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".
Wait Till The Sun Shines Nellie
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wait till the sun shines Nellie
And the clouds go drifting by
We will be happy Nellie
Don't you cry
Down lover's lane we'll wander
Sweetheart you and I
Wait till the sun shines Nellie
Buddy Holly's song Wait Till The Sun Shines Nellie is a song about hope and patience. The song urges the singer, Nellie, to wait until the sun shines and everything falls into place. Buddy Holly uses the image of the sun shining as a metaphor for hope, possibilities, and new beginnings. The clouds represent the obstacles and difficulties that one may face. Holly advises Nellie not to cry and have faith that their troubles will pass through.
The lyrics go on to describe a walk down lover's lane between the singer and Nellie. The lyrics bring forth a feeling of aid and companionship as they face their troubles hand in hand. The singer seems to be encouraging Nellie to wait patiently and enjoy the sunshine when it comes after a period of dark clouds. The song uplifts the spirits, and the refrain ‘Wait till the sun shines Nellie, by and by’ suggests a sense of hope and comfort for the listener.
Overall, the song symbolizes the human spirit of resilience and hope. Despite the challenges, the singer encourages Nellie to keep a positive outlook and wait for better times. The song highlights the importance of looking ahead and promises a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
By and by
Soon enough
Wait till the sun shines Nellie
Let's wait for the sun to come out, Nellie
And the clouds go drifting by
And the clouds move along
We will be happy Nellie
We will be happy, Nellie
Don't you cry
Don't be sad
Down lover's lane we'll wander
We'll walk down a romantic path
Sweetheart you and I
My dear, you and I
Wait till the sun shines Nellie
Let's wait for the sun to come out, Nellie
By and by
Soon enough
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOE RIZZO, HARRY VON TILZER, ANDREW B. STERLING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Playbyplaymedia
I'm not sure about the mixed chorus at the beginning of the record but find Buddy Holly's vocal very spirited, especially for an apartment recording.
@JamalSteve-fl1ql
I think the crickets overdubbed some of his songs after he died
@ausfan100
Amazingly. this original single version has never appeared on any legit CD release. Even the Buddy Holly "Not Fade Away" CD set featured the wrong version which included later additional overdubs by The Fireballs.
@user-ww7ec2ot4n
Lyrics:
Wait till the sun shines, Nellie
Wait till the sun shines, Nellie
By and by
Wait till the sun shines , Nellie
And the clouds go a-drifting by
We will be happy, Nellie
Don’t you cry
Down Lover’s Lane we’ll wander
Sweethearts you and I
Wait till the sun shines, Nellie
By and by
Down Lover’s Lane we’ll wander
Sweethearts you and I
Wait till the sun shines, Nellie
By and by
@ThePeaceableKingdom
Very Cool! I've never heard this one.
@wetpuppet4718
Oh wow! Thanks for uploading this!
@Blitz9H
Yes!!! Thank you!!!
@danielhayes7967
Should've put this on "Cheers" episode.
@mattcollier5957
"The Master"