A Rock and Roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens' recording career lasted only eight months. During this time, however, he scored several hits, most notably "La Bamba", which was originally a Mexican folk song that Valens transformed with a rock rhythm and beat that became a hit in 1958, making Valens a pioneer of the Spanish-speaking rock and roll movement.
Valens died in a plane crash outside Clear Lake, Iowa while on the Winter Dance Party tour. Also killed in the crash were the pilot of the plane and rock and roll stars Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. The song American Pie, by Don McLean is a tribute to the three musicians who died, and a reflection of the changes in music since their deaths. In the song he calls the day of their death "the day the music died," a phrase that came from newspaper headlines that announced the tragedy on February 3, 1959
Brought up hearing traditional Mexican mariachi music, as well as flamenco guitar, R&B and jump blues, by the age of 5 he expressed an interest in making music of his own. He was encouraged by his father to take up guitar and trumpet, and it is also known that he later taught himself the drums. One day, a neighbour came across Ritchie trying to play a guitar that had only two strings. He re-strung the instrument, and taught Ritchie the fingerings of some chords. While Ritchie was left-handed, he was so eager to learn the guitar that he mastered the traditionally right-handed version of the instrument. By the time he was attending Pacoima Jr. High School, his proficiency on the guitar was such that he brought the instrument to school and would sing and play songs to his friends on the bleachers.
When he was sixteen years old, he was invited to join a local band named The Silhouettes as guitarist. Later on, the main vocalist left the group and Ritchie assumed this position as well. In addition to the performances with The Silhouettes, he would play solo at parties and other social gatherings.
A completely self-taught musician, Valenzuela was an accomplished singer and guitarist. At his appearances he often improvised new lyrics and added new riffs to popular songs while he was playing. This is an aspect of his music that is, sadly, not heard in his commercial studio recordings. Due to his high-energy performances, Valenzuela earned the nickname "The Little Richard of the Valley".
In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. "La Bamba" was named one of The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame's Top 500 Songs Of All Time. In 2004, "La Bamba" was named #345 on Rolling Stone's Top 500 Songs Of All Time.
Paddiwack Song
Ritchie Valens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He played knick-knack on my thumb
Knick knack, paddiwack, give a dog a bone
This old man came rollin' home
Well this old man, he played 2
He played knick-knack on my shoe
Knick knack, paddiwack, give a dog a bone
Well this old man, he played 4
He played knick-knack on my door
Knick knack, paddiwack, give a dog a bone
This old man came rollin' home
(instrumental)
Well this old man, he played 5
He played knick-knack on my jive
Knick knack, paddiwack, give a dog a bone
This old man came rollin' home
Well this old man, he played 6
He played knick-knack on my sticks
Knick knack, paddiwack, give a dog a bone
This old man came rollin' home
Well this old man, he played 7
He played knick-knack up to heaven
Knick knack, paddiwack, give a dog a bone
This old man came rollin' home
Well this old man, he played 8
He played knick-knack on his gate
Knick knack, paddiwack, give a dog a bone
This old man came rollin' home
The Paddiwack Song is a children's counting song that has been performed and enjoyed for many decades. The lyrics describe an old man who plays a game of knick-knack, in which he counts up to a specific number while performing a specific action. The numbers range from one to eight, and with each number, the old man plays the game on a different part of the singer's body or nearby object, such as the singer's thumb, shoe, door, jive, sticks, or heaven. When he reaches the final number, the old man rolls home.
Although the song is simple and playful, it has cultural significance as a form of oral storytelling that has been passed down through generations. It is also an example of the use of music and rhythmic structures to teach young children basic mathematical concepts such as counting and sequencing. Furthermore, the song's catchy melody and repetitive chorus make it a fun tune to sing along to for people of all ages.
Line by Line Meaning
Well this old man, he played 1
An old man played a song on the first finger
He played knick-knack on my thumb
He played a simple tune on the thumb
Knick knack, paddiwack, give a dog a bone
A nonsensical refrain, possibly meant to entertain a child or a dog
This old man came rollin' home
The old man returned home after playing his song
Well this old man, he played 2
The old man played a second song
He played knick-knack on my shoe
The old man played a simple tune on the shoe
Well this old man, he played 4
The old man played a fourth song
He played knick-knack on my door
The old man played a simple tune on the door
Well this old man, he played 5
The old man played a fifth song
He played knick-knack on my jive
The old man played a simple tune on the jive (possibly a dance)
Well this old man, he played 6
The old man played a sixth song
He played knick-knack on my sticks
The old man played a simple tune on the sticks (possibly drumsticks)
Well this old man, he played 7
The old man played a seventh song
He played knick-knack up to heaven
The old man played a tune that went up to the heavens
Well this old man, he played 8
The old man played an eighth song
He played knick-knack on his gate
The old man played a simple tune on his gate
Knick knack, paddiwack, give a dog a bone
A nonsensical refrain, possibly meant to entertain a child or a dog
This old man came rollin' home
The old man returned home after playing his song
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICHARD VALENZUELA, RITCHIE VALENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
UziDoesIt8818
By far the best version of this song. All other versions don't count. 🥰
theDarkKnight13
Honestly I never knew there were other versions
John Basilone Enthusiast
Amen, I miss you valens, you were gone too soon
Charley Dowd
He was only 17! Imagine what other amazing songs Ritchie could've made if he had lived longer.
UziDoesIt8818
He would have been the king of Rock N Roll
Cathy Mabry
I wish we could have seen what else he could have done with his music. He was such a raw natural talent. But God liked his music more and needed him in his heavenly band. Miss you Ritchie Valens
Tony Guerrero
You are right😂
Warrior45 Warrior
Cathy Mabry I wish I was born in his time period
Enrique8314
Un Grande Ritchie, en tan corto tiempo hizo muy buena Musica.
RetroGurl73
It seems as if Ritchie had a soft spot for children. Ritchie was such a sweet,caring young man. He was certainly one of a kind. :)