Bo Diddley
Buddy Holly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bo Diddley buy baby a diamond ring
If that diamond ring don't shine
He gonna take it to a private eye
If that private eye can't see

He better not take that ring from me
Won't you come to my house back at home
Take a-my baby on away from home

Love a-that photo, where ya been
Up to your house and gone again
Bo Diddley caught a fat cat

To make a-pretty baby a Sunday hat
Bo Diddley caught him a nanny goat
To make a pretty baby a Sunday coat

Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley have you heard
My pretty baby says she wants a bird

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Buddy Holly's song Bo Diddley may, at first glance, appear to be an anecdotal story about the famous blues guitar player Bo Diddley, but upon closer inspection, the song's true meaning becomes clear. The song is an ode to the power of love and the lengths one will go to keep it alive.

The lyrics open with Bo Diddley buying a diamond ring for his baby, but with a caveat: if the diamond does not shine, he will take it to a private eye. This implies that Bo Diddley is not content with just any diamond and seeks only the finest for his love. The next few lyrics are a warning to anyone who may try to take the ring from him, as Bo Diddley assures them that they better not take it from him. This is a clear indication of the value he places on his relationship and how he will protect it at all costs.

Later in the song, Bo Diddley is shown catching a fat cat and a nanny goat to make his baby a Sunday hat and coat, respectively. This shows his dedication to making his love happy and bringing her joy in any way he can. The final line in the song, “My pretty baby says she wants a bird,” carries with it a deeper meaning. This line shows that even though Bo Diddley is willing to do anything for his love, there are still limits to what he can do, and he must accept that and find alternative ways to make her happy.

Overall, Bo Diddley is a song about the lengths one will go to keep love alive and the sacrifices they are willing to make to ensure its survival. It is a testament to the power of love and the importance of nurturing it.

Line by Line Meaning

Bo Diddley buy baby a diamond ring
Bo Diddley bought his love interest a diamond ring

If that diamond ring don't shine
In case the diamond ring doesn't sparkle

He gonna take it to a private eye
He will take it to a detective for investigation

If that private eye can't see
If the detective can't find any issues with the diamond

He better not take that ring from me
He shouldn't attempt to take the ring from me

Won't you come to my house back at home
Are you interested in coming back to my house with me?

Take a-my baby on away from home
Would you like to take my sweetheart far from here?

Love a-that photo, where ya been
I adore that image of yours. Where was it taken?

Up to your house and gone again
I went to your place but you weren't there

Bo Diddley caught a fat cat
Bo Diddley caught a rich man

To make a-pretty baby a Sunday hat
To buy a nice hat for his sweetheart

Bo Diddley caught him a nanny goat
Bo Diddley caught a young female goat

To make a pretty baby a Sunday coat
To make his woman a jacket for Sundays

Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley have you heard
Bo Diddley, have you heard?

My pretty baby says she wants a bird
My gorgeous partner wants a bird as a pet.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ellas McDaniel

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

kevin zachary

12y↑21

Fifty nine years later and his music still matters. What a legacy he left us.

chewbacca

True. But also blues musicians from black people, which is the root. Music that came from african slaves 😉

mcmaximon1

68 now :O

eddie moore

4y↑13

His version is simply THE BEST version of this song....

Tom Vaughn

4y↑20

High praise on the video... someone deserves respect for this.

1blastman

13y↑7

Two early rock genius' Bo and Buddy - there's another collaboration that would've been wonderful had Buddy lived. This may have been released in 1963, but it most likely was recorded around 1957.

Tom Vaughn

9y↑136

I saw Buddy perform this song live on a Lubbock Television station in 1956. It is still the greatest concert I ever saw.

Frank Hughes

@Tom Vaughn Have you tried contacting the stations ?

Jörg Martin Bauer

You Got Lucky😎

mike gleco

@Kristian Stanley I wasn't there when buddy Holley was alive Tom Vaughn could answer your questions. That's his era of music but buddy lives in all of us

Kristian Stanley

i wish we were friends, I have so many questions for you

13 More Replies...

Scott August

4y↑6

Buddy's music always has and always will speak to me in a way no other artist can. Thank you for posting this

Marlene Sullivan

I AGREE

Ian Thomas

4y↑12

"I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died."
Those lyrics perfectly sum up the influence Buddy had over the music scene in the late 50's and emphasise how impossible it has been to replace him. His songs are as fresh and relevant today as they were over 60 years ago. A musical giant and an innovative genius.

Geoff Huntington

Ditto!

Geoff Huntington

Double dido and more!!!

Geoff Huntington

Double dido and more!

shrillcarder

13y↑4

I am pretty sure this is one of the most refreshing song i have heard in the last ten years, such a load of dribble out there these days, people have forgotten what real music is, always loved buddy since i was a kid. Buddy your a legend.

Erica Conley

5y↑17

I like how Buddy keeps multiplying! My favorite part is when there are thousands of Buddys!😂😂😂

CheckMate657879

14y↑3

This is one cool video. Great job! Love it. RIP Buddy Holly - truly "gone too soon."

Tom Vaughn

4y↑20

It was beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

kidcalabria

15y↑2

Thanks for posting this, one of the most amazing things I've ever heard. He took all of Bo Diddley's licks (and his famous bit) and ordered them in a great 'Pop' song, while putting on it his own umistakable mark. As far as arrangements, sound, songwriting, etc.. Buddy Holly was the most innovative of the 50s Rock&Roll pioneers, really opening the way for The Beatles, Brian Wilson, etc.. and this song proves it... Pure genius

steven ford

6y↑17

Now every one this is such a class song.Buddy Holly left us at such a young age but hes music has lasted decades.

Obiwannabe

3y↑2

It's bo diddleys song

thetruth

9y↑13

When I was 15 I first saw Buddy in concert,the most amazing feeling

Gary Etherington

@Scotseasy 0p00

Robert Barrett

Saw him in '59 in Miami. He also played the lead for the Everly Bros at that concert. Bill Haley and Jerry Lee were on bill. Buddy was THE BEST!!!!

jmary smyth

Wow!!

Buddy Holly

Lucky lucky you

Scotseasy

9y↑2

+thetruth You were privileged. It was not given to all that many to see him perform : a shooting star that crossed our heavens and then was gone far too soon.

Bob Laublaw

15y↑1

Thanks for posting this (and your other videos too). WAY COOL! Excellent audio too. Tried to find Buddy's track on iTunes but no luck. Yours is the best. Great video editing in these clips of yours. Thank You!

trfesok

8y↑3

In my Holly playlist with the great original. Buddy's version would inevitably turn out more tame, but it is fun. Thanks for the upload!

Ian Thomas

8y↑12

This video is actually quite arty for 1963! Buddy's voice was so unique - that elusive quality that defies definition. For me, he was the best ever, a true genius.

Buddy Holly

6y↑3

This video was not made in 1963, the uploader made the video.

STUDIO 57 FILMS

8y↑2

He died in 1959

Zeitgeist74

15y↑3

I love the sound of EVERYthing in this version, but esPECially the guitar. R.I.P, Buddy H.

John Williams

6y↑2

I saw Bo live and he was incredible. I kept asking myself the question when Buddy was recording, "Is this really as good as I think it is?". He was a shooting star.

Scotseasy

A shooting star that crossed our heavens and vanished from them so tragically early.

Sr Nasty

4y↑1

A lot of people think that he was an instant hit at the Apollo theater when his band played there because of the movie... Buddy Holly and the Crickets played the Apollo theater for 3 days, and got booed for the first two. On the third day, Buddy suggested opening with this song, and their final set was a hit.

Martin Hanley

4y↑2

He was the best - brilliant !!

RetroCool73

13y↑1

How can something recorded 55 years ago sound so fresh & vibrant? It sounds better than most music of the past 10 years (and this isn't some old rock & roller talking, I love many different styles of music)

Alf Williams

8y↑9

Great version of Bo Diddley and a great vid - thanks for uploading.

Rafael Chipana

4y↑1

q buen tema del gran buddy holy fuiste un grande

Xcrunnerbd

14y↑1

Buddy Holly recorded so much material that new stuff was able to be released 10 years after his death. There was a lot of overdubbing done on most of it.

Trevor Mitchell

This got to No.4 in the UK charts, in August 1963, in what was one of the most successful years for Buddy's records. The rediscovery of Rock and Roll by the British 60s groups brought the original rockers right into vogue again.

Jordi Raül Vives Vicente

7y↑10

Rock'n'Roll allways come back,because it never dies.

igorsutak

Does it though?

jmary smyth

6y↑1

Love it!

