Versions

Dearest
Buddy Holly Lyrics

Dearest, though you're the nearest to my heart
Please don't ever ummm yeah, ever say we'll part
You scold, and you're so bold
Years together ummm yeah, our love will grow old
Ummm yeah, our love will grow old

You may-ay-ay-ay be a million miles away
Please believe me ummm yeah, when you hear me say
I love you, I love you

Come ho-o-o-ome, keep me from these sleepless nights
Try my love again ummm yeah
I'm gonna treat you right, ummm yeah, I'm gonna treat you right

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ellas Mcdaniels, Prentice Herman Jr. Polk, Samuel Robert Gibson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them

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Comments from YouTube:

Lee Mathewson

3y↑21

Haunting. Beautiful voice. Never again will hear

lina lindveer

7y↑52

probably my favorite song from Buddy Holly..

Lester Bronson

Hell yeah, it’s my favorite as well. Way ahead of it’s time.

Weslei Nothingface

Pra mim também!

Allen Arnold

33w

Mine too. It's killer beautiful.

joetake holly

5y↑3

YES GREAT SONG THIS }

SopranoRocker2010

9y↑34

I Pavlov trained my cat to purr when she hears 'Dearest.' It took a few months, but she now knows that when 'Dearest' plays, I will (at minimum) pet her, or cradle her in my arms. She is now seventeen, and still recognizes 'Dearest' as her song.

MrSoulPatrol

35w↑1

That´s beautiful!

Elenizen

5y↑85

I wasn't born for another 20 years after his death but shit this is so beautiful.

iamtomjonmoon

39w↑2

born 36 years after his death, fully agree

Steve Harrod

3y↑4

It is ..makes me tear up . I just scattered some of my dad's ashes at the crash site .

Janaya Sue

3y↑3

spazhat this shit is

spazhat

3y↑1

Elenizen shit ain't beautiful.

Marin jean Provost

6y↑71

My favorite singer is buddy holly although I was not born yet. I can always appreciate his music

jorge lopez

Better late than never. Some people don't like good music only because it wasn't of their time. Happens to some milennials with the 80s music.

Isaiah Galvez

3y↑1

Marin jean Provost same

Marin jean Provost

6y↑2

+Lollivomit yes I definitely like Neil Sedaka

Dr. Jamie

6y↑4

+Marin jean Provost Try Neil Sedaka. He's wonderful. If you like Buddy, you'll like Neil.

Elvis Johnson

2y↑10

I never realized what a beautiful voice Buddy Holly had.

BEATRECORDS DotCom

7y↑19

I totally love this song. Sounds like Words Of Love but has a different melody. Very Cool!

Wesley Cook

20w

Sorry. It sounds totally different from Words Of Love. I have the box set with all four versions of this song. I have been collecting Buddy Holly records and books since the 60s. I was 13 when he died. He didn't write this song but it became a hit a few months after his death. Love Is Strange was a song with only 2 verses found on a reel to reel recorder . Buddy never intended to record it but Petty added strings and bass to compliment Buddy's guitar and released it with the 2 verses doubled to make the record. It came out in 1969, the anniversary of Buddy's death. Dearest was the flip side of Mickey and Sylvia's hit released in 58. Love Is Strange was recorded originally by the Everlies' but did poorly.

bluenote824 jones

2y↑8

A genius . So far ahead of his time . Imagine if he lived

N. Ivette Ferrer

4y↑56

My (Dearest) Buddy, you will (Not Fade Away) ever (Because I Love You) and I listen to your music (Everyday)!!!

Bobby Juju

13w

❤️ this.

Leticia Quiroz

14w

Feel the same way 2🕶💜🙏

Wesley Cook

20w

There's an alternate version called Um Oh Yeah that's better. The vocals are the same but the instrumental backings are different. When or where Buddy made these I'm not sure. Buddy did alternate takes of several songs. What To Do has 2 versions. Peggy Sue Got Married has 4 versions, one that Holly used with the Crickets and an acoustic version and 2 with riffs from Peggy Sue and another backed up by the Fireballs. That's What They Say has 3 versions. Slipin And Sliding has 2 versions, one slow, one uptempo with a lead-in from Bird Dog. Maybe Baby has 2 versions. Crying Waiting Hoping 2 versions. Heartbeat with 2 versions. All can be found on the Complete Buddy Holly MCA set. Buddy taped songs he liked from other artists as well as his own material. Dearest came off the Apartment Tapes while Love Is Stange ( 2 verse acoustic) was at the Petty studio. Petty reworked it adding strings and doubling the 2 verses into a complete record. Buddy did the Reminiscing album and it was released one month before his death. Buddy was always experimenting with alternate takes of his own material as well as cover versions of other artists. What he had in mind for these songs died with him. Love Is Strange ,he never intended to record , yet demand for his post death material inspired Petty to record every thing Buddy left in his studio. The Apartment Tapes had several songs unreleased until after Buddy's death. So, Buddy had 10 years of unrecorded material left after his death. Only he knows what he would have done with it.

