# Who is Holly?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-holly/790>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 29, 1999, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-holly/790 "1999-05-29T20:24:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 1999, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-holly/790/1 "1999-05-29T20:24:00Z")

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Two recent pop/rock songs came out recently, and both of them refer to someone named “Holly” (sp?). What’s up? - John Mellencamp: “I’m On My Way” & Jewel: “Hands” (I think) - MC

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 1999, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-holly/790/2 "1999-05-31T00:16:00Z")

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Buddy Holly? I think the 40th anniversary of the plane crash is this year.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 1999, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-holly/790/3 "1999-05-31T23:54:00Z")

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MC:this is trivia…  
Buddy Holly, the white twin brother of Chuck Berry…Have you heard of Berry?

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 1999, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-holly/790/4 "1999-06-06T10:07:00Z")

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    - No go: In the J. Mellencamp song the Holly is referred to in the female gender. In the Jewel song no gender is given. - MC

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 1999, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-holly/790/5 "1999-06-06T11:39:00Z")

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There are some singers with the first name Holly. You figure it out.  
Some Mellencamp songs I have no idea what he’s saying.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 1999, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-holly/790/6 "1999-06-12T04:35:00Z")

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I heard “Hands” on the radio and actually listened to it just because of this question. I never heard the word “Holly.” The closest thing that I did hear was when she said that _heartache_ came to visit her, or something like that. I wonder if this is what you heard, too, or if I missed something. With Mellancamp, I assume that the name really has no significance.

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“It is more from carelessness about the truth than from intentional lying that there is so much falsehood in the world.”  
-Samuel Johnson