Chords for Maria Elena: My Life with Buddy (Buddy Holly), Interview by Don McLean
Tempo:
118.8 bpm
Chords used:
A
E
F#
D
C
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Am] [E] [D] Hello, I'm Don McLean.
A plane crash had just claimed [C#m] one of [A] rock and roll's greatest talents, Buddy Holly.
[D] A thousand miles away in [G] New York, an equally young [E] woman could little comprehend that a new life for [A] her was beginning.
This [D] is her story.
While he was [A] sitting, he started flirting with me.
He says, [D] you know, I'd like to take you out to dinner tonight.
[A] I like the guy a lot, but [E] dinner?
I don't know about [D] that.
The happy couple [A] married in August 1958 after their whirlwind courtship.
Even before marrying me, he told me, I decided to break with Norman.
I needed [E] to go on, on another level, and that level would have [F#m] been New York.
Buddy and [G#] Maria Elena settled [A] into New York Manhattan life, visiting [F#m] the coffee bars [G#] and [A] clubs of the village.
Then by [G#] day, Buddy would often be [E] writing new [Am] songs or working [D] in the studio [A] with his producer [Cm] Dick Jacobs.
[C] We were really [G] stagnant in some sort of way because the lack [Dm] of money, and Buddy did not feel [G] comfortable at all [C] that my aunt was [A] taking care [F#] of everything for [E] us.
When Buddy called, [F#] they says, you know, you're in luck because [C#] we need [F#] a name for the tour, someone like you.
[E] It's just [F#] going to be two weeks.
In the meantime, [C#] I had gotten [F#] pregnant.
Despite [B] this news and Maria Elena's [C#] misgivings, Buddy felt it would be okay [C#m] and decided to take up the [F#] GAC tour offer, [B]
as it would be only for a short [C#] time.
The buses were breaking [E] down, everybody had [F#] problems.
Things were not going right on [A] that tour.
Buddy [G#m] said, you know what, [E] we need new transportation.
He didn't tell me that he was [A] going to fly.
[B]
[A] Around 1 [G#m] a.m. in [E] worsening conditions, the Beechcraft Bonanza [A] four-seater [B] plane took off.
[E] It crashed [C] less than five [A] minutes later, the pilot blinded by bad weather.
I said to myself, how could this be possible that a young man like Buddy, so talented, you know, why Buddy?
Ralph Pierre is the chairman and CEO [B] of Pure Music.
I think that [E] respect for Holly has to come from [A] a view as to how genuine and how focused an individual he [Dm] was.
[D#] [F] Now to Buddy, I [A#] would say, [Gm] look honey, you wanted [Cm] your music to be [F] loved and [A#] enjoyed, and [D#]
here your dream has [A#] come true.
[D#m] [C] [F#]
[C] [A#] Maria Elena Holly, My Life With Buddy, was produced by Mark
A plane crash had just claimed [C#m] one of [A] rock and roll's greatest talents, Buddy Holly.
[D] A thousand miles away in [G] New York, an equally young [E] woman could little comprehend that a new life for [A] her was beginning.
This [D] is her story.
While he was [A] sitting, he started flirting with me.
He says, [D] you know, I'd like to take you out to dinner tonight.
[A] I like the guy a lot, but [E] dinner?
I don't know about [D] that.
The happy couple [A] married in August 1958 after their whirlwind courtship.
Even before marrying me, he told me, I decided to break with Norman.
I needed [E] to go on, on another level, and that level would have [F#m] been New York.
Buddy and [G#] Maria Elena settled [A] into New York Manhattan life, visiting [F#m] the coffee bars [G#] and [A] clubs of the village.
Then by [G#] day, Buddy would often be [E] writing new [Am] songs or working [D] in the studio [A] with his producer [Cm] Dick Jacobs.
[C] We were really [G] stagnant in some sort of way because the lack [Dm] of money, and Buddy did not feel [G] comfortable at all [C] that my aunt was [A] taking care [F#] of everything for [E] us.
When Buddy called, [F#] they says, you know, you're in luck because [C#] we need [F#] a name for the tour, someone like you.
[E] It's just [F#] going to be two weeks.
In the meantime, [C#] I had gotten [F#] pregnant.
Despite [B] this news and Maria Elena's [C#] misgivings, Buddy felt it would be okay [C#m] and decided to take up the [F#] GAC tour offer, [B]
as it would be only for a short [C#] time.
The buses were breaking [E] down, everybody had [F#] problems.
Things were not going right on [A] that tour.
Buddy [G#m] said, you know what, [E] we need new transportation.
He didn't tell me that he was [A] going to fly.
[B]
[A] Around 1 [G#m] a.m. in [E] worsening conditions, the Beechcraft Bonanza [A] four-seater [B] plane took off.
[E] It crashed [C] less than five [A] minutes later, the pilot blinded by bad weather.
I said to myself, how could this be possible that a young man like Buddy, so talented, you know, why Buddy?
Ralph Pierre is the chairman and CEO [B] of Pure Music.
I think that [E] respect for Holly has to come from [A] a view as to how genuine and how focused an individual he [Dm] was.
[D#] [F] Now to Buddy, I [A#] would say, [Gm] look honey, you wanted [Cm] your music to be [F] loved and [A#] enjoyed, and [D#]
here your dream has [A#] come true.
[D#m] [C] [F#]
[C] [A#] Maria Elena Holly, My Life With Buddy, was produced by Mark
Key:
A
E
F#
D
C
A
E
F#
[Am] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ [D] Hello, I'm Don McLean.
A plane crash had just claimed [C#m] one of [A] rock and roll's greatest talents, Buddy Holly.
_ [D] A thousand miles away in [G] New York, an equally young [E] woman could little comprehend that a new life for [A] her was beginning.
This [D] is her story.
While he was [A] sitting, he started flirting with me.
He says, [D] you know, I'd like to take you out to dinner tonight.
[A] I like the guy a lot, but [E] dinner?
I don't know about [D] that.
The happy couple [A] married in August 1958 after their whirlwind courtship.
Even before marrying me, he told me, I decided to break with Norman.
I needed [E] to go on, on another level, and that level would have [F#m] been New York.
Buddy and [G#] Maria Elena settled [A] into New York Manhattan life, visiting [F#m] the coffee bars [G#] and [A] clubs of the village.
Then by [G#] day, Buddy would often be [E] writing new [Am] songs or working [D] in the studio [A] with his producer [Cm] Dick Jacobs.
[C] We were really _ [G] stagnant in some sort of way because the lack [Dm] of money, and Buddy did not feel [G] comfortable at all [C] that my aunt was [A] taking care [F#] of everything for [E] us.
When Buddy called, [F#] they says, you know, you're in luck because [C#] we need [F#] a name for the tour, someone like you.
[E] It's just [F#] going to be two weeks.
In the meantime, [C#] I had gotten [F#] pregnant.
_ Despite [B] this news and Maria Elena's [C#] misgivings, Buddy felt it would be okay [C#m] and decided to take up the [F#] GAC tour offer, [B]
as it would be only for a short [C#] time.
The buses were breaking [E] down, everybody had [F#] problems.
Things were not going right on [A] that tour.
Buddy [G#m] said, you know what, [E] we need new transportation.
He didn't tell me that he was [A] going to fly.
[B] _
[A] _ Around 1 [G#m] a.m. in [E] worsening conditions, the Beechcraft Bonanza [A] four-seater [B] plane took off.
[E] It crashed [C] less than five [A] minutes later, the pilot blinded by bad weather.
I said to myself, how could this be possible that a young man like Buddy, so talented, _ _ you know, why Buddy? _ _
_ Ralph Pierre is the chairman and CEO [B] of Pure Music.
I think that [E] respect for Holly has to come from [A] a view as to how genuine and how focused an individual he [Dm] was.
[D#] _ _ [F] Now to Buddy, I [A#] would say, [Gm] look honey, you wanted [Cm] your music to be [F] loved and [A#] enjoyed, and [D#]
here your dream has [A#] come true. _ _ _ _
[D#m] _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ [F#] _ _
[C] _ _ _ [A#] _ _ _ Maria Elena Holly, My Life With Buddy, was produced by Mark
A plane crash had just claimed [C#m] one of [A] rock and roll's greatest talents, Buddy Holly.
_ [D] A thousand miles away in [G] New York, an equally young [E] woman could little comprehend that a new life for [A] her was beginning.
This [D] is her story.
While he was [A] sitting, he started flirting with me.
He says, [D] you know, I'd like to take you out to dinner tonight.
[A] I like the guy a lot, but [E] dinner?
I don't know about [D] that.
The happy couple [A] married in August 1958 after their whirlwind courtship.
Even before marrying me, he told me, I decided to break with Norman.
I needed [E] to go on, on another level, and that level would have [F#m] been New York.
Buddy and [G#] Maria Elena settled [A] into New York Manhattan life, visiting [F#m] the coffee bars [G#] and [A] clubs of the village.
Then by [G#] day, Buddy would often be [E] writing new [Am] songs or working [D] in the studio [A] with his producer [Cm] Dick Jacobs.
[C] We were really _ [G] stagnant in some sort of way because the lack [Dm] of money, and Buddy did not feel [G] comfortable at all [C] that my aunt was [A] taking care [F#] of everything for [E] us.
When Buddy called, [F#] they says, you know, you're in luck because [C#] we need [F#] a name for the tour, someone like you.
[E] It's just [F#] going to be two weeks.
In the meantime, [C#] I had gotten [F#] pregnant.
_ Despite [B] this news and Maria Elena's [C#] misgivings, Buddy felt it would be okay [C#m] and decided to take up the [F#] GAC tour offer, [B]
as it would be only for a short [C#] time.
The buses were breaking [E] down, everybody had [F#] problems.
Things were not going right on [A] that tour.
Buddy [G#m] said, you know what, [E] we need new transportation.
He didn't tell me that he was [A] going to fly.
[B] _
[A] _ Around 1 [G#m] a.m. in [E] worsening conditions, the Beechcraft Bonanza [A] four-seater [B] plane took off.
[E] It crashed [C] less than five [A] minutes later, the pilot blinded by bad weather.
I said to myself, how could this be possible that a young man like Buddy, so talented, _ _ you know, why Buddy? _ _
_ Ralph Pierre is the chairman and CEO [B] of Pure Music.
I think that [E] respect for Holly has to come from [A] a view as to how genuine and how focused an individual he [Dm] was.
[D#] _ _ [F] Now to Buddy, I [A#] would say, [Gm] look honey, you wanted [Cm] your music to be [F] loved and [A#] enjoyed, and [D#]
here your dream has [A#] come true. _ _ _ _
[D#m] _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ [F#] _ _
[C] _ _ _ [A#] _ _ _ Maria Elena Holly, My Life With Buddy, was produced by Mark