Buddy Holly

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Well, you gonna miss me
Early in the morning
One of these days, oh yeah
Well, you gonna want me
Early in the morning
When I'm away

[Verse 2]
Hey hey, don't you know
Yes, you'll be sorry for the times I cried
You'll be sorry for the time you lied
Well, you gonna miss me
Early in the morning
For one of these days, oh yeah

[Bridge]
Well, you know a rollin' stone
Don't gather no moss
And you cross your bridge
When it's time to cross
Well, you broke my heart
When you said goodbye
And now the milk is spilt
But you gonna cry
[Verse 3]
Yeah, early in the morning
You gonna know that I was right
Oh yeah, yeah
Early in the morning
When there's nobody to hold you tight
Oh, oh oh

[Verse 4]
Well, you gonna want me
And want me back
You gonna miss the best man you ever had
Yes, you gonna miss me
You gonna want me
One of this days, oh yeah

[Verse 5]
Well, you gonna want me
I want you back
Miss the best man you ever had
Yes, you gonna want me
And you gonna miss me
For one of this days
Yeah yeah yeah

If you're a fan of Buddy Holly, then you undoubtedly have heard his hit song "Early In The Morning". The song was a pivotal moment in Holly's career, marking a shift from his usual recording style with The Crickets to recording with a full orchestra. The single featured two songs - "Early In The Morning" and "Now We're One" - the former which was an adaptation of Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman."

About Early In The Morning

Originally written by Bobby Darin and Woody Harris, "Early In The Morning" was recorded in 1958 with Dick Jacobs and his orchestra accompanying the Ray Charles Singers on back up vocal duties. The single was released by Coral Records, owned by Brunswick Records, on April 24, 1958. With Darin's contract with ATCO Records still active, Coral decided to release the single under the alias "The Ding Dongs" to avoid any legal backlash.

The single became an overnight success, peaking at number 24 on the Billboard pop charts. Despite its success, ATCO Records soon realized the scheme and forced Coral to hand over the master tapes. Not wanting to lose the hit single, Coral then approached Buddy Holly to re-record both songs. Holly was backed by the same orchestra and backup singers as Darin for the Coral Records release of the single, which was released under his name and reached number 32 on the Billboard pop charts.

Listeners may find Holly's version of "Early In The Morning" to be different from Darin's in a few ways. While Darin took on a softer vocal approach, Holly's version features loud, spirited singing which is typical of soul singers. It's worth mentioning that Holly was a big fan of Ray Charles and his music, and this undoubtedly influenced his approach to this song.

It's interesting to note that "Early In The Morning" would not be the last time Holly would record with an orchestral session. He was so inspired by the success of the single that he eagerly attempted more crooning songs during his final recording session in November 1958. Dick Jacobs' orchestra backed Holly again, and they recorded "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", "Raining In My Heart", "Moondreams" and "True Love Ways". Unfortunately, only the first two songs would be released before Holly's untimely death just three days later in a plane crash with Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper).

Despite the tragedy surrounding Buddy Holly's death, his music continues to live on. "Early In The Morning" remains an enduring classic and a testament to Holly's musical talent and influence on rock and roll music.

• Release Date: July 5, 1958
• Artist: Buddy Holly