The band personnel were drummer Jerry Allison, bassist Joe B. Mauldin, and rhythm guitarist Niki Sullivan. Sullivan dropped out within less than two years of touring and recording. He wasn't comfortable with the amount of traveling and to a lesser extent, he didn't fit in with Jerry and Joe. For the same reason, Jerry and Joe were not backing Holly after he moved to NYC. The big move was the real reason why the Crickets broke up, but Holly was not daunted by the breakup; he gained a new back-up band with Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings on the tour shortly after the Crickets folded. But after about 4 months, due to fans' mail and the band feeling nostalgic, a reunion was planned to start with all the original Crickets after Holly's winter tour through the northern mid-west was completed. It was on that tour that Holly was killed in a plane crash.
It's Too Late
Buddy Holly & The Crickets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's too late, my baby?s gone
Wish I had told her, she was my only one
But it's too late, she's gone
It's a weak man that cries
So I guess I'd best dry my eyes
Guess I will miss her more than any one
But it's too late, she's gone
She's gone, my my baby's gone
She's gone, yes, she's gone
Where can my baby be
I wonder does she know
When she left me, it hurt me so
I need your lovin', please don't make me weep
And tell me, it's not too late
In Buddy Holly & The Crickets' song It's Too Late, the singer is expressing his regret for not telling his love interest how he truly felt about her. He is devastated that she has left and wishes he had expressed his feelings before it was too late. He acknowledges that it is a sign of weakness to cry but he cannot help missing her terribly. He wonders where she has gone and whether she knows how much he was hurt by her departure. The singer pleads with his love interest to come back to him and not to make him weep, hoping that it's not too late.
The lyrics are poignant and speak to the universal experience of regret, loss, and the importance of expressing one's feelings. It's Too Late is a classic example of a breakup song that many people can relate to. The use of repetition in the opening lines "It's too late, she's gone / It's too late, my baby's gone" works to emphasize the finality and irreversibility of the situation.
One of the interesting facts about the song is that it was one of Buddy Holly's final recordings before his death in 1959. It was released posthumously in 1960 as a single and reached number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Crickets recorded a version of the song in 1958, but it was never released until it was included in a posthumous album in 1965. The song has been covered by various artists, including Otis Redding, John Lennon, and Neil Young.
Line by Line Meaning
It's too late, she's gone
The woman I loved has left and it's now too late to fix things
It's too late, my baby?s gone
My loved one has left and there's nothing I can do to bring her back
Wish I had told her, she was my only one
I regret not expressing my emotions for her while she was still here with me
But it's too late, she's gone
There's nothing that can be done because she has already left
It's a weak man that cries
A common stereotype that men shouldn't showcase their emotions
So I guess I'd best dry my eyes
I'll compose myself and try not to shed any more tears
Guess I will miss her more than any one
The feeling of loss will be quite devastating
But it's too late, she's gone
There's nothing that can be done because she has already left
She's gone, yes, she's gone
She is no longer with me, and that realization is heartbreaking
She's gone, my my baby's gone
My loved one has left and it's difficult to cope with
She's gone, yes, she's gone
The woman I loved has left, and it's really hard to accept
Where can my baby be
I'm feeling lost without my loved one around me
I wonder does she know
I'm wondering if my loved one knows how much I miss her
When she left me, it hurt me so
The pain of losing my loved one has been excruciating
I need your lovin', please don't make me weep
I need love and affection to fill the void left by the absence of my loved one
And tell me, it's not too late
I'm hoping that it's not too late to fix things and bring back the woman I loved
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: JOHN STERLING, ERIC VICTOR BURDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Justin Bean
Musical genius,I can see why John Lennon was so influenced .
Aditya Kharade
It's too late, she's gone
It's too late, my baby's gone
Wish I had told her, she was my only one
But it's too late, she's gone
It's a weak man that cries
So I guess I'd best dry my eyes
Guess I will miss her more than any one
But it's too late, she's gone
She's gone, yes, she's gone
She's gone, my my baby's gone
She's gone, yes, she's gone
Where can my baby be
I wonder does she know
When she left me, it hurt me so
I need your loving please don't make me weep
And tell me, it's not too late