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".
Umm Oh Yeah Dearest
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
please don't ever - umm ya
ever say we'll part
yes together - umm ya
our love will grow old - umm ya
our love will grow old
You may be a million miles away
When you hear me say
please believe me - umm ya
I love you - I love you
Come home - keep me from these sleepless nights
try my love again - umm ya
I'm gonna treat you right - umm ya
I'm gonna treat you right
The song "Umm Oh Yeah Dearest" by Buddy Holly is a love song about a man expressing his deep love for his partner. The first verse starts off by saying that though there may be other people who are physically closer, his love interest is the 'nearest' to his heart. He then requests that she never mentions the possibility of them parting ways. The second verse indicates that even though there may be disagreements between them, their love for each other will continue and grow old together. The chorus of the song is an affirmation of his love for her, even if they are physically apart, and he hopes that she believes him.
The bridge of the song starts with a falsetto "Umm Ya" followed by a plea for his love to come back to him so he doesn't have to deal with sleepless nights. He then promises to treat her right, suggesting that he may have made mistakes in the past but he is willing to make it up to her.
Overall, the song portrays a deep and pure love that the singer never wants to let go of. It also showcases the fear of losing someone you love and the lengths one is willing to take to make things work.
Line by Line Meaning
Dearest - though you're the nearest to my heart
My beloved, even though you hold the closest and most important place in my heart
please don't ever - umm ya
Please never, ever
ever say we'll part
Think of us always being together without any doubt of parting
You scold and you were so bold
Even when you scold and act boldly
yes together - umm ya
Despite that, we will always be together
our love will grow old - umm ya
Our love will continue to strengthen with age
You may be a million miles away
Even if you are far away, physically or emotionally
When you hear me say
When you hear me profess
please believe me - umm ya
Please trust and have faith in me
I love you - I love you
That I love you unconditionally
Come home - keep me from these sleepless nights
Please come back home to me and keep me from being restless and up all night
try my love again - umm ya
Give my love a second chance
I'm gonna treat you right - umm ya
I promise to treat you well and with respect
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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