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".
Baby Let's Play House
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come back baby I want to play house with you
You may go to college
You may go to school
You may have a pink cadillac
But don't you be nobody?s fool
Now come baby come
Come back baby
I want to play house with you
Now this is one thing baby
I want you to know
Well-a, come on back to me little girl
We can make like we did before (chorus)
Well now this is one thing baby
That I'm talkin? about
Well, come on back to me little girl
So we can play some house (chorus)
Well, listen to me baby
Try to understand
Well, I?d rather see you dead little girl
Than to be with another man (chorus)
In Buddy Holly's song "Baby Let's Play House," the singer is pleading with his lover to come back to him so that they can play house together. He acknowledges that the object of his affection may have achieved success and become educated, but he wants her to know that he still desires her and doesn't want her to be fooled by anyone else. The singer of the song reminisces about the past, expressing his desire to recreate their past experiences together. With this song, he is essentially pleading with her to come back to him because he would rather have her all to himself than share her with anyone else.
The lyrics of "Baby Let's Play House" were controversial for the time because they were considered sexually suggestive. While it may be difficult for a modern audience to fully appreciate the song's meaning, the plea for someone's love can still be considered universal. Moreover, the song's musical style was influential and served as inspiration to many artists who followed.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby baby baby baby baby
The singer is addressing his lover, using repetition to express his affection.
Come back baby I want to play house with you
The singer wants his lover to return so they can live together and play house as a real family.
You may go to college
The singer acknowledges his lover's potential for higher education and encourages her pursuit of knowledge.
You may go to school
The artist further emphasizes the importance of education in his lover's life.
You may have a pink cadillac
The artist recognizes his lover's material possessions, specifically her car.
But don't you be nobody's fool
The singer warns his lover to avoid being taken advantage of by others.
Now come baby come
The singer urges his lover to return to him.
Come back baby come
The artist repeats his plea for his lover to come back to him.
I want to play house with you
The artist restates his desire to live with his lover and create a home together.
Now this is one thing baby
The artist is emphasizing the importance of the next point he will make to his lover.
I want you to know
The singer wants his lover to understand what he is about to say.
Well-a, come on back to me little girl
The artist addresses his lover with a term of endearment and urges her to return to him.
We can make like we did before (chorus)
The singer references their prior relationship and suggests they can rekindle it.
Well now this is one thing baby
The singer is emphasizing the importance of the next point he will make to his lover.
That I'm talkin’ about
The singer wants his lover to know he is serious about his intentions.
Well, come on back to me little girl
The artist urges his lover to return to him.
So we can play some house (chorus)
The artist restates his desire to live with his lover and create a home together, using a play on words by saying "play some house."
Well, listen to me baby
The singer wants his lover to pay close attention to what he is about to say.
Try to understand
The singer wants his lover to grasp the gravity of this statement.
Well, I’d rather see you dead little girl
The artist is expressing the extreme depth of his devotion to his lover, saying he would rather see her dead than with another man.
Than to be with another man (chorus)
The artist restates his desire for his lover to be with him, and not another man.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Arthur Gunter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind