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.
Be True to Me
Ricky Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I guess I've a right to be
'Cause you told me when you fell in love
That you'd fall in love with me
And since that time I'm convinced that I'm
The one who's meant for you
So be true, be true, be true, be true to me
To sit home all alone
And to be content with a few love words
I hear on the telephone
But oh so precious are those tender words
I hear from you, that you'll
Be true, be true, be true, be true to me
I'll wait and waych the days go by
Untill we come of age
And to our precious book of love
We'll add another page
A page that says these two will walk
Together all life through, that you'll
Be true, be true, be true, be true to me
In the song "Be True to Me" by Ricky Nelson, the singer expresses his love for a woman who promised to love him forever. He admits his love may make him appear foolish, but he believes in their love and their bond. He acknowledges that his friends do not understand why he spends his time alone waiting for her phone calls, but for him, those tender words of love are precious. He is hopeful for the future and looks forward to adding another page to their "precious book of love" that will declare their commitment to walk together through life.
The lyrics of the song express a sense of vulnerability and devotion to another person. The singer believes in his love for this woman, even though others may not understand it. He believes in her promises and is willing to wait for her, even if it means being alone for a while. The song resonates with the universal experience of loving someone and feeling like no one else can quite understand that bond.
Line by Line Meaning
Well if I'm a fool for loving you
It might be foolish to love you but I cannot help my feelings
And I guess I've a right to be
I feel like I have the right to be foolish since I love you
'Cause you told me when you fell in love
You promised to love only me when you fell in love
That you'd fall in love with me
When you fell in love, you fell in love with me
And since that time I'm convinced that I'm
I have been convinced since then that I am
The one who's meant for you
The only one meant for you
So be true, be true, be true, be true to me
With that in mind, please be true to me
My friends all say that I'm just a fool
My friends believe that I am a foolish person
To sit home all alone
Staying at home alone is pointless according to them
And to be content with a few love words
My friends think it is not enough to be happy with just a few words of love
I hear on the telephone
That I hear over the phone
But oh so precious are those tender words
However, those tender words mean a great deal to me
I hear from you, that you'll
Especially when I hear from you that you will
Be true, be true, be true, be true to me
always be true and faithful to me
I'll wait and watch the days go by
I will patiently wait and observe the passing of time
Untill we come of age
Until we reach adulthood
And to our precious book of love
When we add to our precious love story
We'll add another page
Another page will be added
A page that says these two will walk
A page that confirms that we will walk together
Together all life through, that you'll
Through all of life's journey, committed to
Be true, be true, be true, be true to me
Always remain loyal and true to me
Contributed by Elena T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@felixresendez3484
Well if I'm a fool for loving you
And I guess I've a right to be
'Cause you told me when you fell in love
That you'd fall in love with me
And since that time I'm convinced that I'm
The one who's meant for you
So be true, be true, be true, be true to me
My friends all say that I'm just a fool
To sit home all alone
And to be content with a few love words
I hear on the telephone
But oh so precious are those tender words
I hear from you, that you'll
Be true, be true, be true, be true to me
I'll wait and waych the days go by
Untill we come of age
And to our precious book of love
We'll add another page
A page that says these two will walk
Together all life through, that you'll
Be true, be true, be true, be true to me
@felixresendez3484
Well if I'm a fool for loving you
And I guess I've a right to be
'Cause you told me when you fell in love
That you'd fall in love with me
And since that time I'm convinced that I'm
The one who's meant for you
So be true, be true, be true, be true to me
My friends all say that I'm just a fool
To sit home all alone
And to be content with a few love words
I hear on the telephone
But oh so precious are those tender words
I hear from you, that you'll
Be true, be true, be true, be true to me
I'll wait and waych the days go by
Untill we come of age
And to our precious book of love
We'll add another page
A page that says these two will walk
Together all life through, that you'll
Be true, be true, be true, be true to me
@doinapicsou9186
Magnifique! La voix de Ricky Nelson est inoubliable,les chansons ausii.Merci !
@gcochot7850
Magnifique chanson ! Voix très belle et touchante .superbe ricky.
@marynavin2647
Such a legend Rip Ricky 😇
@cynthiaennis3107
I love his voice...still 😊❤
@lendrury2771
Another hidden gem by Ricky
@rubenmedina1186
que buenos recuerdos de mi adolecencia
@cynthiaennis3107
He was good at everywhere attempted to do! I can’t imagine what that was like!
@ronaldwhinnem2406
Love this
@doowopd
i love this song