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".
Wishing
Buddy Holly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wishing that I could steal your heart away
Dreaming of the time I can hold you tight
Wishing that the time would come tonight
I've been hoping all along things would turn out right
If I could find a wishing star then I could spend the night
Wishing that I could see you every day
Wishing that I could steal your heart away
In Buddy Holly's song "Wishing", the singer expresses his desire to see his love interest every day and to steal her heart. He dreams of the time when he can hold her tight, and he wishes that this time would come tonight. Despite his hopes, the singer acknowledges that things may not always turn out as he wishes, and he longs to find a wishing star to spend the night with his beloved.
The song captures the feeling of infatuation and longing that many people feel when they first fall in love. The singer's wishes and dreams are fueled by his intense emotions, and he seems to be somewhat desperate for his love interest's attention. However, the final lyrics suggest that he may not be entirely confident in his ability to make his wishes come true.
Overall, "Wishing" is a classic example of the romantic ballad, with its poignant lyrics and catchy melody. Buddy Holly's signature sound, characterized by his distinctive vocal style and guitar playing, adds to the song's appeal and enduring popularity.
Line by Line Meaning
Wishing that I could see you every day
I yearn to have your company daily in my life.
Wishing that I could steal your heart away
I hope to win your love and affection someday.
Dreaming of the time I can hold you tight
I envision the moment when I can embrace you tightly.
Wishing that the time would come tonight
I desire for this moment to arrive this very evening.
I've been hoping all along things would turn out right
I've been praying that our relationship will flourish as expected.
If I could find a wishing star then I could spend the night
If I could come across a magical object, I would use it to spend more time with you and make my wishes come true.
Wishing that I could see you every day
I long to see you every single day of my life.
Wishing that I could steal your heart away
I yearn to make you fall in love with me and become inseparable partners.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BOB MONTGOMERY, BUDDY HOLLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind