Ray Edward Cochran was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota; however, as his parents were from Oklahoma, he considered himself an Oklahoman, and introduced himself as such in interviews. He took music lessons in school, but eventually quit the band to play drums. Rather than take piano lessons, Cochran began learning guitar, playing the country music he heard on the radio. As time went on, Cochran moved to Los Angeles, California in 1953. Together with Hank Cochran, Eddie formed The Cochran Brothers, though the two shared no relation.
Around the same time, Cochran worked as a session musician, but aspired to be a songwriter and artist in his own right, and recorded a demo with songwriting partner and future manager, Jerry Capeheart. Cochran's first notable foray into the public eye was as one of the many performing artists featured in the musical comedy film The Girl Can't Help It starring Jayne Mansfield, eventually resulting in a recording contract with Liberty. He would follow up on this appearance by appearing in several films of the same genre. He also performed as a support act for such stars as Gene Vincent and Little Richard, who were among Cochran's co-stars in the aforementioned film.
For his recordings, Cochran often used experimental techniques that would later become part and parcel for other recording artists, notably recording numerous overdubs in order to create the rich, distinctive guitar sound for "Summertime Blues" and "C'mon Everybody". "Twenty Flight Rock", the song Cochran performed in The Girl Can't Help It, was the very first song a young Paul McCartney played for John Lennon as his audition for Lennon's group, The Quarrymen, which would later metamorphose into The Beatles.
Cochran was killed in an automobile accident in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England during a tour of Britain with Gene Vincent. Vincent and Cochran's fiancee, who were both in the car, survived the crash. Scholars have noted that, somewhat eerily, Cochran's last single release in his lifetime was "Three Steps to Heaven", although the song's lyrical context has nothing to do with death. Cochran's death occurred little over a year after the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, to whom he paid tribute in his recording of the song "Three Stars", which remained unreleased until 1966.
A majority of Cochran's recorded legacy would be released posthumously; in his lifetime, only one album, Singin' to My Baby (1957), was ever released. Perhaps owing to the brevity of his career, Cochran never attained the same star status as other rockers of the era; however, his lyrical themes of teenage desires and rebellion, being somewhat more morose and raucous than his contemporaries, had a profound influence on many of the greatest artists of the '60s and '70s, such as The Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones.
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
Eddie Cochran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could I tell you once again somehow
Have I told you with all my heart and soul, how I adore you
Well darling, I'm telling you now
This heart would break in two if you'd refuse me
I'm no good without you anyhow
Have I told you lately that I love you
Well darling, I'm telling you now
The lyrics to Eddie Cochran's song "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" speak to the importance of expressing love and affection to someone we care about. The singer is asking their love interest whether they have made it clear just how much they love and adore them, and begs for the chance to express their feelings once more. The lines "Could I tell you once again somehow" and "Have I told you with all my heart and soul, how I adore you" demonstrate the singer's desperation to convey the depth of their emotions.
The lyrics also reveal the singer's fear of losing their love interest. The line "This heart would break in two if you'd refuse me" suggests that their whole being is reliant on the acceptance of their love interest. The final line of the chorus, "Well darling, I'm telling you now", emphasizes the urgency of the singer's need to express their love, indicating that the time for hesitation has passed.
Overall, the lyrics of "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" convey the fragility of love and the importance of verbalizing our emotions to those we care about. The song serves as a reminder to not take our relationships for granted and to cherish the opportunity to express our love to those who matter most.
Line by Line Meaning
Have I told you lately that I love you
I want you to know how much I love you and that I haven't expressed it recently
Could I tell you once again somehow
I desire to share my affection with you again in some way
Have I told you with all my heart and soul, how I adore you
I hope you understand how much I deeply love and cherish you
Well darling, I'm telling you now
I am confessing my love for you at this moment
This heart would break in two if you'd refuse me
The thought of you rejecting me causes me unbearable pain
I'm no good without you anyhow
My life would be meaningless without you in it
Have I told you lately that I love you
I can't stress enough how much I love you and need you in my life
Well darling, I'm telling you now
I am declaring my affection for you once again
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SCOTT WISEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind