That'll Be the Day
Buddy Holly & The Crickets Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye
Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
'Cause that'll be the day when I die

Well, you give me all your loving and your turtle doving
All your hugs and kisses and your money too
Well, you know you love me, baby, still you tell me maybe
That some day, well, I'll be through

Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye
Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
'Cause that'll be the day when I die

Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye
Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
'Cause that'll be the day when I die

Well, when Cupid shot his dart he shot it at your heart
So if we ever part and I leave you
You sit and hold me and you tell me boldly
That some day, well, I'll be through

Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye
Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
'Cause that'll be the day when I die

Well, that'll be the day, hoo-hoo
Well, that'll be the day, hoo-hoo




Well, that'll be the day, hoo-hoo
Well, that'll be the day

Overall Meaning

The song "That'll Be the Day" by Buddy Holly is considered one of the most iconic rock and roll songs of all time. It was released in 1957 and quickly became a hit, reaching No. 3 on the charts. The song tells the story of a man who is in love with a woman who keeps threatening to leave him. He tells her that when she finally does leave, it will be the day he "dies" - in other words, the end of their relationship. The song is told from the perspective of the man, who is frustrated with the woman's constant threats and her inability to commit to their relationship.


The lyrics of the song are simple but effective. The repetition of the lines "That'll be the day" and "When you make me cry" emphasizes the man's frustration and anger with the woman. The lines "You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie" suggest that he is aware of her manipulative tactics, but he still loves her and is willing to put up with her behavior.


Overall, "That'll Be the Day" is a classic rock and roll song that captures the spirit of the era. It's an anthem for anyone who has been in a frustrating relationship and felt like throwing in the towel.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye
The day you say goodbye will never come


Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
The day you make me cry will never come


You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
You say you're going to leave but you know it's not true


'Cause that'll be the day when I die
If you ever leave me, it will be the end of me


Well, you give me all your loving and your turtle doving
You give me all your love and affection


All your hugs and kisses and your money too
You show me affection and give me money


Well, you know you love me, baby, still you tell me maybe
You love me but you're unsure if it will last


That some day, well, I'll be through
You believe that someday love will end for us


Well, when Cupid shot his dart he shot it at your heart
When Cupid made you fall in love, he did it deeply


So if we ever part and I leave you
If we ever break up and I leave you


You sit and hold me and you tell me boldly
You hold me and speak confidently


That some day, well, I'll be through
You believe that someday love will end for us


Well, that'll be the day, hoo-hoo
That day will never come


Well, that'll be the day, hoo-hoo
That day will never come


Well, that'll be the day, hoo-hoo
That day will never come


Well, that'll be the day
That day will never come




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, Norman Petty

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@henrydouberly3950

There was a time when this was the heaviest music ever made

@Adyman182

Bach, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff existed...

@henrydouberly3950

@@Adyman182 ah, I have been made a fool. Classical music can get pretty heavy sometimes.

@willhissettmusic

@@henrydouberly3950 a lot of jazz around this time was pretty heavy too

@TheDylandProductions

I was gonna say Beethoven has entered the chat! lol

But in all seriousness, this WAS the "hardest" music out there at the time. Amplified guitars, r&b drum kit, upright bass (which, in real life really cuts through the air compared to electric bass), and a happy-go-lucky singer who's lyrics had a bit more to them than what met the eye on the surface (like most music of the day).

For people who can't get into older rock, or jazz, or whatever - I always suggest they watch it live. Through those live performances, you really get to see the craftsmanship, the sweat, the performance. Sometimes the records can be sterile - especially if you listen to hip hop, heavy metal, or pop all day.

50's and 60's music really is great. Before the 'do it in the studio' mumbo jumbo. Everything was recorded live, and innovations were made on the daily.

@joshuamayes3195

@@TheDylandProductions I can't understand how they get a mix like this - especially the vocals which seem to be unmic'd.

94 More Replies...

@halburgess5257

I find it hard not to believe that the rhythm guitarist isn’t also Buddy Holly

@zuraiashvili8647

:DDDD

@gremlynn009

Fun fact! That’s actually Nikki Sullivan! As far as I know he wasn’t part of The Crickets for very long, but he’s absolutely fantastic in this recording!

@jamesnewman7961

Nikki Sullivan was also a Good 🎸 Guitarist! He wasn't with the Crickets very Long.

More Comments

More Versions