While the Buckaroos originally featured a fiddle and retained pedal steel guitar into the 1970s, their sound on records and onstage was always more stripped-down and elemental. The band's signature style was based on simple story lines, infectious choruses, a twangy electric guitar, an insistent rhythm supplied by a prominent drum track, and high, two-part vocal harmonies featuring Owens and his guitarist Don Rich.
From 1969 to 1986, Owens co-hosted the popular CBS television variety show Hee Haw with Roy Clark (syndicated beginning in 1971). According to his son Buddy Alan (Owens), the accidental 1974 death of Rich, his best friend, devastated him for years and impacted his creative efforts until he performed with Dwight Yoakam in 1988.
Owens is a member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Owens was born on a farm in Sherman, Texas, United States, to Alvis Edgar Owens Sr. and Maicie Azel (née Ellington) Owens.
In the biography About Buck., Rich Kienzle writes: "'Buck' was a donkey on the Owens farm." "When Alvis Jr. was three or four years old, he walked into the house and announced that his name also was "Buck." That was fine with the family, and the boy's name became "Buck" from then on."He attended public school for grades 1–3 in Garland, Texas.
Owens' family moved to Mesa, Arizona, in 1937 during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. While attending school in Arizona, Owens found that while he disliked formal schoolwork, he could often satisfy class requirements by singing or performing in school plays. A self-taught musician and singer, Owens became proficient on guitar, mandolin, horns, and drums. When he obtained his first electric steel guitar, he taught himself to play it after his father adapted an old radio into an amplifier. Owens quit school in the ninth grade in order to help work on his father's farm and pursue a music career.
Owens had three sons: Buddy Alan (who charted several hits as a Capitol recording artist in the early 1970s and appeared with his father numerous times on Hee Haw), Johnny, and Michael Owens.
Owens successfully recovered from oral cancer in the early 1990s, but had additional health problems near the end of the 1990s and the early 2000s, including pneumonia and a minor stroke in 2004. These health problems had forced him to curtail his regular weekly performances with the Buckaroos at his Crystal Palace. Owens died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack at his ranch just north of Bakersfield on March 25, 2006, only hours after performing at his club. He was 76 years old.
Owens was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996. He was ranked No. 12 in CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003. In addition, CMT also ranked the Buckaroos No. 2 in the network's 20 Greatest Bands in 2005. He was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The stretch of US Highway 82 in Sherman, Texas, is named the Buck Owens Freeway in his honor.
Before You Go
Buck Owens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you say you ain't never coming back
That you're sick and tired of how I'm doing
And you're gonna head off down the track
But darlin' before you go be sure you know how much I love you
And that I'm sorry for the quarrels that we had
If you leave you're gonna tear my world to pieces
Oh, your wounded pride has blinded your reason
And right now you want to hurt me if you can
The man is waiting here to take you to the station
And you're leaving with your ticket in your hand
But darlin' before you go be sure you know how much I love you
And that I'm sorry for the quarrels that we had
If you leave you're gonna tear my world to pieces
So take it slow be sure you know before you go
In the song "Before You Go" by Buck Owens, the singer pleads with his lover not to leave him. Despite their quarrels and disagreements, he still loves her deeply and doesn't want her to tear his world apart by walking out on him. The lyrics suggest that the woman is leaving because she's fed up with the way the singer is treating her, and that her pride has blinded her to the fact that leaving him will only cause more pain.
The singer acknowledges their past arguments and apologizes for them, hoping to mend their relationship before it's too late. He warns her to take it slow and make sure she's certain about her decision before she goes. The song is a classic country ballad about love, heartache, and the struggle to hold onto a relationship.
Overall, "Before You Go" is a poignant reminder that communication, understanding, and forgiveness are crucial for any relationship to survive. The lyrics deeply resonate with anyone who has experienced heartbreak and the fear of losing a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, you say that you're goin' away and leave me
You're telling me that you're leaving me.
And you say you ain't never coming back
Furthermore, you're claiming that you won't return.
That you're sick and tired of how I'm doing
You're sick of how things are between us.
And you're gonna head off down the track
You're planning on leaving town.
But darlin' before you go be sure you know how much I love you
Before you leave, I want you to realize how much I love you.
And that I'm sorry for the quarrels that we had
I'm also sorry for any arguments we've had.
If you leave you're gonna tear my world to pieces
If you go, it will devastate me.
So take it slow be sure you know before you go
Please, don't rush into this decision; make sure you truly want to leave.
Oh, your wounded pride has blinded your reason
I understand that your pride has been hurt and that's the reason you want to leave.
And right now you want to hurt me if you can
You're acting out of anger and want to cause me pain.
The man is waiting here to take you to the station
I know that you have arranged for someone to take you to the station.
And you're leaving with your ticket in your hand
You have your ticket and you're ready to go.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BUCK OWENS, DON RICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mac26x98
Don and Buck can sure put a country song across....Don has so much personality and it shows...what a loss when he passed.......
@jessemask2562
A loss indeed this was why Buck kinda retired and seemed uninterested in the business.
@RasMajnouni
This is one great example of the humour in so many Buck Owens' songs. Laughing through his tears.
@owensclock
I can't even imagine singing with a band that had people like Don Rich and Tom Brumley in it. Talk about perfection!
@patriciajrs46
Good deal.
@yamagrow420
@1:35 When the steel player hits a bad note, I love their reaction. You almost hear a chuckle! Such a great moment, and the show must continue ! Love this song
@musicmayn59
i've loved this song since the 60s as a young boy an i still get chills when tom plays the slow part. oh my those chimes are the best! but what else would i expect from the BEST STEEL PLAYER EVER!!!!!!!!
@acdyman
Buck Owens was one of the more underrated singers.
@frankseabolt9519
Tim Smith Yes he was and Don Rich Too!
@ridgeroberts3006
In his day, he and the Buckaroos were one of the biggest bands of the time. They may seem underrated now because many have forgotten, but the Buckaroos are still certainly somewhat known. In my opinion, Don Rich was the underrated one (to the public anyway).