportunity to see him live, DO NOT miss it. He will bring up people who are musicians in the audience and have them play with minimal directions. "Play something soft-- but when I say .... stop." Or at least he did when he performed in Decatur, Alabama. Yes, Decatur, Alabama.

[technicolourxo]

this poem hits me hard every time i hear it.

it never fails to give me goosebumps & every time i listen to it i wanna write pages and pages of beautiful thoughts.

thank you buddy :)

[UniQueLyEviL]

I can't even start on how brilliant this man is.

[jhntreewunsix]

What I wouldn't give for that one more second. Just to have 6minutes of passion

[africhmaurice]

When it comes to Buddy Wakefield, I have many favorite poems :) But this is possibly the most heart-wrenching and emotionally satisfying performances I've seen from a performance poet. To be near tears with a poem you've read countless times is remarkable. Buddy, I strive to be like you, if not just a little less vague. I assume you're a wonderful human being. Great job :)

[corbinswagerty]

Thank you Buddy.

[EllieJayden]

wow.

[HoldingUpTheBar]

@EllieJayden yep

[jealey12]

This poem makes me wish I was David Wyn Casey.

[CodysFavorites]

"God damn, it felt amazing the days you were happy to see me."

i am crying right now

[DCurt2287]

3:30 on gave me chills..he is easily my fav poet.

[Moriah123456]

1:35 to 2:55 :,( made me cry

[mudanat]

He is in this list, he deserved it

hubpages.)com/hub/Best-spoken-­­­word-artists

[chelletavs]

this. is. beautiful.

[stevencastr01]

This poem has changed the way I look at my life; Buddy, I love you.

[LaSarahJP]

Never liked poetry. And im in love. 4 People have never been in love.

[brightaiedail]

The second time he says "If I was created in God's image..." is, I think, my favorite part of this poem simply because of all the EMOTION you can in his face when he says it all. You can see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, and just feel it oozing off his whole body.

[chrittaluv]

There are so many things I want to comment with about this. First, I've watched this at least 3 times a day since I discovered it last week. Second, your eyes. Your *eyes*. Your *voice.* Ah.

Finally. Marry me, Buddy Wakefield. Marry me.

[iTsSeCrEtPerDuE]

My english teacher introduced me to Buddy Wakefield this year while we were learning more about poetry and symbolisim. I love Buddy Wakefield.

[MattElliottIT]

I found this largely by accident.

Ive been reading buddy for a while but had never heard this one before.

hes so just fucking good; how he nails that feeling so precisely,

its nice to know someone else carries that.

come to california buddy.

please.

[g33kzy]

Wow just wow, His emotion really came through in this piece.

[tulipx39]

"i smashed a beehive into the ocean to try and make our splash last longer. do you remember? all the honey, that had me looking like a jelly fish." is perfect.

[MrImakefunofyou]

This is the most amazing thing ever! Its beyond words. It got me to tear up and almost ball. Shitt man.

[em1lyj0]

i love watching his facial expressions. i prefer video over audio when it comes to Buddy. i would love to see him preform in person.

[CircuitSurreal]

I cry like a baby every time I hear this.

[LoyolaPoets]

Buddy will be at Loyola University Maryland tuesday night at 7:30!!!

[dementedllama247]

that was

amazing. I Iegit teared up.

[mystery654321]

I try so hard to write like him but its just hard, he's so amazing and i hope i can achieve his greatness some day

[poppinkino]

@mystery654321 you will achieve your own greatness some day, buddy is beautiful but I have no doubt you are too

[andifihad]

@mystery654321

Write as you write. Be inspired and take from greater writers, but always cultivate your own garden.

[666thehazard]

Four people couldn't figure out how to turn on the sound to their computers.

Simply amazing :).

[OswaldtheFourth]

I very nearly started crying to this...

[deadleeie]

@MarvelousThings,

For some reason I can't post the link here but it's the one posted by censx11 and is 7:09 minutes long.....;

Starts with Buddy saying 'This is her first day on the tour.....'

Btw, if you like this, i'd advise you to check out Anis Mojgani too

[h3artshap3dbx]

Epic kid

[backtothecanvas]

The other version of this live is much more intense. You can actually hear him crack up and cry a little. This is the most beautiful poem ever.

[TheMarvelousThings]

@backtothecanvas could you please link to the other version? i cant imagine it being better than this so i'd love to watch it

[mikeyjo101]

this is the most beautiful poem ive ever heard...i watch this video at least once a week and i cry everytime. i love it.

[donisha9]

Tears role down my face.....

[DoctorDoubleO]

Did anyone else just wipe the tears from their eyes?...

[crisjoy7]

This is absolutely the most beautiful poem I have ever had the privilege to hear.

[beermeparis]

the quality of being rational, like the quality of sanity, is relative to a line that doesnt exist.

"reality" is a collective decision. That which is impossible is impossible because a popular consensus has been reached, i didnt get a vote.

if we were to sit down, right now, over coffee or beer or cocaine and i were to explain to you the things that i know, you, if you are one of these "rational people", would think i was absolutely fucking insane.

language is indefinite

[Nowhy]

@beermeparis

hey welcome to the club :D

[a3dollabil]

@beermeparis Well said.

[TheMooseVlogs]

@beermeparis That in itself is a poem. Beautiful.

[diamondsofnine]

3 people experience things rationally

[19jimmmmmy89]

@diamondsofnine irrationally

[diamondsofnine]

@19jimmmmmy89 if the poem is about him, and he doesn't see things as rationally as "you" do, then "you" would be those 3 people, and i understand that they don't like the irrational, so would experience things rationally? (understand that by "you" i dont mean you as an individual, i mean buddy's "you"). i guess it entirely depends on your perception of the poem. it's a sensational performance and poem though.

[annazinn1993]

I get to see him perform in one week!!!! I could pee my pants I'm so excited!

[stevencastr01]

I cant get enough of this poem. Buddy, you are the man.

[matthewboxx]

I saw Buddy in Logan. He was amazing.

[Element37music]

I get to perform with Buddy tonight at Kosmos in Albuquerque, New Mexico tonight!

I'll be doing the opening piece with him! I'm excited!!!

[ConScYenCe]

yea I"v been digging more and more already and it's mindblowing. But thanks for the info always wondered why the album was named that.....either way I still give it up to Sage because if it wasn't for him I wouldn't know about this guy

[redarob1]

This isn't Sage.

[ConScYenCe]

I'm surprised it took me this long to find this......and I'm so glad I did......amazing, moving, and the best poetry I've ever heard in my life!!! Thank you Sage

[igotssssoul]

@ConScYenCe Yeah man. Not even close. Sage just had Buddy as an opening act for his "Human the Death Dance" tour. As a matter of fact, "Human the Death Dance" is a poem that Buddy wrote and Sage asked to use as his album title. Regardless, I'm glad you're on to him now. If you keep digging through Buddy's work, I'm sure you'll find and enjoy more of it.

[aydan14]

I sobbed the first time I heard it. And now I re watch and re watch

[redrider4show]

There is so much more pain in this poem than any of his others. It hurt to watch.

[WinterSolice]

I'm sure I have watched this nearly 40,000 times.

[Andr0m3da1337]

@WinterSolice You and me both lol

[junkahmad888]

why so much arguing? poetry is difficult to understand, because even when you think you "understand" it, you probably didn't get the intended meaning. you don't have to like this piece, or love this piece...but why do people ridicule things so heavily? if you don't like it, fine. poetry isn't going to make you smarter or dumber, the only thing that makes someone dumber is coming out and saying some profane thing on a youtube forum and feeling relieved. even this post, mine, is useless though.

[futchofdeth666]

This is my best guess... Gentile is a word from people of the Jewish faith that refferences non-Jews. Jews believe they are the chossen people of God, thus gentiles are not looked upon with such favor, though Jews do believe God loves all people. They drink the holy water to be seen with greater favor and be forgiven, to be blessed, when really forgiveness is the abandonment of all hope for a greater past...something you bring on yourself not something you need to ask God for. Maybe?

[iamthealterego]

I absolutely love this poem, but i'm having so much trouble trying to interpret the imagery of the gentiles. Anybody care to enlighten me?

[futchofdeth666]

@iamthealterego I tried to "be enlightening" with regaurds to your buddy wakefield question... wrote it in the wrong comments section... it's my best interpretation... lemme know if it makes sense, if you disagree or have other insight to offer!

[natbatscrat]

if it's not there yet...listen to it as much as you can stand..with no pause..then you'll see the beauty, and the honesty, and the things he's trying to find in this poem

[omenroc1]

I've tried to listen to this 3 times now..and see what you guys are seeing in it, but I cant'. I'm glad you enjoy it, I hope you understand that I just don't like it..