De Todo Un Poco

25w↑1

Beautiful (words of love) you to Buddy

Dale Deimel

3y↑4

Very Well Put.

Steven Ford

7y↑12

Wonderful song by such a icon.RIP Buddy Holly

Kelly MacLeod

10y↑1

Thank God for the Rave On tribute album, or else I never would have looked up all these originals and fell in love with them. :)

James Jennison

3y↑2

Beautiful lyrics to that special one in your heart X

lina lindveer

7y↑25

Great musician He would be 78 today.

Weslei Nothingface

Simplesmente sensacional!

Ally bee

I just discovered this song on the radio and I love it!
Buddy was a fabulous and so creative artist.

vikingmanMN

10y↑1

look at all the love songs Buddy recorded...it's awesome!

123Burningheart

10y↑7

He's so adorable, i want his nose c:

LoneSurvivor

5y↑4

Love this song!! Rest in peace buddy!

Vikki Smith

This song is one of my favorite childhood memory. I love it!

Frederik Laureys

2y↑2

It feels more like a beautiful, calming sadness...

SDADSDSFDSGDA

7y↑1

I heard this playing on the Proms show on ITV last night and when I heard the guitar intro I thought "this sounds like Buddy Holly" but I've never actually heard this song before and I have a couple of his greatest hits.

Grover Bennington

God just listen to that angelic voice and the riff...wow!

Waldemar Bürkli

52w

So beautiful this song!

Top Cat

2y↑2

He’s the best...always was...love Buddy Holly🙂🙂

annie gross

1y↑1

Beautiful song and beautiful voice.

OTXtoolie

6y↑35

I'm gonna learn to sing this to my girl

Marcos M Nibor

3y↑1

@Buddy Holly stinky pinky LOL

Buddy Holly

3y↑1

You’ll get some stinky pinky that night for sure

Purple Onyx

4y↑1

Tony 115 She wasn't the one If she is she'll stay by you're side no matter what but you have to treat her right.

OTXtoolie

5y↑6

Michael Naylor thanks

Michael Naylor

5y↑9

Tony 115 more than one fish in the sea. TRY AGAIN

2 More Replies...

Chewbacca Pannekoek

0:54-1:02 My word that line gets me every damn time. Dude could sing, that’s for sure.

Esther Guobadia

I always love this song "dearest" it's reminds me of my loving past

Buddy Holly

3y↑1

One of the overdubs that actually sounds pretty good

Erin Patricia

7y↑3

I adore the undubed version

MrAlsfan5

9y↑1

He was a musical genius.

bopa

This has been in my playlist so long and I just got curious.

Zé Rosé Sayain øf Gatcha

3y↑1

IVE SPENT YEARS LOOKING FOR THIS YESSS FINALLY

dartanghan éluard

16w

c'est cool: exceptionnel! je t'aime buddy! : )

John

Buddy’s music inspired countless musicians that followed in the years to come. The Rolling Stones, The Beatles to name just two. Let’s face it, anyone who picked up a Fender Strat from the 60’s onwards will have Buddy’s riffs in the back of his mind. His lyrics encompassed the entire range of human emotions, from anger, despair, hopelessness, heartbreak. Through to hope, joy, happiness and most importantly Love. His dynamic voice range enabled him to accurately get his message across in the most succinct of fashions. His lyrics even today resonate with our own modern struggles with love and life, man and woman . ‘Learning the game’ being one of the songs that’s mirrored my love life at one point. His melodies tug at the heartstrings in the most sublime way. I think Buddy Holly’s contribution to music is extremely important in explaining the roots of modern music.

Beemer

A beautiful song. 🙂

James Jennison

3y↑1

And now to how i feel in my heart towards the only girl i would spend lifetime after lifetime with love her dearly for all time !

