Apart from her solo career, singer Bonnie Owens is well known for the work … Read Full Bio ↴Apart from her solo career, singer Bonnie Owens is well known for the work she did with her former husbands, Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Born Bonnie Campbell on October 1, 1932, in Oklahoma City to a pair of sharecroppers and one of eight children, she first met Buck in the mid-'40s when he had a local daily 15-minute radio show. Once Buck discovered that Bonnie could sing, he helped her get a job with him on another radio show in 1947. The following January, Buck and Bonnie married, but the union was short-lived. By 1951, after giving birth to two sons, the marriage was over. Since neither could afford a divorce, they stayed legally married, but separated, for several years. Bonnie and the two boys left for Bakersfield, where she worked as a cocktail waitress. It was during this period that Bonnie met Fuzzy Owen and guitarist Roy Nichols, who would be instrumental in the career of Haggard.

By the late '50s Bonnie was recording on the Mar-Vel label with Fuzzy and his band, the Sun Valley Playboys. She cut a well-received duet album with Fuzzy, her sometime boyfriend, on Tally Records, which would later be re-released on Capitol Records as "Just Between the Two of Us." In 1961, Bonnie saw Haggard singing for the first time at a Lefty Frizzell concert. At the time, Haggard was just a few months out of San Quentin prison for breaking and entering. By 1964 Fuzzy was managing Haggard and suggested that Bonnie and Haggard re-record "Just Between the Two of Us." Taking Fuzzy's advice paid off; the song hit the top of the country charts but not for long. It was replaced by "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers," Haggard's breakthrough single.

In 1965 Haggard signed with Capitol Records, married Bonnie, and signed the Strangers (including Bonnie) with a booking agency owned in part by Buck. Bonnie's marriage to Haggard lasted until 1978, but the two had already separated in 1975. Eventually Bonnie resumed touring with the Strangers in the late '70s and remarried for the final time to Fred McMillenher. She continued to tour regularly with Haggard and the Strangers. While Bonnie released half a dozen albums and numerous singles on Capitol Records in the mid- to late '60s, she remained satisfied singing backup as a member of the Strangers.

Yes I Love You
Bonnie Owens Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I just received your letter oh I've waited darling for so long to hear from you
And you say you love me but you want to know dear if I've been untrue to you
Yes I love you only and I've been so lonely dear I've waited for so long
No there's been no other for no one could ever make me feel the way you do
[ steel - ac.guitar ]
Please come home and get me take me with you next time
When you say you'll be ocean blue
I'm so wild about you I can't live without you don't you feel the same way too

Yes I love you only...

Overall Meaning

In Bonnie Owens's song "Yes I Love You," the singer expresses her love for someone who seems to doubt her fidelity. The song is written from the perspective of someone who has waited a long time to hear from her lover, and is overjoyed to finally receive a letter from them. The first verse reveals the lover's doubts about the singer's loyalty, but the singer reassures them that she has been faithful and loves them deeply.

The chorus of the song repeats the singer's declaration of love, emphasizing that she has been waiting for her lover for a long time and that no one else could ever make her feel the way they do. The second verse makes a more passionate plea for her lover to come and take her away with them, expressing how much she needs them to be happy.

Overall, the song conveys a sense of intense longing and devotion, as well as the frustration of being apart from someone you love. The lyrics are simple but heartfelt, and are accompanied by a gentle, country-style melody that reinforces the emotional tone of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

I just received your letter oh I've waited darling for so long to hear from you
After waiting a long time, I finally received your letter, my love.

And you say you love me but you want to know dear if I've been untrue to you
You express your love to me, but you're curious if I've been unfaithful to you, my dear.

Yes I love you only and I've been so lonely dear I've waited for so long
I only love you, and I've been feeling lonely while waiting for you, my dear.

No there's been no other for no one could ever make me feel the way you do
I haven't been with anyone else because no one else can make me feel what you make me feel.

[ steel - ac.guitar ]
Instrumental interlude.

Please come home and get me take me with you next time
Please bring me home with you the next time you leave, and take me with you.

When you say you'll be ocean blue
When you say you'll be traveling to the ocean.

I'm so wild about you I can't live without you don't you feel the same way too
I'm extremely passionate about you, and I can't imagine living without you. Do you feel the same way?

Yes I love you only...
I only love you, my dear.

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: ANN BRUCE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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