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".
Rock-A-Bye Rock
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just love the way you dance
Rock a-baby rock rock rock
Don't tell me that you can't
Rock rock rock
We're gonna rock the whole night long
Well, you dance in here you dance out there
You powder your face and you comb your hair
Gonna rock the whole night long
Well, hit high on the floor and hold my hand so tight
I love you more and more when you dance with all your might
Ah rock rock rock gonna rock the whole night long
Put on your shoes and hit the floor
I'm telling you again like I told you before
Oh rock oh rock oh rock yes rock
Oh rock yes rock gonna rock the whole night long
The song "Rock-A-Bye Rock" by Buddy Holly is a classic rock and roll song that captures the excitement of dancing with a catchy melody, upbeat rhythm, and simple yet catchy lyrics. The song is all about the fun and joy of rock and roll dancing with a special someone. The singer expresses his love for his dance partner's moves and encourages her to keep dancing even if she thinks she can't.
The chorus of the song repeats the command to "rock a-baby rock" and declares that they're going to "rock the whole night long." The lyrics describe the scene of a dance floor where people are dancing and having fun, highlighting the simple pleasures of rock and roll culture. The verses describe the singer's love for his partner's dancing and his admiration for her beauty, as she powders her face and combs her hair. Finally, he urges her to put on her shoes, hit the floor, and rock with him all night long.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, rock a-baby rock rock rock
Let's dance all night with contagious rhythms!
I just love the way you dance
I admire the way you move, it's infectious!
Rock a-baby rock rock rock
Let's keep dancing and never stop!
Don't tell me that you can't
I know you can dance, believe in yourself!
Rock rock rock
The beat is getting stronger, let's dance together!
We're gonna rock the whole night long
Let's have fun until morning comes!
Well, you dance in here you dance out there
Whether here or there, your dance is amazing!
You powder your face and you comb your hair
You are beautiful and ready to dance!
Oh rock - oh rock oh rock we gonna rock
We're going to rock this place until we drop!
Gonna rock the whole night long
We will keep dancing non-stop until the morning comes!
Well, hit high on the floor and hold my hand so tight
Let's dance energetically while gripping each other's hands tightly!
I love you more and more when you dance with all your might
Watching you dance make me fall in love with you even more!
Ah rock rock rock gonna rock the whole night long
We are so full of energy, we'll dance until we can't anymore!
Put on your shoes and hit the floor
Let's put on our shoes and dance like there's no tomorrow!
I'm telling you again like I told you before
Let's get the party started, just like I said before!
Oh rock oh rock oh rock yes rock
Rock on! Let's keep the rhythm going!
Oh rock yes rock gonna rock the whole night long
We're going to dance all night with joy and energy!
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BUDDY HOLLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind