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".
That Ll Be the Day That I Die
Buddy Holly Lyrics
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Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
'Cause that'll be the day when I die
Well, you give me all your loving and your turtle doving
All your hugs and kisses and your money too
Well, you know you love me baby, until you tell me, maybe
Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye
Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
'Cause that'll be the day when I die
Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye
Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
'Cause that'll be the day when I die
Well, when Cupid shot his dart he shot it at your heart
So if we ever part and I leave you
You sit and hold me and you tell me boldly
That some day, well I'll be blue
Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye
Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
'Cause that'll be the day when I die
Well, that'll be the day, woo ho
That'll be the day, woo ho
That'll be the day, woo ho
That'll be the day
The song "That'll Be the Day" by Buddy Holly is a classic rock and roll tune that deals with the theme of heartbreak and uncertainty in love. The lyrics describe the singer's fears of being left by his lover and the pain that he would feel if this occurred. He questions her love for him, and her intentions in their relationship. He is afraid that she will leave him, and never come back. The chorus repeats the phrase "That'll be the day," emphasizing the singer's certainty that his lover will eventually leave him. The overall tone of the song is both nostalgic and melancholic.
The song is a timeless classic and has been covered by numerous artists over the years. It was written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison, and released in 1957. It was a commercial success, spending three weeks at the top of the Billboard pop chart. The song was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll."
Line by Line Meaning
Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye
I cannot fathom the idea of you leaving me and it would be the saddest thing to happen to me.
Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
If you ever leave me and break my heart, it would make me extremely sad and I'd cry.
You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
I don't believe that you're going to leave me because you've said it before and never followed through.
'Cause that'll be the day when I die
If you do leave me, it will feel like death because I love you so much.
Well, you give me all your loving and your turtle doving
You shower me with your love, affection, and gifts.
All your hugs and kisses and your money too
You express your love for me through hugs, kisses, and financial support.
Well, you know you love me baby, until you tell me, maybe
You claim to love me, but I'm not sure if you really do.
That some day, well I'll be through
I worry that someday you will get tired of me and leave.
Well, when Cupid shot his dart he shot it at your heart
Cupid's arrow hit your heart, meaning you fell deeply in love with me.
So if we ever part and I leave you
If we ever break up and I have to leave you.
You sit and hold me and you tell me boldly
If I ever leave you, you will sit me down and be honest with me about how you feel.
That some day, well I'll be blue
You'll be so upset and sad if I ever leave you.
Well, that'll be the day, woo ho
That will be the saddest day ever.
That'll be the day, woo ho
I can't even imagine how sad that would be.
That'll be the day, woo ho
It would be a really terrible day.
That'll be the day
It would be the worst day ever if you left me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JERRY ALLISON, BUDDY HOLLY, NORMAN PETTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind