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".
Drown In My Own Tears
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I began to realize
I cried so much since you been gone
I guess I'll drown in my own tears
I've really cried just like a child
My poor little tears are running wild
If you don't think you'll be home soon
I know it's true, into each life
Well, some rain, rain must fall
Clouds over here without you
It keeps a-rainin' more and more
Why can't you come on home
Oh-yes, so I won't be all alone
If you don't think, you'll be home soon
I guess I'll drown in my own tears
Oh don't let me drown in my own tears
In Buddy Holly's song "Drown In My Own Tears," the singer expresses the overwhelming sadness he feels because of a failed relationship. The song opens with the line, "Wet rains the tear into my eyes," emphasizing the singer's emotional state as he realizes how much he has been crying since his lover left. He continues to describe his tears as "running wild," and compares himself to a child who is unable to control his emotions.
The chorus of the song reveals the deeper meaning of the lyrics. The singer says, "I know it's true, into each life, well, some rain, rain must fall." This implies that he understands that everyone experiences heartbreak at some point in their lives, but the constant "rain" of his tears makes it unbearable. The line "Clouds over here without you" further emphasizes this idea, portraying the singer's world as dark and cloudy because he is missing this person.
In the last verse, the singer pleads with his lover to return, saying, "Why can't you come on home? Oh-yes, so I won't be all alone." He doesn't want to "drown" in his tears, so he desperately hopes that his lover will come back to save him from his sadness.
Overall, the song conveys the idea that heartbreak can be a devastating experience, one that can leave a person feeling overwhelmed and lost without the person they love. The constant tears and longing for their presence consume the singer and are leading him towards a feeling of drowning.
Line by Line Meaning
Wet rains the tear into my eyes
Tears are streaming down my face
When I began to realize
I understood the impact of your absence
I cried so much since you been gone
I've shed countless tears since you left
I guess I'll drown in my own tears
I feel overwhelmed and consumed by my sadness
I've really cried just like a child
My tears are like those of a young, helpless kid
My poor little tears are running wild
My tears are uncontrollable and endless
If you don't think you'll be home soon
If you're not planning to return anytime soon
I guess I'll drown, oh-yeah, in my own tears
I feel like I'm suffocating in my own despair
I know it's true, into each life
I realize that everyone experiences hardship
Well, some rain, rain must fall
Each person must endure their share of pain
Clouds over here without you
My world is dark and gloomy in your absence
It keeps a-rainin' more and more
My tears keep flowing without end
Why can't you come on home
I desperately need you to return
Oh-yes, so I won't be all alone
So that I won't have to face these feelings by myself
Oh don't let me drown in my own tears
I'm begging for help, for someone to rescue me from my despair
Writer(s): HARVEY FREDERICK GLOVER BROUGH, JEREMY HOWARD TAYLOR, REX EDWARD BROUGH
Contributed by London J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.