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Donna the Buffalo — If You Only Could
Album: Live from the American Ballroom
Avg rating:
7.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1721









Released: 2001
Length: 9:14
Plays (last 30 days): 0
If you only could see what you have got
If you only could be who you are not
If you only could love the things you know
If you only could let the spirit flow

Walking talking too far from the light
Living breathing in colorless black and white

If you only could feel the strength in dreams
If you only could hear the voice of truth
If you only could get up and stand out in the center
If you only could stop thinking only of you

Hey there you
What's your claim
While you're out there
Running in circles you don't understand

Hey this world's got you down
Hey this world's got you down
Comments (313)add comment
Why wasn't this cut in my jammy playlist? It is now.
Oh no, not this again. Seven minutes too long. 
I really like this song. So fun. Mellow, flowing.  They are a wonderful live band too if you like this kind of music. 
What I great live set
Calexico Minas de Cobre
Bob Marley Trenchtown Rock
ABB Trouble no More
Derek Trucks Band Already Free
Donna The Buffalo If Only You Could

Thanks BillG, I really like it when you go into the vault and pull out a string of live cuts.


Sitting here on a Monday evening running statistics and over RP I hear the faint intro to this song and knew exactly what it was. Only place I have ever heard this band, or even heard of this band. It pops up occasionally and is a pleasure to hear. 
thank you
Now see what y'all did here? So many comments comparing Tara Nevins to Natalie Merchant that BillG feels compelled to follow this track with 10K Maniacs.
Compare away . . .
Nice, trippy vibe for a cool August nite
Love them; Their live shows are very very cool
Watch this band live and you can watch Jeb's eyes flutter up into his skull as he plays
What a groove!
Really love this, such a lovely feel...  
I'm seeing a lot of comments about the singer sounding like NM. There is a resemblance, but this singer seems to actually hit the notes. NM's voice is richer, but she sings under the note *all the time* and never strikes purely, making her the single-most irritating singer on the playlist. I am enjoying this. 
 jirvin8387 wrote:

Loved them at the festivals on the East Coast each summer.



Are you familiar with the Lucky Dawgs, I know some follow DTB.
 Hogtownmike wrote:
What Natalie Merchant might sound like if she took a happy pill...
 
I agree -- and I love Natalie -- well her voice anyway.
Song grows on you bump to a 8
Loved them at the festivals on the East Coast each summer.
I'm dancing whenever I hear this.
 Jelani wrote:
five minutes too long.
 
*too short, depending on your state of being.

Love DTB.  Put a smile on my face every time I hear them  That ain't bad, right?
 eileenomurphy wrote:
Great voice! 
 

Reminds me of Natalie Merchant!
Great voice! 
Love this band, love her voice from western NY. More, more please. 
sounded great at the beautiful little stage out at Spirit of Suwannee in the early 2000's. Was a great little venue. I saw some great music there, including James Brown. This band was like a local fave ad it always makes me reminisce about living in the swamps of Florida. 
Loved this band in the late 90s living in Western NY. Great story about the origin of the name of the band told at a live show: Was first proposed during an “altered” gathering of band members as “Dawn of the Buffalo”, yet was interpreted by one as “Donna the Buffalo”. And so it was. Also, the Horseflies should be played here. Excellent, weird, wonderful. Please?
five minutes too long.
In fact, a lot more😎
Bill, more of this band please.
This just swings beautifully - great track!
 kingart wrote:
They out-Dead the Dead. A nice nod-your-head-and-dance-along-while-drinking-a-lot-of-beer tune. 
There several acts with 'buffalo' in the name. Donna the. Grant Lee.  According to the RP website, there's Tom and Norton. Gee, a run on the city or the animal. 
 
Ahem.
Buffalo Springfield, apparently named after a brand of steamroller.
If that is also part of a 'run', it'll be a slow one.
Mais oui!
OMG...finally some DTB!
Yet another reason I listen to RadioParadise. Thanks Bill!
This would be so great on a balmy summer evening at a music festival- just dancing away.  But it's also good on a rainy October day at work{#Smile}
Wow!  Got my surprise of the day: Donna the Buffalo on RP.  
 
Great comment, I agree.

Tippster wrote:
I've been an avid listener and active supporter of this little corner of the music universe for quite a while.  There isn't enough Donna the Buffalo here.  

Please please please play more..
 

I've been an avid listener and active supporter of this little corner of the music universe for quite a while.  There isn't enough Donna the Buffalo here.  

Please please please play more..
Me likey. Very organic....what ever that means.
Wow, first time hearing of Donna the Buffalo; love this!  Glad I had to come over to RP from The Loft.  Wonderful radio and love this song. 
saw this band at Spirit of Suwannee over a decade ago and haven't heard this song in ages 
reminds me of Marshall Tucker Band
I like it. It's pleasant. Good car driving music.  But it jams on and meanders and loses its momentum and starts tweakling like the Grateful Dead. 
Tweakling? Is that word?   It is now.  
That's some dandy music right there
What Natalie Merchant might sound like if she took a happy pill...
Ace!
If You Only Could...figure out what the deal is with this band's name?  {#Eh}

Good tune though.
just what i wanted to hear  thanks!!!
Tasty!
 kingart wrote:
They out-Dead the Dead. A nice nod-your-head-and-dance-along-while-drinking-a-lot-of-beer tune.
 

 
Yes, they do - if the Grateful Dead were this good, I'd be a fan.
I have really enjoyed picking up DtB tunes after hearing this from the live album. Hoping to catch them here in NC this spring.

Family Picture and some others are also great from Live from the American Ballroom. 
 Dana_Montroy wrote:
Thanks for playing this RP!  I've been sitting working at my desk for three hours straight and this tune really hits the spot for me!

 
I think I've been sitting at my desk listening to this song for three hours, wondering when Natalie Merchant ever jammed with the Dead.

Pretty groovy.
Thanks for playing this RP!  I've been sitting working at my desk for three hours straight and this tune really hits the spot for me!
 kingart wrote:
They out-Dead the Dead. A nice nod-your-head-and-dance-along-while-drinking-a-lot-of-beer tune. 
There several acts with 'buffalo' in the name. Donna the. Grant Lee.  According to the RP website, there's Tom and Norton. Gee, a run on the city or the animal. 
 

 
The wings.  {#Propeller}
 kingart wrote:
They out-Dead the Dead. A nice nod-your-head-and-dance-along-while-drinking-a-lot-of-beer tune. 
There several acts with 'buffalo' in the name. Donna the. Grant Lee.  According to the RP website, there's Tom and Norton. Gee, a run on the city or the animal. 
 

 
I'm guessing the animal, but you never know.
They out-Dead the Dead. A nice nod-your-head-and-dance-along-while-drinking-a-lot-of-beer tune. 
There several acts with 'buffalo' in the name. Donna the. Grant Lee.  According to the RP website, there's Tom and Norton. Gee, a run on the city or the animal. 
 
 mread wrote:

You are correct.  Point is, they could care less, but they don't.  That's what's implied.
More here: https://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm
But, returning to topic... does this jam go on too long, or not?  Do you care for more, or less?


 
Goes on too long for me. I love a good jam but this one goes past the peak and drifts down the other side.
First saw them at Telluride Bluegrass some )(*&*&^%$#@@!@# years ago.......AWESOME!!!! Only CD I bought from the whole show. Will follow Donna and her Buffalo forever!! Thank you RP for sending them out! G
second time hearing this on RP and I have decided that this song JAMS
LOVE me some Donna! check out their new album too!
A mesmerizing effect.
 d-don wrote:
Amen on all counts!
 

Amen again...  this song be groovy...  love it...
 
 mread wrote:

You are correct.  Point is, they could care less, but they don't.  That's what's implied.
More here: https://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm
But, returning to topic... does this jam go on too long, or not?  Do you care for more, or less?

 
Kewl post!  I never thought of it that way.  BTW, I gots to gets me that Pinker book mentioned in your link (The Language Instinct).  The Blank Slate by him is a must read. 
Nice jam!!!
{#Music}
jeez every time I hear this track  I think gotta buy this Album trouble being I shall have to save me pennies for quite a period. And as others have commented such similarities to The Dead.
A fantastic concocture of folk, the blues and a little of the Dead.

Tara Nevins by Fran Ruchalski
https://www.flickr.com/photos/photoguyofai/

Tara Nevins of Donna The Buffalo at Magnolia Fest 2010.

This photo was taken on October 24, 2010 using a Nikon D200.

©Fran Ruchalski
©The Photographer LLC

photoguyofai.com/

Copyright All rights reserved



Nice!
 Otomi wrote:
Deadlike!
 

As good also!
Deadlike!
Such a fun band to see live! Thanks, Bill!
I'm so glad DTB play Boulder fairly often...
Bed... Time... Can't... Turn... Off... RP

Voice... Groove... Tune... Ohhhhhkaaaayyyy!  One more.{#Sunny}
Love the acoustic.  Sounds great.
 Such an outstanding band with great energy and a positive message, do yourself a favor and see them when they come around (easier to do in the Eastern US than elsewhere but...).

