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 lyrics of Buddy Holly's song Rock-A-Bye-Rock convey the joy and enthusiasm of the singer as he encourages his partner to dance all night long. The repeated phrase "rock a-baby rock rock rock" serves as a call to action, urging the listener to join in the excitement of the music. The singer loves the way his partner dances and insists that she continue, even if she claims she can't.
As the song continues, it becomes clear that the focus is on the physicality of the dance, with references to the woman powdering her face and combing her hair. The lines "hit high on the floor and hold my hand so tight / I love you more and more when you dance with all your might" further underline the passion and intensity of the dance. The repetition of the word "rock" creates a sense of momentum and energy that builds throughout the song, until the final line "gonna rock the whole night long" feels like an exhilirating declaration of endurance and pleasure.
Overall, Buddy Holly's Rock-A-Bye-Rock is a deeply enjoyable and infectious song that celebrates the sheer pleasure of dancing to rock music. Its catchy chorus and upbeat rhythm make it a perfect song to dance along to.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, rock a-baby rock rock rock
Let's get ready to dance and have a good time.
I just love the way you dance
I'm enjoying watching you dance and move.
Don't tell me that you can't
Don't doubt yourself, you can do it!
We're gonna rock the whole night long
We're going to keep dancing and having fun all night.
Well, you dance in here you dance out there
You can dance anywhere and everywhere, and I'll still love it.
You powder your face and you comb your hair
You take care of yourself and make sure you're looking good.
Oh rock - oh rock oh rock we gonna rock
Let's keep on dancing and enjoying the music.
Gonna rock the whole night long
We're going to dance all night and not stop.
Well, hit high on the floor and hold my hand so tight
Let's dance with energy and passion, and hold each other close.
I love you more and more when you dance with all your might
I appreciate and admire the effort and enthusiasm you put into your dancing.
Ah rock rock rock gonna rock the whole night long
We're going to keep on dancing and enjoying ourselves all night.
Put on your shoes and hit the floor
Get ready to dance and have fun!
I'm telling you again like I told you before
I want you to know and remember that we're here to dance and have fun.
Oh rock oh rock oh rock yes rock
Let's keep on dancing and showing our love for this music.
Oh rock yes rock gonna rock the whole night long
We're definitely going to keep dancing and having fun all night!
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BUDDY HOLLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rolita Media
Early Holly, early Cochran and early Orbison is among the best rockabilly ever... "Midnite shift", "Pink pegged slacks", "Domino", "Ollie Vie", "You're my babe", "Tired and sleepy", etc, etc, can match the best of Presley or Perkins Sun performances
Nick Anderson
Nothing can match the best of Presley.
Although I prefer Buddy. His early "Decca" stuff especially.
Trampus Lane
i think this is one of buddy first songs he wrote by himself notice he uses some of the guitar playing he will use in his massive hit that'll be the day this song is way better you can tell the whole band is feeling it he isn't copying elvis or any one else here.but you can tell who the beatles copied
Leon Childs jr
it has been 55 years ago today R. I. P.buddy holly
Glenn Matuszewski
My favourite Buddy Holly Song
JoelCraike28
Same I absolutely love this song
Nick Anderson
Out of all of them?
Interesting choice.
Alex Yamach
One of my favorite Holly recordings. A heavier rockin' style to it. The version with the backup vocals sounds phoney.
David Gurka
! ! !
Stefan Schröder
from 1956