Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an Ameri… Read Full Bio ↴Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1957, he began a long and successful career as a popular recording artist. The expression "teen idol" was first coined to describe Nelson, and his fame as both a recording artist and television star also led to a motion picture role co-starring alongside John Wayne, Dean Martin and Angie Dickinson in Howard Hawks's western feature film Rio Bravo (1959). He placed 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, and its predecessors, between 1957 and 1973, including "Poor Little Fool" in 1958, which was the first number one song on Billboard magazine's then-newly created Hot 100 chart. He recorded 19 additional top ten hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987. In 1996 Nelson was ranked No. 49 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

Nelson began his entertainment career in 1949, playing himself in the radio sitcom series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1952, he appeared in his first feature film, Here Come the Nelsons. In 1957, he recorded his first single ("I'm Walkin' b/w "A Teenager's Romance", Verve 10047X4S), debuted as a singer on the television version of the sitcom, and released the No. 1 album titled Ricky. In 1958, Nelson released his first #1 single, "Poor Little Fool", and in 1959 received a Golden Globe nomination for "Most Promising Male Newcomer" after starring in Rio Bravo. A few films followed, and when the television series was cancelled in 1966, Nelson made occasional appearances as a guest star on various television programs. In his twenties, he moved away from the pop music of his youth, and began to perform in a more country rock style. After recording several albums with mostly session musicians, most of which flopped, he formed the Stone Canyon Band in 1969 and experienced a career resurgence, buoyed by the live album In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 and had a surprise hit with 1972's "Garden Party", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. His comeback was short-lived, however, as his record label was bought out and folded, and his followup albums were not well promoted by his new label. He continued to perform live and take small television roles through the 1970s, though his label dropped him by the end of the decade. He released two more albums, with unimpressive results, before his death in a plane crash on New Year's Eve, 1985.

Nelson was married once, to Sharon Kristin Harmon, from 1963 until their divorce in 1982. They had four children: actress Tracy Nelson, twin sons and musicians Gunnar and Matthew, and actor Sam.

Nelson was born on May 8, 1940, in Teaneck, New Jersey. He was the second son of entertainment couple Harriet Hilliard Nelson (born Peggy Lou Snyder; July 18, 1909 – October 2, 1994) and Ozzie Nelson (March 20, 1906 – June 3, 1975). His father Ozzie was of half Swedish descent. The Nelsons' older son was actor David Nelson (October 24, 1936 – January 11, 2011).

On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), he officially modified his recording name from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". His childhood nickname proved hard to shake, especially among the generation who had watched him grow up on "Ozzie and Harriet". Even in the 1980s, when Nelson realized his dream of meeting Carl Perkins, Perkins noted that he and "Ricky" were the last of the "rockabilly breed".

In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records. After some early successes with the label, most notably 1964's "For You" (#6), Nelson's chart career came to a dramatic halt in the wake of Beatlemania, The British Invasion, and later the Counterculture era. However, instead of dropping him, Decca kept him on board.

In the mid-1960s, Nelson began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. He was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which would include singers like Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt and bands such as Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band, featuring Randy Meisner, who in 1971 became a founding member of the Eagles, and former Buckaroo steel guitarist Tom Brumley.

Nelson died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1985, flying from Guntersville, Alabama, to Dallas, Texas, for a concert. The plane he was on, a Douglas DC-3, had a history of mechanical problems. All seven passengers, including Blair, died. Only the two pilots survived.

Nelson's funeral took place at the Church of the Hills, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery, on January 6, 1986, and he was privately buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in Los Angeles. His estate was bequeathed to his children.

My Bucket's Got A Hole In It
Rick Nelson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yes, my bucket's got a hole in it
Yes, my bucket's got a hole in it
Yes, my bucket's got a hole in it
I can't buy no beer

Well, I went upon a mountain
I looked down in the sea
I seen the crowds and the fishes

Doing the be bop beep
Cause my bucket's got a hole in it
Yes, my bucket's got a hole in it
Yes, my bucket's got a hole in it
I can't buy no beer

Well, I'm standing on the corner
With a bucket in my hand
I'm a waitin' for a woman
That ain't got no man
Cause my bucket's got a hole in it
Yes, my bucket's got a hole in it
Yes, my bucket's got a hole in it
I can't buy no beer

Well, me and my baby
We bought a Ford
And now we sit together
On the running board
Cause my bucket's got a hole in it
Yes, my bucket's got a hole in it

Yes, my bucket's got a hole in it
I can't buy no beer

Overall Meaning

The song "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" by Rick Nelson is a classic example of a blues song. The main theme of the song is the singer's inability to buy beer due to a hole in his bucket. The repetition of the line "Yes, my bucket's got a hole in it" emphasizes the frustration and hopelessness of the situation.

The song takes the listener through a series of scenarios where the singer encounters different obstacles due to his bucket's hole. He can't fish or catch crowds, he can't wait for a woman without a man, and he can't even sit comfortably in his car with his baby. The lyrics suggest that the hole in his bucket is not only causing practical problems, but it's also affecting his relationships and his ability to enjoy life.

Overall, the song can be interpreted as a commentary on the struggles of regular people and how even the smallest issue can have a significant impact on their daily lives. The simple, repetitive lyrics and catchy melody make it an enduring and memorable song that continues to be enjoyed by many generations.

Line by Line Meaning

Yes, my bucket's got a hole in it
The singer's bucket is damaged and now has a hole in it, which has rendered it useless.

I can't buy no beer
The singer can't buy any beer because he needs a bucket to do so but his bucket is broken.

Well, I went upon a mountain
The singer went up a mountain to observe his surroundings.

I looked down in the sea
The artist looked down and saw the sea from his vantage point on the mountain.

I seen the crowds and the fishes
The artist saw people and fish gathering together.

Doing the be bop beep
The people and fish were making musical noises.

Well, I'm standing on the corner
The singer is standing on a street corner.

With a bucket in my hand
The artist is holding a bucket.

I'm a waitin' for a woman
The artist is waiting for a woman to arrive.

That ain't got no man
The woman the artist is waiting for is single.

Well, me and my baby
The singer and his partner are together.