Clark was born Samuel Goldberg to Jewish parents in Boston, Massachusetts. He made his Big Band singing debut in 1934 with Benny Goodman on the Let's Dance radio program. In 1936 he started to perform on the show, Your Hit Parade, and lasted until 1938. In the mid-1930s he signed with Vocalion Records, having a top-20 hit with "Spring Is Here". He did not have another hit until the late 1940s, but continued recording, appearing in movies, and dubbing other actors' voices.
In 1946 he signed with Columbia Records and scored his biggest hit with the song "Linda" recorded in November of that year, but hitting its peak in the following spring. Linda was written especially for the six-year-old daughter of a show business lawyer named Lee Eastman, whose client, song-writer Jack Lawrence, wrote the song at Lee’s request. Upon reaching adulthood and becoming famous as a photographer, Linda was, for a while, something of a musician, later became a prominent spokeswoman for vegetarianism and animal rights, and broke a generation of teenage girls' hearts when she married Beatle Paul McCartney.[citation needed]
1947 also saw hits for Clark with such titles as "How Are Things in Glocca Mora" (from the musical Finian's Rainbow), which made the Top Ten, "Peg O' My Heart", "An Apple Blossom Wedding", and "I'll Dance at Your Wedding". The following year he had another major hit with "Love Somebody" (a duet with Doris Day, selling a million and reaching #1 on the charts) and nine more chart hits, and extended his success into 1949 with a number of hits, both solo and duetting with Day and Dinah Shore. He was fatally injured in a private plane crash in Los Angeles, returning from a college football game, when the craft ran low on fuel and crash-landed on Beverly Boulevard. A month after his death, his recording of "A Dreamer's Holiday" hit the charts.
Buddy Clark and five other friends had rented a small plane to attend a Stanford vs. Michigan football game. After the game on the way back to Los Angeles, the plane developed engine problem, due to lack of gas, and lost altitude and crashed on Beverly Boulevard, in California. Clark didn't survive the crash. At that time, he was 37 years old reaching new heights of popularity, when tragedy struck.
For You
Buddy Clark Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Peaches come from Georgia
And lobsters come from Maine
The wheat fields
Are the sweet fields of Nebraska
And Kansas gets bonanzas from the grain
Old whiskey comes from old Kentucky
New Jersey gives us glue
And you, you come from Rhode Island
And little old Rhode Island
Is famous for you
Cotton comes from Lou-siana
Gophers from Montana
And spuds from Idaho
They plow land
In the cow land of Missour-a
Where most beef meant
For roast beef seems to grow
Grand canyons come from Colorad-a
Gold comes from Nevada
Divorces also do
And you, you come from Rhode Island
Little old Rhode Island
Is famous for you
Pencils come from Pennsylvania
Vest from Vest Virginia
And Tents from Tent-esee
They know mink where they grow
Mink in Wyo-mink
A camp chair in New Hamp-chair
That's for me
And minnows come Minnesota
Coats come from Dakota
But why should you be blue?
For you, you come from Rhode Island
Don't let them ride Rhode Island
It's famous for you
Buddy Clark's song "For You" is a classic love song with a unique spin on geography. The lyrics describe how different states in America are famous for their special productions. Each verse of the song begins by mentioning the name of the state and the product that comes from it, ranging from copper to peaches to lobsters to gophers. The geographical contrast is then made by linking the audience's beloved to Rhode Island, stating that the state is renowned for them. Additionally, the song mentions several other states and products, further emphasizing the idea of regionalism and diversity.
The song's lyrics can be interpreted in various ways. One way is to see it as a tribute to America and its various regional specialties, with Rhode Island being the singer's favorite among all the states. It suggests that no matter where you come from, you are exceptional and highly valued. Another interpretation is that the line "little old Rhode Island is famous for you" portrays the audience as being so special that a state known for little would be famous for them.
Overall, this song is a charming and inventive love song that celebrates the unique differences that each state of America brings.
Line by Line Meaning
Copper comes from Arizona
Arizona is known for copper mining and production.
Peaches come from Georgia
Georgia is known for its production of sweet peaches.
And lobsters come from Maine
Maine is famous for its lobster industry.
The wheat fields
The wheat fields being referred to in this line are in Nebraska.
Are the sweet fields of Nebraska
Nebraska is known for its production of sweet wheat.
And Kansas gets bonanzas from the grain
Kansas produces a lot of grain and benefits from it economically.
Old whiskey comes from old Kentucky
Kentucky is known for its production of whiskey.
Ain't the country lucky
The country is lucky to have such a great whiskey production state like Kentucky.
New Jersey gives us glue
New Jersey is known for its manufacturing and production of glue products.
And you, you come from Rhode Island
The subject of the song is from Rhode Island.
And little old Rhode Island
Rhode Island is a small state but it's famous for many things.
Is famous for you
The subject is seen as a celebrity or the pride of Rhode Island.
Cotton comes from Lou-siana
Louisiana is known for its cotton production.
Gophers from Montana
Montana is known for its wild gopher population.
And spuds from Idaho
Idaho is known for its potato production.
They plow land
Missouri is known for its agricultural industry.
In the cow land of Missour-a
Missouri is often associated with cows and beef production.
Where most beef meant
Beef that's intended for consumption and sale
For roast beef seems to grow
Missouri is known for its high-quality beef that's often used for roasts.
Grand canyons come from Colorad-a
The Grand Canyon, a natural wonder, is in Colorado.
Gold comes from Nevada
Nevada is known for its gold mining and production.
Divorces also do
Nevada is famous for its lenient divorce laws.
Pencils come from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is known for its production of pencils and other writing materials.
Vest from Vest Virginia
West Virginia is known for its production of vests, clothing items, and textiles.
And Tents from Tent-esee
Tennessee is known for its manufacturing and production of tents.
They know mink where they grow
Wyoming is known for its production of mink fur.
Mink in Wyo-mink
Wyoming is the state with the largest mink fur production in the country.
A camp chair in New Hamp-chair
New Hampshire is known for its production of camping chairs.
That's for me
The artist likes camping chairs from New Hampshire and would like to have one.
And minnows come Minnesota
Minnesota is known for its wild minnow populations.
Coats come from Dakota
North and South Dakota are known for their production of coats and other warm clothing items.
But why should you be blue?
Why should the subject be sad when they come from a state that's so famous?
For you, you come from Rhode Island
The artist is reminding the subject that they come from a famous state.
Don't let them ride Rhode Island
Nobody should try to make fun of or undermine Rhode Island's greatness.
It's famous for you
Rhode Island is famous in part because the subject of the song comes from there.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DIETZ SCHWARTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Coyle
Listen to the last 2 lines of "for you" . Beautifully sung . Only Buddy could do that. What a talent
John Coyle
Unbelievable ! Everyday he sounds better and better . He makes this sound like a prayer . What a gift .
Francis Alan Wormald
AT 82 I am enjoying Buddy all over again...He was a brilliant flash in my real youth...RIP
Onalee McGraw
Thank you for this wonderful song by the greatest of them all, Buddy Clark..
John Coyle
I'm going on 90 . Been Buddy's top fan since High School days in 1947 . He still moves me
james chatterton
You're a decade older than me, John, but I well remember Buddy Clarrk along with Al Jolson, et al.
John Coyle
A simple title for such a beautiful song and sung accordingly .
BigBingFan
Superb singer, and thank you for posting this tender ballad. I am obviously, a BigBingFan, and Buddy idolized Bing, and Bing reciprocated as good friends. When I first heard Buddy's voice on a mid-80's local station, "The Music of Your Life"--I could have sworn that golden voice was Bing's. Buddy had some flourishes which Bing didn't do, and I like him very, very much. My next favorite singer--the Great--Buddy Clark.
John Coyle
Serenade music played on a heartstring , taken from a classic / Ray Noble. Was available on I Tunes and Wal-Mart CD's. I'm looking for ""My Buddy" and "Let's be Buddies'. Collected all his records back in my high school days. Was one of his buggest fans. Most of his records at that time were 78's. Didn't last long. "For You" one of his many great one's.
Kevin Oneil
Buddy Clark's short life left us with a small but wonderful treasury of great songs. His was as beautiful a voice as one could ask for. It's a shame that he isn't better remembered. He made some great recordings as Ray Noble's singer. Thanks for these gems of his big buddy clarke fan ems of his!