He was born in Lubbock, Texas, to a musical family during the Great Depression, and learned to play guitar and sing alongside his siblings. His style was influenced by gospel music, country music, and rhythm and blues acts, and he performed in Lubbock with his friends from high school. He made his first appearance on local television in 1952, and the following year he formed the group "Buddy and Bob" with his friend Bob Montgomery. In 1955, after opening for Elvis Presley, he decided to pursue a career in music. He opened for Presley three times that year; his band's style shifted from country and western to entirely rock and roll. In October that year, when he opened for Bill Haley & His Comets, he was spotted by Nashville scout Eddie Crandall, who helped him get a contract with Decca Records.
Holly's recording sessions at Decca were produced by Owen Bradley. Unhappy with Bradley's control in the studio and with the sound he achieved there, he went to producer Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico, and recorded a demo of "That'll Be the Day", among other songs. Petty became the band's manager and sent the demo to Brunswick Records, which released it as a single credited to "The Crickets", which became the name of Holly's band. In September 1957, as the band toured, "That'll Be the Day" topped the US "Best Sellers in Stores" chart and the UK Singles Chart. Its success was followed in October by another major hit, "Peggy Sue".
The album Chirping Crickets, released in November 1957, reached number five on the UK Albums Chart. Holly made his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1958 and soon after, toured Australia and then the UK. In early 1959, he assembled a new band, consisting of future country music star Waylon Jennings (bass), famed session musician Tommy Allsup (guitar), and Carl Bunch (drums), and embarked on a tour of the midwestern U.S. After a show in Clear Lake, Iowa, he chartered an airplane to travel to his next show, in Moorhead, Minnesota. Soon after takeoff, the plane crashed, killing him, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and pilot Roger Peterson in a tragedy later referred to by Don McLean as "The Day the Music Died".
During his short career, Holly wrote, recorded, and produced his own material. He is often regarded as the artist who defined the traditional rock-and-roll lineup of two guitars, bass, and drums. He was a major influence on later popular music artists, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Weezer, and Elton John. He was among the first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1986. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 13 in its list of "100 Greatest Artists".
Ain't Got No Home
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain't never
I ain't never
A seen no body like you
No no no
Never
Have I ever
you call a me up
And say you'll meet me at 9
I have to hurry hurry
But I'm there on time
I walk a right up
And knock on your door
The landlord said she ain't a here no more
I ain't never
Whoah darlin
A seen nobody like you
Oh woo
But I love you
Yeah I love you
I love you just the same
Well,
You tell me sweet things
That You don't mean
You've got me living in a haunted dream
You make me do things
I don't want to do
My friends they say a hey but what's a wrong with you
I ain't never
Whoah darlin
A seen nobody like you
Oh woo
But I love you
Yeah I love you
I love you just the same
I love you just the same
I love you just the same
The lyrics of Buddy Holly's song "Ain't Got No Home" exude the feeling of longing and heartbreak. The repetition of "I ain't never" in the first verse and chorus suggest that the singer has never encountered someone like the subject of the song, highlighting their uniqueness and perhaps even their unattainability. The line "You tell me sweet things that you don't mean" adds to this feeling of unrequited love, as the subject of the song seems to be leading the singer on.
The second verse expands on this theme, as the singer is seemingly trapped in the delusion that their feelings will be reciprocated. The line "You make me do things I don't want to do" indicates that the singer is sacrificing their own values and desires for the sake of the subject's attention and affection. The final lines of the song, "I love you just the same," show that despite the pain and disappointment, the love the singer feels is unwavering.
Overall, "Ain't Got No Home" is a poignant representation of unrequited love, with Buddy Holly's iconic voice bringing the emotions to life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well,
I ain't never
I ain't never
A seen no body like you
No no no
Never
Have I ever
A seen nobody like you
There is something special about you, something that I have never seen before in anyone else. You are unique and I am infatuated with you.
you call a me up
And say you'll meet me at 9
I have to hurry hurry
But I'm there on time
I walk a right up
And knock on your door
The landlord said she ain't a here no more
I am excited to meet you when you call to arrange a date, and I make sure to be punctual. However, when I arrive at your doorstep, I find out that you have moved away and left no forwarding address, which leaves me feeling bewildered and disappointed.
You tell me sweet things
That You don't mean
You've got me living in a haunted dream
You make me do things
I don't want to do
My friends they say a hey but what's a wrong with you
You say flattering words to me that later turn out to be lies, which leaves me feeling deceived and living in a nightmare. You also convince me to do things I don't want to do, and my friends are concerned about my wellbeing as a result.
I ain't never
Whoah darlin
A seen nobody like you
Oh woo
But I love you
Yeah I love you
I love you just the same
Even though you have caused me confusion and pain, I am still enamored with you and feel a deep love that is uninhibited by your actions. You are one of a kind and I cannot resist loving you.
I love you just the same
I love you just the same
Even after all that has happened between us, my love remains unchanged. I still adore you and hold onto the hope of being with you someday in the future.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Clarence Henry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind