Today’s “Best Song Ever”: The Big Bopper “Chantilly Lace”

By Tim Duffy

On this day two of the most celebrated singer/songwriters in early Rock n’Roll(Buddy Holly and Richie Valens) died in a plane crash. Also J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson died, not that people seem to care. Of those three folks who passed on “The Day The Music Died” only the Big Bopper has failed to get his own motion picture. Also he just seems like a goof.

“Chantilly Lace” is the Big Bopper’s best song ever easily. It is a traditional rock and roll number for the most part but manages to include long stretches of the Bopper having a one sided telephone conversation with a girl he is trying to do “it” with. The spoken word portions of the song prove the Bopper to be an emphatic pronouncer of words and a funny charming fellow.

Some might be tempted to call this a “novelty” song but I don’t think that’s fair. Isn’t the whole point to dying young to make even the dumb things you’ve done take on a certain level of importance? Isn’t it only fair that if we can celebrate the other two bodies pulled out of that plane as we have we should do the same for the Bopper?

Possibly Related Posts:

• Today’s “Best Song Ever”: Donna Summer “I Feel Love”
• Today’s “Best Song Ever”: Lou Reed “New York Telephone Conversation”
• Today’s “Best Song Ever”: Brian Eno “Here He Comes”
• Today’s “Best Song Ever”: Gang of Four “Anthrax”
• Today’s “Best Song Ever”: Nirvana “I Hate Myself And I Want To Die”