Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Budd… Read Full Bio ↴Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock.

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".

You're The One
Buddy Holly Lyrics

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A-you're the one that's a-causing my blues
You're the one I don't want to lose
You're the one that I'd always choose
You're the one that's a-meant for me

A-you're the one that I'm thinking of
You're the one that I'll always love
You're the one sent from heaven above

You're the one that's a-meant for me

Sometimes you make me feel so bad
You make me cry deep in my heart
I feel like an actor in a play
Who doesn't fit the part

A-you're the one and I want you to know
You're the one that thrills-a me so
You're the one, I can't let you go
You're the one that's a-meant for me

Sometimes you make me feel so bad
You make me cry deep in my heart
I feel like an actor in a play
Who doesn't fit the part

A-you're the one and I want you to know
You're the one that thrills-a me so

You're the one, I can't let you go
You're the one that's a-meant for me

Overall Meaning

In Buddy Holly’s song “You’re the One,” the singer expresses his undying love for someone who seems to be the source of his emotional pain. The opening lyrics, “You’re the one that’s a-causing my blues, You’re the one I don't want to lose,” indicate that this person is causing him emotional distress, yet he cannot imagine life without them. This is further emphasized in the lyric “You’re the one that I'd always choose, You're the one that's a-meant for me,” revealing that the singer has made a conscious decision to stick with this person despite the pain they cause him.

The song’s chorus relays the message that this person is significant to the singer, even sent from “heaven above” by a higher being. However, sometimes this person’s words and actions make him “feel so bad” that it results in tears and internal struggle. The line “I feel like an actor in a play who doesn’t fit the part” paints a vivid picture of the singer’s internal dilemma, where he is unsure of whether he can continue to play the lead role in this relationship.

Overall, “You’re the One” is a complex and layered love song that portrays the complexities of relationships, including the problems and pain that inevitably come with it. The singer’s undying love for this person is evident despite the difficulties, and he believes that they are the only one meant for him.

You're The OneBuddy Holly Lyrics

You're The One
Buddy Holly Lyrics