Tom Vaughn

4y↑5

Thanks Noel, I think Eric Clapton summed it up well. He had the same reaction I did. He said about it, "Man, I thought I had died and gone to Heaven."

Scotseasy

3y↑2

A second top ten hit for Buddy Holly in the UK, in 1963. His British fans - and many of them were playing in British 1960s bands - were loving this wonderful renaissance !

Scotseasy

I think there are a few reasons : first, Buddy was always more popular in the UK than he was in the US, and this continued after his death ; there is also a pattern of UK loyalty to deceased artists - reflected in sales of their records - that is not so pronounced at all in the US. The success of British bands in the Sixties was founded on their turning their back on the US-inspired soft wave of 1959 -1961 /1962 and turning to the Rock and Roll that they had grown up with earlier, by artists such as Buddy, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Little Richard...and many of those US Rock and Rollers experienced a resurgence of their popularity at the same time, and came over to tour in the UK in order to make the most of this. I would suggest you give a listen to the 1975 LP track "My Buddy Holly Days" by the successful British group, The Rubettes.

Marilyn Gerson

Why was it only in the UK? Why wasn't the Renaissance of Buddy Holly appreciated in the United States during the early 1960s??

Kathy.Texas

14y↑1

Cool! I never knew Buddy did a cover on Bo Diddley's song. Thanks for sharing!

Scotseasy

It was a big hit in the UK for Buddy in 1963. The British 1960s bands, themselves inspired by the early US Rock and Roll pioneers, such as Buddy Holly, were bringing back Rock and Roll, and Buddy Holly's previously unreleased records, "Reminiscing", "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man", "Bo Diddley" and "Wishing" all enjoyed chart success in the UK alongside their songs.

Ebony .Bunny

14y

This is one of the few Oldies songs I never really liked, but you did a GREAT job with the video.

sniff rat

5y↑5

That guitar sounds lush!

sauquoit13456

9y↑3

On this day in 1963 {September 29th} a package tour with headliners the Everly Brothers, Little Richard, and Bo Diddley began a 36 day U.K. tour at the Victoria Theater in London, England...
The tour's opening act was five lads going by the name, The Rolling Stones, and this was their debut nationwide tour...
At the time Bo Diddley's self-titled album was at #17 on the U.K. Top Albums chart; and fifteen days later on October 13th his single "Pretty Thing" would peak at #34 on the U.K. Singles chart...
Earlier on 1963 on July 7th the late Buddy Holly's covered version of "Bo Diddley" would reach #4 {for 1 week} on the U.K. Singles chart...

captainhash

14y↑1

Fantastic stuff Buddy!

StatenIslandSlim

13y↑2

Gota love that Bo Diddley beat!

Jaynee Harpe

10y↑2

One of the earliest examples of psychedelic videos - LOVE the song!

zen

6y↑1

this is one of the funniest comments I've ever seen

Adam Hans

9y↑5

the video isnt from 1963, the youtuber made it.

faustus999

14y↑1

this video is more addictive than heroin.....utterley superb. great to hear the one and only BUDDY HOLLY

ArgyleCat

15y

I agree. This man was geek-genious at it's perfectuous peek!

kevin zachary

14y

This is pure rock and roll in my opinion.The lyrics were simple and the beat was catchy.This is what the music of today is missing.

diana irizarry

And this is why he is a legend forevermore.

andyrowe14

14y↑1

Fantastic. Great tune by a graeat singer. Video works really well with it. Modern

Bob Harrison

I love this song... It's a great song to listen to or play... But then again there weren't many Buddy Holly songs that weren't great to listen to or play...

collySJ

12y↑1

That's how you make music... From now on that's how you make music... Legend is to small a word for buddy...

kevin zachary

13y↑1

A tragic end to such a short life, but his influence is still relevant today. Even 52 years later.

Cris Bravo

10y↑2

Rock and Roll is not dead. Buddy Holly and Bo Diddley were Great.

Dorrie Lambert

13y↑1

love the music for this one , makes me feel like dancing.

Kevin

4y↑7

I wanna chart hear an 50s Rock n Roll modern Revival ? It can be done!!!

K-LO

3y↑2

Working on that @Kevin follow us on Facebook @gaspedalrecords or YouTube same user.