[jbkrule]

@omenroc1 Sorry, you have to be intelligent to understand metaphors. The thing that makes it so great is that you can interpret it yourself. You don't have to agree completely with what he is saying because you can you can interpret it as a message that really means something to you. Anyone who just spits out their words as fast as possible for the sake of getting them out there has nowhere near the amount of passion for what he is saying that Buddy Wakefield has.

[omenroc1]

@jbkrule --It takes someone of low intelligence to bring a conversation to it's base level and toss an insult like that. I assume you are gay and bitter. Sorry daddy doesn't accept you. Try having your memory erased and starting over.

[jbkrule]

@omenroc1 I don't understand how you can call my comment taking it to the base level, I am explaining how metaphors are NOT taking it to the base level. If you dislike metaphors you cannot even discuss that. Besides you only replied the beginning of my whole explanation of what makes it so great - what's the matter couldn't get through the whole comment? You contradicted yourself throughout your entire comment. You said that I brought the conversation to it's base level and then you

[jbkrule]

@jbkrule proceeded to call me gay and stupid. Way to go, it must have taken all of your brain power to come up with that insult. I'm not gay by the way, thanks for asking. Plus, I don't see anything wrong with someone being gay it is not their choice. I'm sure you are some kind of religious fanatic who hates anyone who expresses themselves though, so this is all that I am going to say to you. I wont bother trying to explain what makes Buddy Wakefield so great to anymore - you wouldn't understand

[lopezad]

This piece is so incredible on so many levels I don't even know how to properly praise it.

[ThereWasShrinkage]

when he stumbles, it makes it all the more real.

[eatingfatty]

@omenroc1 Why's that? I think it's wonderful.

[omenroc1]

@eatingfatty  I don't know, it's ok.. but people are losing their minds over it..It's not that good..at all..

[ThereWasShrinkage]

@omenroc1 how is it not good? his use of metaphors is phenomenal, the porcupine of light, with the strands of gold, to mean the sun, awesome. the dead singers perspective was well done, the knife fight, all of it, sentences and words that together have wonderful meaning. AND There's a hidden message, a context beyond the words, amazing. so tell me when this isnt good, and then tell me what is, since you apparently heard the words of Socrates straight from his mouth thousands of years ago.

[omenroc1]

@ThereWasShrinkage -People who talk in metaphors aught to shampoo my crotch. If you like it so much, you can have it, enjoy.

[iNtro524]

He looks like bill from Left 4 dead?

[annazinn1993]

This is absolutely amazing!!!!!

[TheFactoryReject]

Whoever was at this night... is lucky. not just for buddy, but anis aswell. and the others probobly as well, i just don't know them.

[junkahmad888]

every time i hear a buddy wakefield poem i think..."this is the pinnacle of poetry, no way it can get better than this." i said that when i heard "convenience stores" 4 years ago, and when i heard "human the death dance", and when i heard "giant saint everything", and now....i'm sitting here crying to a poem that just completely turned me inside out.

you don't need to be high to understand this. you just need a heart without judgment. which, maybe some need to get high in order to reach that.

[LuCkY13ZaCk]

@junkahmad888 Thats probably the most incredible thing I have ever read on a youtube comment. Thank you.

[guyblank]

As has been said about a chosen few others, in another age, this man would be deemed a prophet.

[Spyder8477]

this is so deep, I don't have room on my hard drive for it...but I listen on....

[Spyder8477]

@Spyder8477 that was a metaphor, best believe I downloaded it via the latest mozilla plugin "Download Youtube Videos via MP4 or FLV" which by nature led to my ipod for me to share this wisdom (Buddy's wisdom, not the plugin bulocks)!

[nickiee5]

Amazing, i have no idea how anyone could give a thumbs down.

[Ca2roline]

this is one of the best poems I've heard in a while... wow.

[bassbo300]

just saw him, anis, and derrick perform at my college yesterday, I've been to broadway musical performances and concerts of current and future rock and roll hall of famers, and this poem was the greatest performance i have ever seen.

[ScottCampbellArts]

absolutely amazing. So talented.

[retrospace19]

I watched this while high. And Buddy felt like God, An apologetic sorrowful god that was apologizing to us, But knew he didn't hold up his end of the bargain either. Then when it zoomed it, It looked like he was a death row inmate speaking right before his execution, Like in the 50's. Was awesome. This piece makes 200% more sense while high, Try it!

[JayTaylor91]

@retrospace19 I agree!!!!