Samuel, 1st Duke of Kingfisher

I normally don’t like overdubs, but I really like this one. The humming, the drum clicks. It fits well :)

Der beste Song aller Zeiten!! Risse

Where are so near, but we don`t love each other anymore !!But there`s a kind of flame and hope!! Maby Love!! Buddy did know that kind of Feelings!! He is the greatest of all time!!

TrueT3rr0r

1y↑1

Almost started singing love is strange at the beginning

joel reant

C'est superbe tout simplement

Hailey Mang

9y↑1

MAN I WISH THIS SONG WAS LONGER!

midnightwallflower

10y

I can't stop listening to this.

Not Star

1y↑1

My girlfriend used to send me this song while I was deployed. It never fails to make me tear up

Not Star

22w↑1

@Sing Pu We are; today is 9 years together in fact.

Sing Pu

22w↑1

are u guys still together?

Craig Butterfield

15w

Love this

jk.60_

1y↑1

I gotta hear it because it's in my English book. Half of my homework is to listen to it 🙂

John

1y↑1

joe gongora

Definitely a beautiful love song. In the late 70's I had a box set entitled " The Complete Buddy Holly ". This set contained 6 LP'S . I had 3 versions of this song. 2 of the songs were studio recordings over-dubbed twice 2 versions of that song. Finally the apt. tape. I now realize that the box set wasn't complete. Because at the time whoever put that album together thought they'd had everything at the time . They certainly Didn't have the recording of a tape when he was singing at 13. Stuff that I later heard on Y-Tube & I imagine more recordings might be found later.

Wesley Cook

19w

There are 4 versions on the Complete Buddy Holly. I have the MCA Paul Mccartney compilation. The UK and US boxed sets were different. The US set has extra alternate takes.

paul sculptor

7y↑3

intro is words of love by the man himself

ron kennington

6y↑1

The Muse of Music, Buddy Holly my favorite composer.

Wesley Cook

19w

@dennis gallagher Yes, that's true but Buddy's take on many songs he covered were better than the originals.

dennis gallagher

52w

According to the credits in Juno this song was written by Bob Gibson and Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley.)

John Meegan

this is a calming song

De Todo Un Poco

25w

Buddy estaba llamado hacer grandes cosas, una gran pérdida, era un freaky un adelantado para su época, un animal de la guitarra con esas gafas que desafiaban cualquier marketing de la época

oziku

2y↑1

I wish this was longer.

Carlos Adolfo Silva

The best, happy holly's day

Captain Bud Sturguess

10y

@RetroGurl73 Ohhhh okay. This is a great song by the way; I think too many have gotten caught up in the version from the "Juno" soundtrack that they forget this version. Both are great, but this version has a gorgeousness to it I can't describe!

Wesley Cook

19w

There are 4 takes of Dearest, same vocals but different instrumental backing.

Hannah Sands

10y

Buddy Holly, a musical peak! Sorted!!

Mr Marvel

7y↑6

Buddy Holly is amazing, but this is a cover of Mickey & Syvlia.

VenusDoomInOurBlood

SO MUCH BETTER. They dont compare even if they tried their hardest.

Roy Clark

3y↑1

But better

Joe Defty

10y

great song cowboy joe

Sarah Murphy

9y↑2

from what i have read in one of his bios, buddy was still in love with his high school sweatheart and that songs like this are for her.

Wesley Cook

19w

Urban Myth. The obnoxious Cindy Lou was the original title for Peggy Sue. She was pushy and regarded Buddy's music as just a phase he was going through and Buddy broke up with her. She wanted Buddy to get a real job and settle down and drop kids which Buddy wasn't ready to do. Jerry Allison got writers credit on Peggy Sue because he convinced Buddy to change the title to Peggy Sue. Buddy agreed which was a wise decision.