Keep on rockin Jed and Tara! 
I love DTB. This one of theirs bests. Great live too
Ah, a nice end to a Friday...
 Hannio wrote:
You mean they could not care less.  Sheesh.
 
You are correct.  Point is, they could care less, but they don't.  That's what's implied.
More here: https://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm
But, returning to topic... does this jam go on too long, or not?  Do you care for more, or less?

 rdo wrote:


That's right, but more people say it the other way.  BTW, when's the last time you heard someone say FeBRUary?
 
Once in a while, but likely more often than I hear someone say "WED-NES-day.


I love this guitar :)
 d-don wrote:


Amen on all counts!
 


Another amen.
A singing buffalo—amazing!  {#Lol}
 kcar wrote:
Great, great jam.
 
Amen to that
 sans wrote:
Sick of the haters song after song… find another station. DTB rocks!

 

Amen on all counts!
Great stuff!  Saw them at Bliss Fest (in Bliss, Northern Michigan) a few years ago when Jim Lauderdale was with them.  Truly groovy!
Sick of the haters song after song… find another station. DTB rocks!

 michaelgmitchell wrote:
Did somebody forget to tell them it's over? I mean, this isn't exactly anthem-like.
  Ehhhh, yeah, like mebbe twenty minutes ago. It's just a double-doobie song for the crowd that kinda meanders waaayyy too far off course.


 Hannio wrote:

You mean they could not care less.  Sheesh.
 

That's right, but more people say it the other way.  BTW, when's the last time you heard someone say FeBRUary?
Great, great jam.
 twcarlin wrote:
Ah Donna!!!! GREAT upstate NY band. I think I might even have seen them  at the Rongovian Embassy in Trumansburg back in the day. Can't be sure- that's pretty foggy back then.
 
Chances are better than good that you saw them there. The Rongo was (and still might be) one of their regular stops.

With a name like Donna the Buffalo how could we not like them? Good hippie groove this a.m.{#Bounce}
Hate that I lost my DTB cds. Must find or repurchase.

RP, PLAY THIS BAND MORE OFTEN!
If I only could hear this song again...oh, I can. I bought it. Nice. {#Curtain}
These folks are just awesome!
 mread wrote:

My tappin' toes could care less.

 

You mean they could not care less.  Sheesh.
this band is awesome live, grrrrrrrrreat feeling!  Needed it today! 
They have a fun sound.  I'd like to be at the show.
I hate to admit that I love this. I'm not a hippie. I'm not! I'm not! I'm not!
Um, let's put it this way: no sheet music required for this piece!
Great song! It made me stop to see who it was.
I absolutely LOVE this track. Never get tired of the jam. Thanks!
your picture isn't helping...Tara looks like she's 80 years old. Good song. 8.
Ah Donna!!!! GREAT upstate NY band. I think I might even have seen them  at the Rongovian Embassy in Trumansburg back in the day. Can't be sure- that's pretty foggy back then.
This band has a song ("Life is Strange") that seriously had potential to be a "hit", but they never, ever play it in concert.

Guys, you should play your strongest number, maybe as an encore at least, every time you take the stage.

DTB...fantastic live band !
 michaelgmitchell wrote:
Did somebody forget to tell them it's over? I mean, this isn't exactly anthem-like.
 
My tappin' toes could care less.

 lalalisa25 wrote:
Great lyrics.... :)
 
Great band name :)

 daveesh wrote:
i think they should change the name of the band to 10,000 grateful maniacs.
 


Did somebody forget to tell them it's over? I mean, this isn't exactly anthem-like.
 huebdoo wrote:
I see the comments of "its too long" and I think we have bought this idea that a song needs to fit our range of 2-3 minutes in length so we can stuff it between ads for male enhancement drugs and energy drinks.
 
...maybe i should upload the church's bastard universe; seventy-nine minutes in abridged form!..

...i'm dumbfounded that i recognised this as donna the buffalo, despite only ever having heard their rendition of pachelbel's canon previously...
Great lyrics.... :)
 daveesh wrote:
i think they should change the name of the band to 10,000 grateful maniacs.
 

perfect!!!...that's funny
Thanks for playing this - I'd never heard of this band, but this song is pretty outstanding.  I love her voice..
Like this song,  but that voice...augghhhhh......sounds whinny, childish, all top no bottom where is the richness?  Oh good it stopped....now I can enjoy the music.....
Her voice sounds a lot like Natalie Merchant

lead vocalist reminds me of natalie merchant
Thanks for playing this band. I have several of their CDs but haven't listened to any in a while. This is a favorite song of mine.