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.
Big Chief Buffalo Nickel
Ricky Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where nature favours no man
A buffalo found his brother
Lying baked on the sun baked sand
He said: My brother what ails you
Has sickness made you this way
His brother never said
'Cause his brother was dead
Big chief buffalo nickel
was a mighty man in his day
He never used a syckle
To clear the bushes away
He roamed around from tent to tent
Heed everything in sight
He loved his squaw, everyone he saw
He loved a new one every night
A way out on the wind swept desert
I heard a big indian moan
I left my tent, 'cause I knew what it meant
I swore I never more would roam
It was dawn when I reached Saint Pete
My legs were certainly sore
I must have lost fifty pounds
On that hot desert ground
And I'd lose that many more
Big chief buffalo nickel
was a mighty man in his day
He never used a syckle
To clear the bushes away
He roamed around from tent to tent
Heed everything in sight
He loved his squaw, everyone he saw
He loved a new one every night
The lyrics of Ricky Nelson's song Big Chief Buffalo Nickel tell the story of a buffalo stumbling upon his brother's dead body in the middle of the desert. The buffalo asks his brother what ails him, but receives no answer because his brother has been dead since last May. The chorus speaks of the titular character, Big Chief Buffalo Nickel, who was a mighty man in his day. He roamed around from tent to tent, taking everything in sight and loving a new woman every night. The second verse sees the singer leaving his tent in the middle of the night when he hears a big Indian moan. He knows what it means and swears to never roam again. He arrives at Saint Pete at dawn, having lost fifty pounds on the hot desert ground, and knows he will likely lose that many more.
The lyrics of this song are imbued with themes about life in the American West, specifically about the mistreatment of indigenous people by white settlers. The mention of Big Chief Buffalo Nickel, who roamed from tent to tent stealing and sleeping with many different women, evokes the stereotype of the savage and promiscuous Indian man perpetuated by white settlers. The buffalo's dead brother and the singer's response to hearing a big Indian moan suggest a violent and oppressive environment. Additionally, the line "where nature favours no man" seems to allude to the harsh and unforgiving desert environment that early settlers had to face.
Line by Line Meaning
A way out on the wind swept desert
In the middle of a desert, with the wind blowing strongly
Where nature favours no man
Where the harsh environment affects everyone equally
A buffalo found his brother
A buffalo discovered his deceased sibling
Lying baked on the sun baked sand
Resting under the hot sun, on the scorching sand
He said: My brother what ails you
He asked his brother what was the cause of his death
Has sickness made you this way
Did an illness cause your passing
His brother never said
There was no response from the dead buffalo
'Cause his brother was dead
His brother couldn't reply since he had died earlier
Big chief buffalo nickel
A man called Big Chief Buffalo Nickel
was a mighty man in his day
He was once a great and powerful person
He never used a syckle
He didn't have to work hard to clear the land
To clear the bushes away
To remove foliage and shrubbery from an area
He roamed around from tent to tent
He walked around from one dwelling to another
Heed everything in sight
He would take notice of everything he saw
He loved his squaw, everyone he saw
He cared deeply for his wife and every woman he met
He loved a new one every night
He had relationships with different women every evening
I heard a big indian moan
I listened to a loud groan from an Indigenous person
I left my tent, 'cause I knew what it meant
I departed my dwelling once I realized what was happening
I swore I never more would roam
I pledged I would never travel again
It was dawn when I reached Saint Pete
I arrived in Saint Petersburg as the sun rose
My legs were certainly sore
My lower limbs were absolutely aching
I must have lost fifty pounds
I might have shed fifty pounds of weight
On that hot desert ground
Due to walking on the sizzling desert earth
And I'd lose that many more
I may lose even more weight in my travels
Contributed by Emily W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.