purplehaze2250

24w

This song is a cover of a ska song by Dotty and Bonny

Megan DeLuca

8y↑8

Completely underrated but Ill always love you Buddy

Wesley Cook

19w

@Mean Man He was subdued to a point but he still managed to get his songs out there. This all ended after his death when Coral Records released everything Petty had of Buddy and Maria did too which started the lawsuit between Maria and Petty over who owns Buddy material. Still going on today. Paul McCartney put a box set together in 73-74 called The Complete Buddy Holly because he had thought he had bought the rights to the Buddy Holly song book. Maria said he didn't have permission to use Petty's tapes and hers the same collection. It went back and forth in court with Paul pulling it and re- releasing it several times. Finally a few sets we're sold from the UK but today unless you get a bootleg set, it's hard to get the set on MCA. This is sad since McCartney put a lot of work into getting all of Buddy's songs on one set. Both sets of the Complete Buddy Holly should be able to be released. As it is, there are a UK and US set. The US set is 80 percent complete but the UK set is complete which I managed to get. This is Buddy's lifetime of music. Compromise and let the fans hear all of Buddy's material. It's been going on now since 74. It's time to let Buddy be heard COMPLETELY.

ansias77

@L.F. Thornton He wasn't underrated then by he's now.

L.F. Thornton

4y↑2

Buddy was a big star in his short life, and a legend after his death so never underrated. All the rockers who followed him from the Beatles on gave Buddy the credit he deserved. He just wrote too many brilliant songs to be forgotten.

Mean Man

5y↑5

I don't think buddy holly was ever underrated during his time

joetake holly

+Megan DeLuca BUDDY WAS THE BEST }}

Robert E.O. Speedwagon

52w↑1

This sounds like words of love.

Thinking emoji

spazhat

3y↑4

I'm not taking anything away from Buddy Holly but one listen to Mickey and Sylvia's " Love Is Strange" would indicate the origin of several songs by Buddy. the Beatles learned from Buddy. it's a wonderful progression.

Wesley Cook

20w

Love Is Strange was written by Smith -Baker Enterprises. Baker also wrote part of Dearest.

spazhat

@Charles Hall I forget which two songs I was refering to. I was so new to YouTube that I didn't know how to comment directly to somebody else's comment. It was probably "Words Of Love", which is a Buddy Holly composition. "Love Is Strange" was written by Mickey Baker, I think. You are probably thinking of "Dearest Darling" by Bo Diddley. Buddy's "Not Fade Away" has the Bo Diddley beat, which was the first single that the Rolling Stones released in the US.

Charles Hall

Bo Diddley wrote both songs.

defenda1

10y

@RoneciaxRiotxHardCor nothing sad about that, I heard this on the Juno soundtrack last week and decided to get back into Buddy Holly. Forever.

cantstopsinging

Reminds me of his Words Of Love

Steinar Årsnes

Buddy hollie is dead but his music Will never die his music Will live forever! Mvh steinar from norway

Leticia Quiroz

14w

We went to visit Lubbock last week...we went to the BH museum and visited his grave...gave our respects and my 12 yr old son sang him a song which he indicated was private. Then we told Buddy we LOVED him and we had traveled from the tip of Texas just to be there with him. I have another son who was born on Feb 3rd...Dearest BUDDY .. brown eyed handsome man...you will never fade away.🙏💜🕶

Margaret Lancaster

39w↑1

Lovely song it was my and my x husband song

Rigo Villarreal

A great rocker

adjomusic

This is the "1968"-overdub with The Fireballs at Norman Petty Studios. Based on the inclomplete version 1 of January 1-20, 1959. One of the last few songs that Buddy recorded. I have 5 versions of it on my account in a short film. I made that inprired by my wife who could not get this song out of het head after hearing it: "You mayayayayBeeeAMillionMilesAwayyyyy...."and then this phrase agian and again and again...

thedork27

10y

Buddy Holly<3

Ruth Boykin

Very good one by Buddy.

CHR0MEMATIC

2y↑30

0:25

Please don't ever ~nya~

Wesley Cook

19w

@MrSoulPatrol It's Buddy's homage to just a few of singers Buddy liked. No Elvis covers. Elvis just saw Buddy as another contender and never took him serious. Buddy changed Elvis' mind when Buddy was a bigger hit after his death than in life. The box set should have set Elvis straight if nothing else.

Wesley Cook

19w

@NoClueJeremius You can't.

Normal guy here

35w↑1

Lol i love this

MrSoulPatrol

35w

That´s perfection. No else sound could ever work. Where did he found that one?

NoClueJeremius

1y↑6

How do I delete someone else’s comment?

1 More Replies...

Well Mixed

💗💗💗💗💗

michael george

6y↑5

All music is provided by the Fireballs .

Wesley Cook

20w

Only on this version. There are 4 versions in all.

Rated Ronnie

6y↑1

In the description, it's Years together... Not yes together. Great song.

