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".
Stay close to me
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then you will see - we'll never part
Days will come and go
Stronger - you'll find our love will grow
Stay close to me - tell me you're mine
When you're with me - true love we'll find
In the song 'Stay close to me' by Buddy Holly, the singer expresses his love for a woman and asks her to stay with him forever. He urges her to give him her heart and promises that they will never part. The song's main theme is about the strength and growth of love over the course of time. As the days go by, the love between the two will become stronger and undeniable.
The lyrics serve as a reminder of the importance of being committed to the one you love. Buddy Holly encourages his significant other to stay close and to maintain a strong connection with him. He longs for her to tell him that he is hers and that they will find true love together. The song's message is uplifting and inspires love and devotion.
Overall, 'Stay close to me' is a beautiful love song by Buddy Holly. The lyrics convey strong emotions of love, commitment, and devotion. The melody is catchy and will stick in your head long after the song has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Stay close to me - give me your heart
Stay close to me both physically and emotionally by giving me your love and trust.
Then you will see - we'll never part
If you give me your heart and stay close to me, we will be able to build a love that will never fade away or end.
Days will come and go
There will be good days and difficult ones, but no matter what, our love will remain steady and constant.
Stronger - you'll find our love will grow
As we face challenges together, our love will become stronger and more resilient, able to withstand anything that comes our way.
Stay close to me - tell me you're mine
Keep me close to your heart and let me know that we are in this together, united as one.
When you're with me - true love we'll find
When we are together and committed to one another, we will discover a love that is pure, genuine, and everlasting.
Contributed by Caroline I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.