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".
What To Do
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's what haunts me - what to do
What to do to keep from feeling lonely
Want her only - what to do
The record hops and all the happy times we had
The soda shop - the walks to school now make me sad, oh
What to do - I know my heartache's showing
Still not knowing - what to do
In the song "What to Do" by Buddy Holly, the lyrics narrate the feelings of a heartbroken person who doesn't know what to do after their lover has left them. The song is filled with conflicting emotions and complicated feelings, expressed through the singer's poignant voice. The first verse begins with the singer's exasperation at not knowing what to do in the wake of the breakup. The refrain "what to do" constantly repeats throughout the song, as the singer struggles to come to terms with the change in their life. The second verse describes the singer's longing for their lover and the fear of being lonely without them. The memories of happy times and places that the couple had shared together, now only serve to bring sadness, as the singer reminisces about lost love. The final verse indicates that the hurt is still fresh and raw, and the singer continues to be haunted by the same question, what to do.
The song is a classic example of Buddy Holly's timeless style and his ability to convey complex emotions through simple and relatable lyrics. The repetitive nature of the lyrics helps to emphasize the feelings of confusion and frustration that come with the end of a relationship. The song's melody is bittersweet, with a simple guitar riff and a sorrowful harmonica that perfectly complement the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
What to do now that she doesn't want me
The songwriter is haunted by the fact that his lover has left him, and he is unsure of what he should do next.
That's what haunts me - what to do
His current predicament is causing him distress and confusion.
What to do to keep from feeling lonely
The songwriter is struggling to find ways to cope with the loneliness he feels after the breakup.
Want her only - what to do
Despite the heartache, he still desires his lover and is unsure of how to deal with those feelings.
The record hops and all the happy times we had
The songwriter reminisces about the good times he spent with his lover, including attending record hops and hanging out at the soda shop.
The soda shop - the walks to school now make me sad, oh
While reflecting on their happy times, he also feels sadness knowing that those memories will now come with a tinge of bitter sweetness.
What to do - I know my heartache's showing
The songwriter is aware of how visibly devastated he appears, but doesn't know how to move forward despite this knowledge.
Still not knowing - what to do
Despite taking a critical look at his emotions and evaluating his actions, he is still unsure of what steps he should take.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: FRANCIS DOMINIC NICHOLAS ROSSI, BOB YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bluddy Brilliant
Buddy's best song and best version of it :-)
Drew Beck
This version sounds great with the background vocals.
Scott MacGillivray
This is the 1960 Coral record as overdubbed by Jack Hansen and studio musicians. Thank you, wz156m, for posting this... best quality I've heard on this one!
AutomotiveL3
The 'Original' is Buddy singing acoustic on the Greenwich tapes. but this does sound not too over produced, which happened a lot to to his post death releases.
Orlando Medina
JOYA CLÁSICA de HOLLY
Rob Jontay
This was produced AFTER Buddy died. The vocal was lifted from his NYC recorded Apartment tapes. Just him his acoustic and a reel to reel and mic. He technically never played on this....or Crying Waiting Hoping....
featherbrain
Is it not the case that Buddy accompanied himself on the Apartment Tapes? I have them - there is guitar. You mention acoustic so why do you say "never played"? Is his guitar not part of the finished recording?
Scotseasy
This sounds like the original version, yet with additions to it, such as the clearly audible piano playing. Still very nice.
Rob Jontay
You tube Apartment tapes by Buddy Holly. The songs here with just Buddy, an acoustic guitar and a reel to reel mic'd is so raw and beautiful.
peter avella
The added electric guitar is amazing and the piano backing. It’s a shame the technology in 1960 could not enhance Buddy’s voice like could be done today,Maybe it’s time to release it again but must keep that brilliant guitar playing in which I believe was Donald Arnone of Crying, Waiting, Hoping.