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".
Love Is Strange
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lot of people take it for a game
Once you get it - you're in an awful fix
After you've had it - you never want to quit
Many people don't understand, no no
They think lovin', yeah yeah - is money in the hand
Your sweet lovin' - is better than a kiss, yeah yeah
In Buddy Holly's hit song Love Is Strange, Holly describes the complexity of love and the way it can consume people's lives. He suggests that although many people may see love as nothing more than a game, once you experience it, you are unable to let go of its hold on you. Love can be all-consuming, and once you have it, it can be difficult to move on from.
Moreover, Holly suggests that many people misunderstand the true value of love. People can be tempted to see love as a transactional exchange, with love being equated to "money in the hand." Yet, Holly argues that true love is worth more than any physical or material gift, even a kiss. When love is gone, the absence of the intimacy and closeness can be painful, and people can long for the experience of love and togetherness.
Line by Line Meaning
Love - love is strange
Love is a mystery and can be unpredictable
Lot of people take it for a game
Many people do not take love seriously
Once you get it - you're in an awful fix
Once you find love, it can be difficult to navigate
After you've had it - you never want to quit
Once you have experienced love, you do not want to give it up
Many people don't understand, no no
Many people do not comprehend the true nature of love
They think lovin', yeah yeah - is money in the hand
Some view love as a transaction, believing it is only about what they can gain
Your sweet lovin' - is better than a kiss, yeah yeah
The intimacy and affection in a relationship are more valuable than any physical act
When you leave me - sweet kisses I miss
The absence of affection and love is deeply felt when a partner is gone.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music
Written by: Ethel Smith, Mickey Baker, Sylvia Robinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@blahhayden
I'm 17 years old, and I was born in 1994. This fella' died in 59' before I was even born. He is one of my favorite artists, and his music is still being discovered even to this day. I only wish I was around in the prime times like this, when music had a higher standard. Rest in peace Charles Holly!
@freddiereagan6705
Hi
@realrickharrison3103
How are you doing 9 years later
@suzannenoa9736
He was actually the first famous death I heard of. I remember hearing it on the radio. I didn’t know who he was, until they started playing his songs. I was six years old
@vivhiggins5656
Time waits for no one so make the most off it,
@johnnydoherty3625
Im ten years younger than you born 2004 and am 17 and I am the exact same
@evelynnix9345
My Dad is a record collector, when I was a little girl in the 80s we would listen to Buddy Holly all the time. This was my favorite song. He's still one of my faves to this day. It's amazing how influential and innovative he was in the music industry and most people don't even know it.
@Adam-fw6hu
Would love to meet you
@konstantinov
He was the Beatles before the Beatles. In terms of radical change to the pop landscape.
@jamesb1647
This song could melt the heart of anyone!!! Buddy isn’t dead, he’s in the hearts of his fans and his voice is coming out of your speakers ❤️