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".
Reminiscing
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wondering who you've been kissin'
Baby, wo oh baby
I've been wandering all around
There must be a new guy in town
You don't love me anymore
I'll get over you baby
Although my heart's still sore
When I think of all the lies you told
To that junk man my heart you sold
You're a cheater and a mean mistreater
When I think of all the fun we had
Kinda makes me feel so sad
I'm lonely, for your love
And the longest day I live
It's only you that I'll be thinking of
You know I'm thinkin' of
Well, it's you I'm thinking of, mmm mmm
Buddy Holly's song, "Reminiscing" is a melancholic, rhythm-and-blues ballad that speaks about heartbreak and unrequited love. The song starts by saying, "I'm just sittin' here reminiscing, wondering who you've been kissin', baby, wo oh baby." It's a classic introduction of the aftermath of a breakup, where one partner is left pondering who their former lover has been with. The diction of "reminiscing" suggests that the singer is stuck in the past, and the plaguing feeling of heartbreak is lingering in the present.
As the song continues, the singer expresses that they have been "wandering all around," indicating that they have been trying to find a way to move on from the heartbreak, but it's not going as smoothly as they would hope. The lyrics mention that "there must be a new guy in town," and foreshadow a feeling of jealousy towards the singer's former lover's new relationship. The chorus of the song comes in, where the singer acknowledges the fact that they have lost the love of their significant other, and even though their heart is still broken, they will get over it.
In the second verse, the singer shifts to reflect on the lies and betrayal they experienced from their former lover. The usage of the phrase "junk man" suggests that their former lover may have been involved in shady business practices, which may have led to their breakup. The singer goes on to state that their former lover was a "cheater and a mean mistreater," claiming that they had been wronged by them. The verse concludes with the pair reminiscing about the fun they had together, which now results in a feeling of sadness and persistent loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just sittin' here reminiscing
I am currently recollecting past memories
Wondering who you've been kissin'
Curious to know who you have been romantically involved with
Baby, wo oh baby
Expressing affection towards a loved one
I've been wandering all around
I have been aimlessly traveling to new places
There must be a new guy in town
Assuming that there is a new romantic interest in your life
You don't love me anymore
Feeling unloved and unwanted
I'll get over you, baby
I will eventually move on from this relationship
Although my heart's still sore
Even though I am still emotionally affected by this situation
Well, you know my heart's still sore
Reaffirming that I am still struggling with heartbreak
When I think of all the lies you told
Reflecting on the deception and dishonesty that was present in our relationship
To that junk man my heart you sold
Referring to the betrayal of selling affection and loyalty to someone unworthy
You're a cheater and a mean mistreater
Labeling the former partner as disloyal and uncaring
When I think of all the fun we had
Revisiting the happy memories that were present in our relationship
Kinda makes me feel so sad
Feeling melancholic when reminiscing on happy memories
I'm lonely, for your love
Desperately longing for the love and affection of the former partner
And the longest day I live
For the rest of my life
It's only you that I'll be thinking of
Continuously and solely thinking of the former partner
You know I'm thinkin' of
Confirming that thoughts are constantly revolving around the former partner
Well, it's you I'm thinking of, mmm mmm
Underscoring the notion that the former partner is in the forefront of my mind
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Curtis King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
木倉谷哲也
Lyrics:
I’m just sittin’ here reminiscin’
Wonderin’ who you’ve been kissin’
Baby, oh-oh baby
I’ve been wanderin’ all around
There must be a new guy in town
You don’t love me anymore
I’ll get over you-a-oo baby
Although my heart’s still sore
Well, you know my heart’s still sore
When I think of all the lies you told
To that young man my heart you’ve sold
You’re a cheater and a mean mistreater
When I think of all the fun we had
Kind of makes me feel so sad
I’m lonely for your love
And the longest day I live
It’s only you that I’ll be thinkin’ of
You know I’m thinkin’ of
Well, it’s you I’m thinkin’ of
Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm
Casimir LeYeti
非常感谢你，我的朋友
Blitz9H
Awesome!!! Thank you!!!
Ann Pommer
🎶🎇👁️👁️ Reminiscing about this Song. I'll give it Time to Trigger A Memory. 😉❣️ Love Buddy 🔹❣️👓❣️
Casimir LeYeti
King Curtis on sax !
RICH KUNKIEWICZ
Nice
J Evans
It is strange to hear this as a Brit as these posthumous overdubbed singles had much more success on our U.K charts but mostly missed the American charts completely
Darryl C Preston
There's no substitute for Imperial Taste!