Timothy Roper

8y↑1

He's singing the lyrics pretty clearly, except for "mojo." Wonder if that was intentional, to avoid some kind of controversy over the word back then (like maybe it was too "satanic" or something). Great cover in any event.

Michael Lacroix

So so cool, just ran into this Buddy Holly song today I can't get enough

kankofix

13y↑2

it makes me so sad to know that a wonderfull person with a innocense vibe, died in a very brutal an horrific death, he doesnt deserve that

peter ripley

4y↑1

love this superb

charlyW34

12y

The original basic recording (later overdubbed by the Fireballs) was recorded in 1956 in Clovis. This version, with the Fireballs dubbed on was a top 10 hit in the U;K. in 1963, leaving some to speculate Buddy was still alive but in hiding!

ffdztdr

10y↑12

There's tons of songs from the early 60's that were recorded in the late 50's and weren't released until the early 60's. But to me the early 60's is still the 50's. it really didn't change until 1965, with hippies and British Invasion, and psychedellic rock. of course Beatles were '64 and up. Even songs recorded in the early 60's still sound 50's, like You're 16 you're beautiful and you're mine by Johnny Burnette (1960), and Runaround Sue by Dion and the Belmonts (1961), and the great Imposter (1962) and No particular place to go by Chuck Berry (1964) and lots more! from 1960-1964. or Watch American Graffiti! about the late 1950's early 1960's era.

Legionario Cruel

8y↑1

@Ed S - I am not claiming the 60's did not evolve from the 50's. I am saying the musical frontier between both decades is pretty clear. Elvis got drafted, Jerry Lee Lewis ruined, Buddy Holly death and out of nowhere "Mack the Knife topped the charts for 9 weeks during 1959.

It is certainly not just my personal opinion either: http://www.history-of-rock.com/death.htm

Ed S

Teen idols and their music has always been around. They are usually there along with whatever type of music was around at the time. To consider the late '50s and early '60s the 'romantic ballad era' is absurd. Rock music was continuing to evolve.

phillip Snake

+Scotseasy Aahhhh it is nice to be around fellow Dylan enthusiasts!

Scotseasy

9y↑1

+Boom Dos Bob Dylan had the good fortune to see Buddy perform on the Winter Dance Party tour in January 1959, at the Armoury, Duluth. He remembers it well, as you would expect.

Boom Dos

9y↑3

I just use the American Graffiti barometer. Plus I read a Bob Dylan interview in 2013 where he had the same sentiment, thinking that the early 60s were just an extension of the 50s, and that he felt more comfortable in that period.

2 More Replies...

cara l m lebonick

15y↑2

whoooooooo buddy holly!!!!!!!!! get it. bo diddley's influence comes through!!!

xd James boy

4y↑1

The buddy holly sound was bad ass..

RickGibbonsOfficial

12y

I love Bo as well, but Buddy had a pop sensibility that Bo never had. Bo could NEVER do a song like Everyday or Words Of Love....then again, I can't see Buddy doing a better "I'm A Man" and Bo's original of this is better than Buddy's. I love 'em both.

Victoria Warkel

15y↑1

Omggg I Love this video Buddy Holly did a great job

cedrick von taylor

14y↑1

wow! awesome sound

The Boontyhunter

WOW! What a tune.Lurv it.

ocduff

14y

@austenbosten Buddy recorded "Bo Diddley" in late '55 at Norman Petty's Studios. Only a rough acetate survived. Frankly, this is one of the few good overdubs that was ever done, as they turned a rough sounding acetate into a smooth, polished record. There is also a version of Diddley's "Mona" that Holly abandoned.

Sanders Clayton

4y↑3

So underated

Katt Brown

3y↑1

2021 still enjoying this angel

Kelly Small

14y↑1

awesome video to one of my fave buddy songs!

4spddana

12y

Wonderful!!!!

Vladimir

11y

By the way, had he lived longer, I really wonder who'd become the king of rock and roll :)

3lullabies

14y↑1

love that chuggin rythym. rock used to make you wanna dance,now its headbanging and posturing and makeup.all image,very little groove. bring back true rock-n-roll.

punkrock patti

12y↑1

love the visuals. great audio quality thx

Vladimir

11y

You are right to the point. You can still make a high quality recording into an MP3. However, it will take a lot of space then hence losing the portability too. Many tones recorded into vinyl are not perceivable by human ear anyway. For a human listener it does not matter therefore, if the sounds is there or not.

moz215

11y↑2

Buddy the true king

nirvanajunkie19

15y

It was released after he died in 1963. His manager released alot of things post-death to capitialize on his notority.

hpdog259962

12y↑1

It was released post-humously on the LP "Reminiscing" in 63

Kristian Stanley

this man came to define rock and roll even more than Elvis. dun care whatchu say.

Gordon Pilcher

12y↑1

It's to see that somebody knows hoe to digitize music properly

Norman Hudecz

Great at singing and guitar..

CheckMate657879

14y

@mofoca22 Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens were legends, no doubt about it. However, I don't believe they would've surpassed Elvis. Elvis had more going for him besides playing the guitar. Elvis was the whole package. Not every singer can convert to acting. Elvis was a great actor. "Love Me Tender." To me, an academy award winning performance.

railman01

13y

Brilliant!!!

Ed S

8y↑5

I agree that when you say "50s music", you mean music between 1955 and 1963. And more important, SiriusXM feels the same way. Their '50s station includes music up through '63. Their '60s station is really a '64-'72 station.

Beastbee 011

That’s about right

tisha3souls

10y↑9

miss you buddy

scrumptious vinyl

12y↑1

If it wasn't for Buddy Holly, there would be no Beatles.

Loli Bernal Serradilla

11y

puro ritmo¡¡¡

Wolfytototito

14y↑1

amazing

Don Miller

14y↑1

Miss you Buddy.

rattyeely

6y↑1

This is a great pop-art music video

Melisa H

14y↑1

I totally agree jonquil4000! RIP BUDDY HOLLY

jim cragg

5y↑2

I have never listened to a bad buddy holly song ever and I have every song he put on tape even just talking then you think some of these were B sides yet there to me/to us / all number one songs, am old now 58 but I still go to Lubbock every year in FEB and SEP, the statue is still hard to walk passed,
KEEP RAVING ON,

Flagman00

14y

If MTV was around back then, Buddy Holly would have done this video.

winnybabe66

12y↑1

love this video!

ffdztdr

10y↑7

Buddy Holly rose from the dead and sang this song in 1963.

Buddy Holly

ffdztdr Buddy is so badass he didn’t let death stop him from making music.

Dink Martini

8y↑2

Excellent home-brewed video!

JohnnyYen1977

Great video work, respectful of Buddy...

Gordon Spence

3y↑1

Blows anything from today out of the water ..

Marlene Sullivan

I Like This..NO I L♡VE THIS SONG 🕺❤

JAGibson3

13y↑1

That's actually George Tomsco of the Fireballs on guitar. Holly's own guitar is pretty much drowned out by the overdub.

Buddy Holly

8y↑6

Funky fresh!

galley30

14y

this version was released in '63...the original buddy recording was in '56. all the guitar licks you hear is the fireballs overdubbed

Buddy Holly

6y↑15

I often wonder what Buddy would think about how rock ended up and all the changes it went through from the moment he died until now. I think he’d shit his pants about how it declined.

Christoph

4y↑2

did it decline? After all we got some of the greatest rock songs in the 60s and through the 70s. And many can be traced back to Buddy Holly. But things might have gone a complete other way, had he still been around, who knows if there would have been creative "battles" between him and Lennon/McCartney etc.
But this is the same as asking what would Jimi Hendrix have said about the development of electric guitar after his death? How would the development have been, with such a great artist involved, who was spearheading many developments? And I mean both, Buddy and Jimi.

Jim White

4y↑4

That's why they call it:The night the music died" !!!

Ron B

9y↑10

Of course this is highly overdubbed. I believe the original was just BH on acoustic guitar. But, curiously, I like the overdubs.

Scotseasy

9y↑2

+Ron B Yep., I think a great deal of trouble and care went into the dubbing of the basic recordings that Buddy left behind unreleased. In many cases, such as here, they made them into highly marketable commercially successful records, and let us hear them as Buddy Holly hits, in the charts and letting us know recordings of his we might never have got to know otherwise.

austenbosten

14y

Buddy recorded Bo Diddley shortly before his death. The producers didn't release the song until 1963, where it went to #4 on the UK charts and spent a total of 12 weeks on the charts, had Buddy not died, the song would have been released around 1960 and would have probably gone Gold in a week. But the #4 in 1963 just proves how far Buddy was ahead of his time with his style.