In 1977, they climbed to number seven in the UK Singles Chart with "Oh Lori", and in 1982 they reached number 71 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with "Put Away Your Love". This made them one-hit wonders on both sides of the Atlantic, albeit with different hits.
"Oh Lori" became a Top Ten hit in seventeen more countries]. The Alessi Brothers recorded five albums on major record labels. They sold over eight million records worldwide, and toured with Andy Gibb on his Shadow Dancing tour.
Billy and Bobby Alessi co-operated with Art Garfunkel on his 1979 album Fate for Breakfast, mainly providing the background vocals. As vocal arrangers the twins helped Deborah Gibson on her 2001 album M.Y.O.B., including production work and writing the title track.
In 1984, the brothers released a song, "Savin' the Day", for the soundtrack to the film, Ghostbusters. The song was used in the 1986 cartoon based on the movie.
The Brothers have enjoyed success working on jingles and advertisements for many mainstream consumer products in the U.S. In the 2000s they resumed their touring and album recording career as a duo, with the release of two new albums as Alessi, and also as part of group Barnaby Bye.
Lover Boy
Alessi Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
sleepin' alone again
New ladies is no way to go I know
Ah -- wonder boy, tryin' 'em all but there's never enough
True ladies are so hard to find, I know
Hey, lover boy, lover boy,
even try and tell her you love her
She won't give in, she won't give in,
Ah -- lover boy, you get what you want,
but you don't get what you need
True ladies are so hard to find, I know
Hey, lover boy, lover boy,
even try and tell her you love her
She won't give in, she won't give in,
I'll tell you right now baby
I know, I know that you need to find love
Hey, lover boy, lover boy,
even try and tell her you love her
She won't give in, she won't give in,
I'll tell you right now baby
Hey -- lover boy, lover boy,
keep on tryin' harder
but you won't get in
Hey, lover boy, lover boy,
Hey -- lover boy, lover boy,
keep on tryin' harder
but you won't get in
The song Lover Boy by Alessi Brothers is a melancholic ballad about a womanizing man who can’t seem to find true love despite all his attempts with different women. The song addresses him as “hey lover boy” and points out how he is sleeping alone again after trying out various women with no satisfaction. He is desperate for a true lady who is so hard to find. Despite all his attempts in wooing women and telling them he loves them, they never give in. The song also highlights the difference between what the man wants and what he needs in his pursuit of love. He may get what he wants by trying harder, but what he needs is true love which is so difficult to find.
The lyrics of Lover Boy reveal a sense of sadness and desperation on the part of the singer. He wants to find someone to love him for who he is, but he keeps failing in his attempts. The repetition of the chorus “Hey lover boy, lover boy, even try and tell her you love her, she won't give in, she won't give in” shows how rejection has become a common occurrence for him. The song’s melody is gentle and evocative, adding to the sadness of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey -- lover boy, look at you now,
sleepin' alone again
Addressing a man who is alone again, despite being a lover boy.
New ladies is no way to go I know
Ah -- wonder boy, tryin' 'em all but there's never enough
True ladies are so hard to find, I know
Trying out different women is not fulfilling him because true love is hard to find.
Hey, lover boy, lover boy,
even try and tell her you love her
She won't give in, she won't give in,
I'll tell you right now baby
Even if he tells a woman that he loves her, she won't surrender herself to him.
Ah -- lover boy, you get what you want,
but you don't get what you need
True ladies are so hard to find, I know
Although he manages to get what he wants from women, he doesn't find what he truly needs, which is a true lady.
I know, I know that you need to find love
Hey, lover boy, lover boy,
even try and tell her you love her
She won't give in, she won't give in,
I'll tell you right now baby
The singer knows that the lover boy is in need of love but trying to convince a woman won't work for him.
Hey -- lover boy, lover boy,
keep on tryin' harder
but you won't get in
Encouraging the lover boy to keep trying, but warning him that his efforts won't be successful.
Hey, lover boy, lover boy,
Hey -- lover boy, lover boy,
keep on tryin' harder
but you won't get in
Repeating the warning to the lover boy that trying harder won't bring him into a woman's heart.
Contributed by Annabelle S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.