Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Budd… Read Full Bio ↴Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock.

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".

Footprints In The Snow
Buddy Holly Lyrics

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I′ve got a soft place in my heart for you
And the dreams it's caused no one will ever know
I guess you know dear - my love has always been true
Now there′s nothing left to say or do but go
These bitter tears I've shed for you - are all in vain
But if you decide you want me back again
Just come back dear and I'll no longer be so blue
I′ve got a soft place in my heart, my darling for you

Overall Meaning

In Buddy Holly's song Footprints In The Snow, the singer reveals that he has always had feelings for someone and that those feelings caused many dreams. He confesses that his love for this person has always been true, implying that this person may have left him. The singer seems to be in a state of sadness and resignation, acknowledging that there is nothing left to do but move on. He mentions shedding bitter tears for this person, and although he knows it may be in vain, he leaves an open invitation for them to return to him. He ends the song by professing that he still has a soft place in his heart for this person.

The melancholy lyrics of Footprints In The Snow capture the sentiment of unrequited love, and the longing for a past relationship that may never be rekindled. The song was released in 1958, shortly before Buddy Holly's untimely death in a plane crash at the age of 22. Although it did not reach the same level of commercial success as some of his other hits, such as Peggy Sue and That'll Be the Day, Footprints In The Snow remains a beloved track in Holly's discography.

Footprints In The SnowBuddy Holly Lyrics

Footprints In The Snow
Buddy Holly Lyrics