[BonesDGAF021]

@retrospace19 im high right now and about to tune in

[nickfromdtown1992]

yeah i know it left me looking like a knife fight

[LuCkY13ZaCk]

at :25 Buddy looks like a little kid with the way he smiles. It makes me smile everytime I see it. :D

[theonlywillard]

the ending gave me goosebumps 

[Padooshka]

@theonlywillard yeah when he chokes up.....gets me everytime.

[phrankiesays]

This poem (specifically this performance) is so immensely beautiful and heartbreaking.

[tulipx39]

What a beautiful mind <3 =)

[lewbai]

Also bee's in the ocean will create a longer splash... he added complications to the relationship to try and make it better

[CathyTheDestroyer]

This never gets old; Buddy is so talented

[yeawellwhateva]

the image he creates with the honey in the ocean is so fucking beautiful.

and the way he jokes, but then slips into heavy lines is so endearing.

this made me bawl my eyes out. he's just so right. so fucking right and real.

all i wanted to do was hug him and say, "i know."

[depitydog]

@yeawellwhateva  ive listened to this probly a thousand times now and the honey in the ocean part i cant make sense of... care to share?

[yeawellwhateva]

@depitydog: i'll try to explain this in a way that makes sense haha. he wants their "splash" to last longer. their happiness. their relationship. the explosiveness they feel when together. essentially, he wants the good parts of their relationship to last as long as possible. by adding honey to the ocean, it thickens it. it doesnt run quickly. the way i saw it, by adding honey to the ocean, it becomes a thick slow moving substance. the splash would hold there rather than just washing away.

[missblissxe]

And finally, on my one millionth listening of this that just made ALL of the sense!

[missblissxe]

And finally, on my one millionth listening of this that just made ALL of the sense!

[missblissxe]

It's unfortunate though, he did a really good intro to this on this night that I don't think is usually a part of the poem, it was magnificent.

[JunkyardGhost]

Beautiful, Buddy.

[littlejulu]

ahhh i wish he would come to Minnesota

[igotssssoul]

Incredible. I think I've replayed this over a dozen times. It's playing again now as I type and I STILL have to fight back tears. WTH?!?! lol...authentically brilliant.

[Terrorera]

@igotssssoul you need to watch this.

he came to brave new voices, the world's largest slam / poetry festival which in which only youth 13-19 can compete

buddy wakefield was tehre too. and he performed this poem

[AbattoirDream]

he looks shattered..

[coltonmullican]

@AbattoirDream Absolutely shattered as in brutally beautiful.

[ronrutherford]

@AbattoirDream pretty sure the references to speed in some of his work are truly autobiographical

[TankieGirlie]

thank you soo much

[emmabugsmama]

well I got to give and get a kiss on the cheek! amazing man

[fuckyeahhighfive]

i got to see this last friday along with ani difranco at the paramount theater in austin it was really moving. i had never heard of him before then. glad i know now.

[KinzyTH]

Amazing!

[batessociology]

This is the only poem that makes me cry.

[darma79]

WoW this is moving

[xearex]

he performed at my school today. this mans message is so powerful. it was intense. amazing poet

[TacBrownie9]

all i can say is that you are simply amazing, and that i insipre to one day be as good as you

[DKGonzo86]

@TacBrownie9 There is no such thing as good so why not just be and that will be good enough.

[ohwello]

hey i totally agree, but if that was the case no one would be able to tell shit from gold. you have to accept that there will always be criticism in a materialistic society.

[DKGonzo86]

I MUST ACCEPT NOTHING!!!

I'm sure we have all had shits that were the colour of gold.

[ohwello]

damn, alright you don't have to accept anything. just get ahold of yourself man!

[whatever9701]

what is the name of that song playing in the background? It sounds like the song that played in the movie "Wit." Does ANYONE know???

[thisaquaticlove]

it likely could be something by The Album Leaf. but i'm not sure

[davet315]

@thisaquaticlove i think you are right. the ending is definitely album leaf.

[jongrc]

omg such a great poem and they way he performed it was too amazing for words. this poem really got to me

[MutantFrk]

Fantastic poem, great performance, and an amazing recording of it!

[missblissxe]

that was an amazing night, my first slam poetry show and i fell in love. i can't even describe simply how deep this love i have for this guy runs. he is my soul

[jonmahoney04]

Buddy's mad tight. Thanks.

[Claude81]

fuckin amazing

[dolldeelight]

mesmerizing images. great talent.

[peebzzz]

Oh wow, I love him.

[shessomickey]

He's got a really cool intonation, sort of like Rives.  Nice!