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.
Excuse Me
Buck Owens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My teardrops never see the light of day
I laugh and joke each time they talk about you
But if they heard my heart they'd hear it say
Excuse me, I think I've got a heartache
There's an aching deep inside and it just won't be denied
Excuse me, I think I've got a heartache
I guess it's pride that makes me hide my sorrow
I live a lie in all I do and say
My lips may lie and paint a bright tomorrow
But if I told the truth I'd have to say
Excuse me, I think I've got a heartache
There's an aching deep inside and it just won't be denied
Excuse me, I think I've got a heartache
And I'd better say goodbye before I cry
Buck Owens's song Excuse Me is a heartbreaking tale of someone who is trying to hide their emotions from others after losing their lover. They feel completely lost without this person, and their tears are hidden from the world. Despite pretending to be okay and making jokes about the situation, the singer's heart is aching and they cannot deny it. They try to hide their sorrow and put on a brave face by painting a facade of a bright future, but deep down, they are struggling and cannot help but feel the pain.
The song highlights the inner turmoil and confusion of trying to hide one's emotions while dealing with immense heartache. It also touches on the difficulty of moving on and saying goodbye to someone you love. The repeated refrain of "Excuse me, I think I've got a heartache" emphasizes how the singer's pain is affecting them physically, making it difficult to hold back the tears.
Line by Line Meaning
They just don't know how lost I feel without you
Others can't truly comprehend how much I miss and need you in my life
My teardrops never see the light of day
I hide my sadness and cry in secret
I laugh and joke each time they talk about you
I pretend to be happy when your name is mentioned
But if they heard my heart they'd hear it say
If others could tune into my emotions, they would hear me longing for you
Excuse me, I think I've got a heartache
I am experiencing emotional pain and heartbreak that I can't ignore
There's an aching deep inside and it just won't be denied
The pain I feel is intense and persistent
And I'd better say goodbye before I cry
I know that I need to let you go before I break down and cry over our failed relationship
I guess it's pride that makes me hide my sorrow
I am too proud to show my vulnerability and let others see how much you mean to me
I live a lie in all I do and say
I am pretending to be okay and happy, when in reality I am hurting inside
My lips may lie and paint a bright tomorrow
I may say that everything is going to be alright, but deep down I don't truly believe that
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buck Owens, Harlan Howard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@balthazar2749
Buck maybe one of the greatest performers who is missed in every country top ten. He was a hit machine for a decade
@jimwest6571
Having had the honor of working for Buck at one of his country radio stations......this song was a top 10 hit in about 1960-61....Altogether Buck had 25 #1 records from all music charts and another 26 Top Ten hit records between 1959 and 1988...! Quite a record for any recording artist.....
@davebob65
Your not awolfin there Jimbo.
@rogerford483
Wow, that’s great! 😄
@devakikaren
Was Buck as jovial and with great humor offstage as he appears in his songs and performances?
@jimwest6571
Buck loved his fans and to entertain but he also had a deep business talent side of him as well. He was a successful radio and television station owner as well as real estate, newspapers and at one time his own recording studio and talent booking agency as well as a music business publishing company. He was a "driven" and successful man. I've seen the serious side of him too.
@lidacaprice
I miss old country songs .... today I can't find no more.
@lidacaprice
@@gregnormal55.. Yes, I am old country music fan. Thanks for bring back a treasure of memory.
@Sandra-cm1du
The King of twang! I love Buck Owen's music! Best music ever to play in our horse barn while grooming our horses before a ride.
@bethy-lou3307
Real Country music. We miss you, Buck. R.I.P. Your music lives on.