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.
Stay Beside Me
Ritchie Valens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stay beside me day after day
When I'm feeling blue, let me look at you
Oh my darling, please, won't you stay?
You'll stay beside me, help and guide me
Never, never leave me alone
Trust and love me, be proud of me
With your love, you make me strong
Come to me where you belong
Stay beside me, close beside me
You must know it's you I adore
You were meant for me, you will always be
My true love forever more
The lyrics to Ritchie Valens's song "Stay Beside Me" express a heartfelt plea from the singer to his beloved to remain by his side through thick and thin. The words are simple, yet powerful, and convey a deep sense of vulnerability and dependence on the other person's love and support. The singer acknowledges his own emotional struggles when he says, "When I'm feeling blue, let me look at you," and asks for reassurance by requesting, "Trust and love me, be proud of me/Let me keep your heart for my own."
Throughout the song, there is a sense of urgency and desperation as the singer pleads with his beloved to never leave him alone. He wants her to "stay beside [him], help and guide [him]" and to always be "close beside [him]." The lyrics also express a sense of devotion and commitment to the other person, as the singer declares that she was "meant for [him]" and that she will "always be [his] true love forever more."
Line by Line Meaning
Stay beside me, here beside me
The singer wants their loved one to stay by their side in their current location.
Stay beside me day after day
The singer wants their loved one to be with them every day.
When I'm feeling blue, let me look at you
The singer finds comfort in their loved one's presence when they are sad.
Oh my darling, please, won't you stay?
The singer pleads with their loved one to remain with them.
You'll stay beside me, help and guide me
The singer expects their loved one to be a source of assistance and guidance.
Never, never leave me alone
The singer is afraid of being left alone and wants their loved one to always be there.
Trust and love me, be proud of me
The singer wants their loved one to trust and love them and take pride in their accomplishments.
Let me keep your heart for my own
The singer wants to keep their loved one's heart exclusively for themselves.
With your love, you make me strong
The singer is strengthened by the love they receive from their partner.
Come to me where you belong
The singer feels that their loved one belongs with them and wants them to come back.
Stay beside me, close beside me
The singer wants their loved one to be in close proximity to them.
You must know it's you I adore
The singer's affection is directed solely at their loved one.
You were meant for me, you will always be
The singer believes that their loved one was predestined to be with them and will always remain with them.
My true love forever more
The singer's love for their partner is eternal.
Lyrics © KEMO MUSIC
Written by: BILL OLOFSON, MAURICE ELLENHORN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@maxgorov561
Stay beside me, here beside me
Stay beside me day after day
When I'm feeling blue, let me look at you
Oh my darling, please won't you say
You'll stay beside me, help & guide me
Never never leave me alone
Trust & love me, be proud of me
Let me keep your heart for my own
With your love, you make me strong
Come to me where you belong
Stay beside me, close beside me
You must know it's you I adore
You were meant for me, you will always be
My true love forever more
@Wolfhoundersful
Stay beside me, here beside me
Stay beside me day after day
When I'm feeling blue, let me look at you
Oh my darling, please won't you say
You'll stay beside me, help and guide me
Never never leave me alone
Trust and love me, be proud of me
Let me keep your heart for my own
With your love, you make me strong
Come to me where you belong
Stay beside me, close beside me
You must know it's you I adore
You were meant for me, you will always be
My true love forever more
@buddyholly3527
This song in my opinion is one of his best. I can't believe it wasn't a hit like Donna was because this song is so beautiful.
@_esmeralda_5112
Jeff Stinnett I 100% agree and I hate that most people don't know about this hidden gem in his career ✊🏽
@buddyholly3527
walt7500 I'm just saying it had been recorded though and just never released. That's sad cause it woulda been a number 1.
@TheMelindah81
I sung this song at my aunts funeral 23 years ago she was my best friend
@jjm95050
I remember singing this song at my High School talent show in 1990 just before I graduated and everyone loved it. Great Song should have been a 1# hit in Ritchie's day. Also, I'm Ritchies' 4th cousin. My great Grandmother was Ritchies' 1st cousin.
@ashtondoublet8334
Really, that's very cool. Maybe you should take up playing guitar and sorta honor him.
@jordanmanuelsacramentomedi4049
@Ashton Doublet how about you bro, do you remenber this time of rock and roll 😃😃
@ashtondoublet8334
@@jordanmanuelsacramentomedi4049 no I was born in 05, and in 28 days am going to turn 18. But I am obsessed with that Era not from social media but from personal interest. At first I got into Dion Dimucci's music with "The Wanderer" and "Runaround Sue" then through dion I got introduced to Buddy Holly and his music which then led me to Ritchie Valens. But on Feb 3rd this year, I really got a sort of glimpse of what that time could've been like. It was a school night and I compiled a Playlist of the songs I think were played that night and was listening to it live, this was the first time I successfully did this because other times I passed out. But it almost felt like I was sneaking out and partying out at the surf on that night. Especially because at the time I was 17, the same age Rit was when he unfortunately passed. But yeah I wasn't born during that Era but was introduced to it and since then loved it.
@dgtwo3724
What an honor to be related to someone like Ritchie. However, allow me to make you feel even better regarding your cousin relationship to him. Being that he is your great-grandmother's first cousin, this actually makes you Ritchie's first cousin, 3 times removed, not your 4th cousin. This is because you are 3 generations removed from your great-grandmother and whatever her family relationship is, you are the same, just 3 times removed. The way it works is this, if you are a 4th cousin to someone, that means you both share a set of great-great-great grandparents. So, you are more closely related to this Rock N' Roll icon than you thought 😀
@thedestroyer7896
I'm 13 years old and I know everything about Ritchie my parents say I have an old soul.