Nico Gonzalez

Reminds me of Words of Love from the Beatles... love it...

Wesley Cook

20w

Words of Love is a Buddy Holly song covered by the Beatles. Buddy's version is much better. Even John Lennon said so..

mags

i sing this song when i think about a $49 dollar bong i accidentally dropped when trying to get something out of the bottom of my shoe :,(((( i bought it from zono's in new zealand but now that place is closed and zonzo died in a hot air baloon accident

Charles Hall

Glad Buddy did a Bo Diddley song!

Wesley Cook

19w

Buddy actually did Bo Diddley on the Reminiscing album.

algywatt

I had this great track on a UK 45rpm...the title was "Umm,Oh Yeah" (writer unknown) !!

Ron Haugen

5y↑3

I had not heard this version before, just the one from his 2nd album.
Buddy was screwed out of royalties because anything he penned the credit went to Norman Petty.

Wesley Cook

19w

@Ron Haugen Petty was a good manager but made the real money. Buddy got leftovers.

Terijian

20w

@Wesley Cook as far as I can tell M&S did dearest 6 years before buddy

ansias77

@Terijian Yes it's a cover..but a million times better than M&S's..

Terijian

This is a cover anyway, its by mickey and sylvia. Same with 'love is strange'

Michael Naylor

Ron Haugen well greedy Norman Petty, no one remembers you

2 More Replies...

Mandie K

So beautiful 🥰🎸💔👓

Susie196921

That's exactly what I thought - because the intro is the same as "Words of Love."

Wesley Cook

20w

I have Buddy's box set. The intros are different on Words of Love and the song is double tracked. There are 4 different versions of Dearest also.

Grover Bennington

Still miss you Buddy .

jorge lopez

And Eddie Cochran.

Scott

5y↑1

you mayyy bee a millioon milesss awayyyy
I love youuu

Kevin Wainman

Song originally written by Don Gibson...but wow!!! Buddy at the top of his game and still hardly out of his teens

Wesley Cook

20w

Don Gibson didn't write it. It was written by McDaniel-Polk-Baker , 3 songwriters.

M3RDR

PLEASE DON'T EVER NYA

marshmann100

Sounds a bit odd but we get your drift.

Denise

John Meegan

I like this song

Machiel

Dearest mijn favoriete song van Buddy hij overleed veel te vroeg, ik was 11 jaar toen het gebeurde ik had toen nog niet dit mooie nummer gekocht dat kwam helaas na zijn dood jammer.

Nidia Romero

7y↑3

Happy Bithday Dearest !!

Joseph Mendez

Dearest was released in 1968 9 years after Buddy Holly died the music was added to a demo tape that was discovered after buddy died

Wesley Cook

20w

It was first released in early 1960. There are 4 versions of it. Buddy has all 4 versions on the Complete Buddy Holly box set released by Paul McCartney. The first debut was Jan 59. It didn't catch on until UK demand for Buddy's records increased after his death.

nikkiBADBAD

10y↑1

pretty sure he wrote this for me. ;)

Wesley Cook

19w

Buddy didn't write it but his cover is very good. Bo Diddley Chuck Berry and Little Richard liked Buddy's versions of their songs also.

Watziterinhetcadeautje

10y

I keep thinking of the "umm yeah"s as "meow"s lol

blisterpacman

kinda reminds me of the jesus and mary chain

volcon300

10y↑1

@JobberBud Busey was a nickname for Buddy holly. Oh and thanks for the free spell check, mine must be broken.

Juan Alvaro López

8y↑1

i love you

gorillaz6399

10y

I'm trying to practice singing by singing along with this... not going so well.

youtuber

Him...richie....and bigggs....i cant belive it

marshmann100

Surely its the other way round !!!

Joe Kezner

2y↑2

This is a cover of a song originally recorded by Mickey & Sylvia. The original is worth checking out because of Mickey’s inventive guitar work and Sylvia’s soulful singing.

Buddy seemed to be a fan of Mickey & Sylvia’s work since he also recorded an excellent version of their song “Love is Strange.”

Wesley Cook

19w

@Joe Kezner There is a version by the Everlies' on U Tube. Type in Love Is Strange and the Everlies' version will be included.

Joe Kezner

20w

@Wesley Cook The Everly Brothers recorded a version? Is it available anywhere online? I can’t find much info on the song other than it was recorded by Mickey & Sylvia in Feb. 1957.