About The Song
“Above and Beyond” – often known by its full subtitle “Above and Beyond (The Call of Love)” – is one of the first songs that showed just how strong Buck Owens could be as a country hitmaker. Written by Harlan Howard, it was released on Capitol Records as a single on March 7, 1960, with “‘Til These Dreams Come True” on the flip side. At just over two minutes long, it captured the bright, sharp Bakersfield sound that Owens was shaping on the West Coast and pushed him another step closer to becoming a national star.
Howard had originally written the song for Wynn Stewart, who cut the first version in 1959 for the Jackpot label. That record never charted, but it caught the attention of musicians and writers around California. When Buck Owens heard it, he recognized both the strength of the melody and the way the lyric fit his own style. Under producer Ken Nelson, he re-cut the song at Capitol’s Hollywood studio in December 1959, tightening the arrangement and pushing the vocal and electric guitar right to the front – the core ingredients of what would soon be known as the Bakersfield Sound.
When Owens’ single appeared in early 1960, the response was immediate. “Above and Beyond” became his third national chart entry and his highest-placing single to that date, climbing to No. 3 on Billboard’s country chart and reaching the Top 10 on Toronto’s CHUM survey in Canada. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} A year later it was folded into his first LP, simply titled Buck Owens, where it opened the track list like a statement of intent: this is the sound that would carry him through a decade of No. 1 records and endless one-nighters.
The story in the lyric is a classic Harlan Howard idea: take a simple phrase people already know and stretch it into something emotional. The narrator promises a lover that his devotion goes “above and beyond the call of love,” a twist on the saying “above and beyond the call of duty.” He swears he will give more than anyone expects, never let her down, and stand by her no matter what. There is nothing fancy in the language – no poetry for its own sake – but the balance of humility and determination makes the promise feel real. It is the sound of a man who knows love is hard work and is still willing to sign up.
Owens’ performance turns that promise into something urgent. He sings in his clear, ringing tenor, pushing right up against the edge of the beat, while the band locks into a bright shuffle. The electric guitar lines snap between phrases like underlined words, the steel guitar sighs in the background, and the drums keep a relentless forward motion. There are no strings or choruses to soften the track; the space around his voice lets every little catch and curl register. In just over two minutes, the record delivers the mix of drive and vulnerability that would become his trademark.
The song’s influence spread well beyond its initial run up the charts. In 1961 it appeared again, this time as the opening cut on Owens’ debut album, and later it was featured on the tribute LP Buck Owens Sings Harlan Howard, reinforcing how central the song was to their partnership. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} Young musicians took note too: Rodney Crowell has often recalled learning every word off Buck’s single as a child, long before he went on to cut his own version. In 1989 Crowell’s cover, included on his hit album Diamonds & Dirt, went all the way to No. 1 on the country chart, giving the song a second life nearly thirty years after its birth. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Since then, “Above and Beyond (The Call of Love)” has become a modern standard. Harlan Howard recorded it himself, and later generations – including bluegrass and neotraditional artists – have kept it on stage and on record. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} For Buck Owens, though, the 1960 single marks a turning point: the moment when a former backup musician and regional act stepped fully into his role as a leading voice of hard country. Listening now, you can hear why. The record is short, direct and unforgettable – a perfect early snapshot of the Bakersfield king before the flood of hits, standing at the microphone and promising a love that truly goes above and beyond.
Video
Lyric
A-well, I’ll give you love
That’s above and beyond the call of love
And I’ll never ever make you cry
A-yes, I’ll give you love
That’s above and beyond the call of love
And love’s something that money can’t buy
Well, a poor boy’s chances for a pretty girl’s glances
Are sometimes very few
Though I’ve got no money, if you’ll be my honey
Here’s what I’ll offer you
A-well, I’ll give you love
That’s above and beyond the call of love
And I’ll never ever make you cry
A-yes, I’ll give you love
That’s above and beyond the call of love
And love’s something that money can’t buy
We met by chance and I knew at a glance
That I’d found my destiny
Now I want to carry you off and marry you
If you will agree
And I’ll give you love
That’s above and beyond the call of love
And I’ll never ever make you cry
Yes, I’ll give you love
That’s above and beyond the call of love
And love’s something that money can’t buy