Ron Sexsmith on Buddy Holly's 'It Doesn't Matter Anymore'
Riffs
It changed my life. I was about five when I heard it and my mum had this incredible collection of 45s which I was able to put on myself, and this record I listened to over and over. I knew Buddy Holly was dead, and that fascinated me, and then there was his voice - the way he'd go from that low thing to that hiccupy thing.
The song is about a guy trying to get over a broken heart by saying that the person doesn't matter any more. He's trying to convince himself: "You go your way, I'll go mine/ Now and forever til the end of time." But he's really laying into the vocal and the whole track is kinda eerie. I don't think at five that I understood the depth of the song; it was totally an aural thing. I still play it, and whenever I hear it, it has the same effect on me. I guess you'd call it a toetapper, which is at odds with the theme of the song. But that conflict, that contradiction - I like it.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies