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".

Maybe Baby
Buddy Holly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Maybe baby, I'll have you
Maybe baby, you'll be true
Maybe baby, I'll have you for me

It's funny honey, you don't care
You never listen, to my prayer
Maybe baby, you will love me some day

Well you are the one that, makes me glad
Any other one that, makes me sad
When some day, you'll want me
Well, I'll be there, wait and see ee ee

Maybe baby, I'll have you
Maybe baby, you'll be true
Maybe baby, I'll have you for me

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Aughaa

Well you are the one that, makes me glad
Any other one that, makes me sad
When some day, you'll want me
Well, I'll be there, wait and see ee ee

Maybe baby, I'll have you
Maybe baby, you'll be true
Maybe baby, I'll have you for me

Maybe baby I'll have you for me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Maybe Baby by Buddy Holly & The Crickets depict a hopeful romantic who is yearning to have the person they love. The first verse is about the possibility of the romantic interest being true, and the singer expressing that they could potentially have the love they desire. However, the second verse delves into the frustration the singer has with their significant other, as they seem oblivious to their feelings and never listen to their prayers. Nonetheless, the chorus contains the repeated hope and desire for the person they love to be theirs one day.

The lyrics of this song ultimately show the singer's eagerness to have the romantic interest reciprocate their feelings, and their willingness to wait and see if that person will want them in the future.

Line by Line Meaning

Maybe baby, I'll have you
It's possible that one day we'll be together

Maybe baby, you'll be true
Perhaps you'll be loyal to me

Maybe baby, I'll have you for me
I hope to have you as my own someday

It's funny honey, you don't care
It's ironic that you don't seem to be concerned

You never listen, to my prayer
You never pay attention to my requests or desires

Maybe baby, you will love me some day
Perhaps in the future you'll develop romantic feelings for me

Well you are the one that, makes me glad
You're the person who brings me happiness

Any other one that, makes me sad
Other people make me unhappy

When some day, you'll want me
If and when you desire me

Well, I'll be there, wait and see ee ee
I'll be ready to be with you if you choose to be with me

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Instrumental