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".
Valley of Tears
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where hearts have been broken with a kiss and a song
Spend the rest of my days without any cares
Ev'ry one understands me in the valley of tears.
Soft words have been
Ev'ry one understands me in the valley of tears.
I want you to spoken so sweet and low
Spend the rest of my days without any cares
Ev'ry one understands me in the valley of tears.
Soft words have been
Ev'ry one understands me in the valley of tears.
The lyrics to Buddy Holly's song "Valley of Tears" speak to the pain and heartache that come with love and relationships. The singer of the song wants to be taken to a place where he belongs, where he can be understood and where he can escape the hurt and sadness he's experienced. Buddy Holly expertly captures the mood of someone who has been hurt and is looking for solace.
The first verse of the song speaks to the idea that love, while beautiful, can also be painful. Hearts are broken with a kiss and a song, and the singer is looking for a place where he can leave all of that behind. The second verse suggests that the singer has made up his mind to move on from love, but he still longs for a place where he can find understanding and escape from his cares.
The repetition of the line "Ev'ry one understands me in the valley of tears" underscores the idea that the singer is searching for a place where he can be understood and accepted. It's a powerful sentiment that speaks to the universal desire to find a sense of belonging and connection, even in the midst of pain and heartbreak.
Overall, "Valley of Tears" is a haunting and poignant song that explores the theme of love and its complexities.
Line by Line Meaning
I want you to take me where I belong
I want to be taken to a place where I feel like I fit in
Where hearts have been broken with a kiss and a song
Where love has been complicated yet celebrated through music and romance
Spend the rest of my days without any cares
Live a carefree life where nothing can weigh me down
Ev'ry one understands me in the valley of tears
In a place where everyone has gone through heartache, they can empathize with me
Soft words have been spoken so sweet and low
Words of love and affection have been whispered to me
But my mind is made up love has got to go
Despite the kind words, I have decided to end the relationship
Ev'ry one understands me in the valley of tears
In a place where everyone has gone through heartache, they can empathize with me
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE BARTHOLOMEW, ANTOINE DOMINO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chantal Deltour
Fabulous song, great voice. I love it 😍
Buddy Holly for ever 🕶 RIP 🎸❤️
Holly Fanatic
Chantal Deltour thus man is so special he breaks my heart! Love him!
Pagan Morph
A truly iconic Buddy Holly song. The use of the organ complements the singing and lends a truly atmospheric sound to a good song.
Brandon Lewinter
I may of have not been alive in the 50's and 60's generation, but I can say that I love the music of this generation. I love the work and talent of Buddy Holly. He was a pioneer and was way ahead of his time. RIP </3
Vincent Habel
@Vickie Wupdafox Little Richard is still with us.
sean Mitten
Great words Brandon ! Eddie Cochran one of America's finest too ...............
Larry Hancock
The pioneer's were Fats Domino. Bo Diddley, Clyde Mcphatter.
Vickie Wupdafox
Buddy Holly along with all of these (Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry are among the few left) were and are one of the kind. Their music is timeless.
Marlene Sullivan
Love All Your Songs Buddy THANKS ❤ A True LEGEND.. ❤
Les Reed
One of my favourites of Buddy - along with Because I love you. To be truthful, Buddy did very few bad records, and so many, many beautiful ones. Thanks for helping to keep his memory alive. Les.