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.
Waitin' In Your Welfare Line
Buck Owens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm waitin' in your welfare line
Well, I ain't got nothing but the shirt on my back
And an old two button suit
I walked out on my job about a week ago
And now I'm sleepin' in a telephone booth
But I'ma gonna be the richest guy around
I got the hungries for your love
And I'm waitin' in your welfare line
Well, when I first met you, babe, you nearly made me wreck
My ol' '49 Cadillac
I knew at a glance that it was you for me
Yell, I had to have your love by heck
I'm gonna follow you, baby, wherever you go
I got nothin' to lose but my time
I got the hungries for your love
And I'm waitin' in your welfare line
Well, you made me the top dog on your hill
And I was overjoyed
But it didn't take long 'til the thrill was gone
I joined the ranks of the unemployed
Now, I'm right back where that I started from
But that ain't gonna change my mind
I got the hungries for your love
And I'm waitin' in your welfare line
Yeah, I'm waitin' in your welfare line
(Gimme a hand out)
I'm waitin' in your welfare line
With "Waitin' In Your Welfare Line," Buck Owens delivers a classic tale of a man who is down on his luck but has his sights set on a better future. The song begins with the singer confessing his need for love and his current desperate situation, standing in line waiting for welfare. He has lost his job, sleeps in a telephone booth, and has little else to offer. Despite his status, he's determined that if only he can win the affection of the woman he desires, he will be the wealthiest man in town. He recounts their first meeting in his '49 Cadillac, and since then, he has been willing to go anywhere and do anything for her love. The man was even initially successful in wooing her and became "top dog" but eventually lost his job and was back to square one. Despite his struggle, he remains captivated and continues to wait in her "welfare line."
The lyrics of "Waitin' In Your Welfare Line" present a mischievous, tongue-in-cheek look at the act of waiting in a welfare line. However, the singer is not entirely defeated or without hope. His commitment to love, despite his setback and lack of financial security, is inspiring. Buck Owens's soulful copper-toned voice and the lighthearted melody of the song help to flesh out this inspirational message, making it an enduring classic that still resonates with audiences worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
I got the hungries for your love
I am deeply and passionately in love with you
And I'm waitin' in your welfare line
I am in a state of financial hardship, but I'm willing to wait for you and your love
Well, I ain't got nothing but the shirt on my back
I have absolutely nothing except the clothes I'm wearing
And an old two button suit
The only other possession I have is a cheap suit
I walked out on my job about a week ago
I quit my job recently
And now I'm sleepin' in a telephone booth
Because of my financial struggles, I have nowhere to sleep except a small public space like a telephone booth
But I'ma gonna be the richest guy around
I believe that if I can win your love, I will feel like the wealthiest, most fortunate person in the world
The day you say you're mine
I will feel complete and fulfilled if you agree to be my partner
Well, when I first met you, babe, you nearly made me wreck
I was so taken with you that I almost had an accident
My ol' '49 Cadillac
The car I used to own
I knew at a glance that it was you for me
I was sure from the moment I saw you that you were meant to be with me
Yell, I had to have your love by heck
I was so determined to have your love that I was willing to do whatever it took
I'm gonna follow you, baby, wherever you go
I will go anywhere and do anything to be with you
I got nothin' to lose but my time
I don't have any obligations or responsibilities, so I can devote myself entirely to pursuing you
Well, you made me the top dog on your hill
With your love, I felt like I was on top of the world
And I was overjoyed
I was very happy
But it didn't take long 'til the thrill was gone
The happiness and excitement of being with you didn't last very long
I joined the ranks of the unemployed
I lost my job and became one of many people searching for work
Now, I'm right back where that I started from
I'm in the same difficult situation I was in before
But that ain't gonna change my mind
Regardless of my financial struggles, my feelings for you have not changed
Yeah, I'm waitin' in your welfare line
I am still in financial need and waiting for your love
(Gimme a hand out)
I am asking for some assistance or support to help me through my hardships
I'm waitin' in your welfare line
I am still waiting for your love despite my difficult circumstances
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Buck Owens, Don Rich, Nat Stuckey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind