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.
I Was There
Buck Owens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was there when it burned into desire
I was there when it ran into a raging river and then turned into a runaway wild fire
I was there I was there when love came around I was there
And one thing for certain I did all the hurtin' at love's final curtain I was there
I was there when love came in like a living tornado
I was there when something quickly turned into nothing
Just a hopeless helpless dream gone up in smoke
I was there...
I was there...
And one thing for certain I did all the hurtin' at love's final curtain I was there
The song "I Was There" by Buck Owens is a deep exploration of the singer's personal experiences with love in its various forms. From the sweet warmth of first love to the burning desire of passion, the singer recounts their journey with love as it evolved into a tornado of upheaval and ultimately ended with the final curtain call of heartbreak. The repetition of "I was there" reinforces the singer's sense of witnessing and being an active participant in their own story of love and loss.
The first verse describes the initial stages of love, with the singer present for the sweet, warm kisses that marked its arrival. However, things quickly progressed and love turned into burning desire. The metaphor of love as a raging river that ultimately becomes a runaway wildfire highlights the intensity and unpredictable nature of love.
The second verse brings a darker tone to the song as the singer becomes present for the destruction wrought by love's intensity. The metaphor of love as a living tornado that blows out of control speaks to love's ability to take over and cause chaos in a person's life. The dream of love quickly turns into nothing, leaving the singer with a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness.
Overall, "I Was There" is a powerful exploration of love and its various forms. The singer is not afraid to confront the pain and hurt that love can cause, but also acknowledges the joy and passion that it can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
I was there when love came around with sweet warm kisses
I have experienced the initial stages of falling in love, filled with affection and intimacy.
I was there when it burned into desire
I have felt the intensity of passion that love can bring.
I was there when it ran into a raging river and then turned into a runaway wild fire
I witnessed love escalate into chaos, spreading uncontrollably like a forest fire.
And one thing for certain I did all the hurtin' at love's final curtain I was there
In the end, I am the one who suffered the most in the relationship and was present when it ultimately came to an end.
I was there when love came in like a living tornado
Love entered my life abruptly and with great force.
I was there when it blew out of control
I have experienced love taking over and becoming overwhelming or unmanageable.
I was there when something quickly turned into nothing
Love that seemed to have potential faded away rapidly.
Just a hopeless helpless dream gone up in smoke
My aspirations for love turned out to be empty and unfulfilled.
I was there...
Overall, I have seen love in all its forms, both positive and negative.
Lyrics © PANZER MUSIC
Written by: BUCK OWENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@seanoreilly5410
"You put a tone of respect in your voice when you say 'Bakersfield', son!"
@raymondcomeau8780
Ça c'est BEAU(THANK YOU!
@karenlindsay8936
GrEaT SoNG Thankyou for sharing 🎸🎵👍🏻
@elainesmith7136
Great song been there when it happened to me
@fivecitydirttracker4776
10-26-2020 Covid19 high risk, back doing Chemotherapy for Colo-rectal cancer.
Buck & Dwight = smiles, gratitude and, the opportunity to be a good example of how to walk thorough life's shitty breaks. No matter, music is "the" best medicine. ✌ & good fortune to all who read my two cents here. Smile.......say hello to all.