Everyday” was first released in 1957 and remains a beloved tribute to Buddy Holly, who tragically passed away in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. Alongside Holly, fellow musicians Ritchie Valens, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson also perished in the crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. The tragedy, later immortalized by Don McLean as “The Day the Music Died” in his 1971 song “American Pie,” marked a somber moment in rock and roll history.

At the time of the accident, Holly was touring the U.S. Midwest with his bandmates Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch on the “Winter Dance Party” tour. Musicians Valens and Richardson joined the tour, but the journey was grueling, with long trips on cold, uncomfortable buses leading to cases of flu and frostbite. After a performance in Clear Lake, Holly decided to charter a plane to reach their next venue in Moorhead, Minnesota, seeking relief from the harsh bus travel conditions. Richardson, ill with the flu, swapped his seat with Jennings, and Allsup lost his seat to Valens on a coin toss. Tragically, shortly after takeoff in poor winter weather, the plane lost control and crashed in a nearby cornfield. The crash site and Surf Ballroom, the venue of the artists’ final performance, are now marked with monuments, and an annual memorial concert is held in Clear Lake.

“Everyday” is a song written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty, recorded by Holly and the Crickets on May 29, 1957, and released as the B-side to “Peggy Sue”

on September 20, 1957. Though the Crickets aren’t credited on the original release, it’s known that Holly played acoustic guitar, while drummer Jerry Allison added percussion by slapping his knees. Joe B. Mauldin played the stand-up bass, and producer Norman Petty’s wife, Vi Petty, played the celesta, a keyboard with a glockenspiel-like sound, famously featured in “The Nutcracker”. Running a concise 2 minutes and 5 seconds, “Everyday” has become a timeless classic, ranking No. 238 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Lyrics

Everyday, it’s a-gettin’ closer
Goin’ faster than a roller coaster
Love like yours will surely come my way
A-hey, a-hey, hey
Everyday, it’s a-gettin’ faster
Everyone said, “Go up and ask her”
Love like yours will surely come my way
A-hey, a-hey, hey
Everyday seems a little longer
Every way, love’s a little stronger
Come what may, do you ever long for
True love from me?
Everyday, it’s a-gettin’ closer
Goin’ faster than a roller coaster
Love like yours will surely come my way
A-hey, a-hey, hey
Everyday seems a little longer
Every way, love’s a little stronger
Come what may, do you ever long for
True love from me?
Everyday, it’s a-gettin’ closer
Goin’ faster than a roller coaster
Love like yours will surely come my way
A-hey, a-hey, hey
Love like yours will surely come my way

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