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".
Lonesome Tears
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I shed lonesome tears for you
Guess you know I know why
I cried when you said, "Goodbye"
When you left and you said, "I'm gone"
Lonesome tears fell all night long
Yes, you know I know why
You left me here all alone
Hear me talkin', won't you come back home?
Love me like you did before
Now need I tell you more?
Lonesome tears, sad and blue
I shed lonesome tears for you
Guess you know I know why
I cried when you said, "Goodbye"
You left me here all alone
Hear me talkin', won't you come back home?
Love me like you did before
Now need I tell you more?
Lonesome tears, sad and blue
I shed lonesome tears for you
Guess you know I know why
I cried when you said, "Goodbye"
The song "Lonesome Tears" by Buddy Holly is a classic love ballad that expresses the emotions of a heartbroken individual who is left all alone after his lover leaves him. The song expresses the sadness and pain that the singer feels because of the breakup. The singer sheds lonesome tears for his lover and knows why he is crying - because his lover has said goodbye. The song is filled with melancholy and sorrowful guitar riffs, that perfectly capture the emotions of the heartbroken singer.
The song is a representation of classic 1950s rock n roll, which was dominated by these types of love ballads. Holly's voice perfectly captures the emotions of the singer as he repeatedly sings the lyrics, "Lonesome Tears, Sad and Blue". The song captures the essence of a broken heart and the difficulties of moving on after a breakup.
Overall, "Lonesome Tears" is a beautiful love ballad that captures the pain and complexity of heartbreak. It is a song that is often associated with Buddy Holly's unique style, and his ability to create beautiful music that is both classic and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
Lonesome tears, sad and blue
I am feeling deep sadness and sorrowful emotions, represented by the tears shed alone in a state of depression.
I shed lonesome tears for you
The source of my intense sadness and despair is derived from my love and affection for you.
Guess you know I know why
I believe that you are aware of the cause of my extreme sorrow and the reason why I am shedding tears.
I cried when you said, "Goodbye"
The moment when you expressed your departure from my life was when I began to weep uncontrollably.
When you left and you said, "I'm gone"
The instance in which you physically left my presence and communicated that you were permanently exiting my life.
Lonesome tears fell all night long
Throughout the entire evening, I was consumed by deep sadness and tears streamed down my face.
You left me here all alone
As a result of your departure, I am now in a state of loneliness and solitude without your companionship.
Hear me talkin', won't you come back home?
I am reaching out to you in hopes that you will hear my plea and return to me as my companion and source of happiness.
Love me like you did before
Please return our relationship to the state of affection, love, and dedication that existed before your departure.
Now need I tell you more?
Is there additional explanation I must provide to convince you to return to me and resurrect our love relationship?
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BUDDY HOLLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
clasystems
They released only a small few of his works after he died, but there are so many more; so young and talented to have written all of this. McCartney loved his work and the Beatles covered a few, but Buddy Holly was a genuine original.
jammie1010
I agree Jimmy, One of Buddy's best songs and most creative chord progressions.
Barry Hestand
Unbelievably good. Wow. Love Buddy's acoustic guitar work on this. Just a bit of perfection.
Cheetah Thunders.
Love Buddy, who was easily one of the greatest geniuses of rock history, and this is my favorite tune of his. Surprised how relatively little known this classic is. My dad has this along with a bunch of other Buddy and/or Crickets 45s. Along with Johnny Cash, Buddy is the best thing I found in my dad's records :)
Sarah Murphy
We have all cried lonesome tears for the great Buddy Holly!
buddyhollylive
Thanks a lot! Buddy's music brings me a lot of simple joy in a complex world! It's great seeing him alive on video!
Alex Jay
Tommy Allsup’s lead work is phenomenal on this track.
John Walker
Tommy Allsup played some great guitar on Wishing too.
Eric Laurence Glassman
This has always been one of my favorites...Thanx for the upload :) Buddy is the best! There is no touching his vocal, in combination with his guitar playing and catchy songwriting...He had it all!!! Better than Elvis...
Janice A Stets
Love this! One of my favs.