After a brief spell in the US Army, Vinton was signed to Epic Records in 1960 as a bandleader: "A Young Man With a Big Band." Two albums and several singles were not successful however, and with Epic ready to pull the plug, Vinton found his first hit single literally sitting in a reject pile. The song was titled "Roses Are Red (My Love)." It spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Arguably, his most famous song is 1963's "Blue Velvet" that also went to No.1. 23 years later, David Lynch named his movie Blue Velvet after the song. In 1964, Vinton had two #1 hits, "There! I've Said It Again" and "Mr. Lonely", the latter now being the basis for Akon's hit "Lonely."
In the 1970s, the "Polish Prince" continued to hit the Top 40, notably with "Ev'ry Day of My Life" and "Sealed With a Kiss" in 1972. That same year, Epic Records decided to end its relationship with Vinton and ended his recording contract. Undeterred, Vinton spent $50,000 of his own money on a self-written song sung partially in Polish: "My Melody of Love." After Vinton was turned down by 7 major labels, ABC Records bought Vinton's idea, and the result was a multi-million selling single that hit #1 on the AC charts in 1974. A gold album, Melodies of Love, followed as well as a successful half-hour variety show "The Bobby Vinton Show" (which aired from 1975 to 1978). He also starred in two John Wayne movies: Big Jake and The Train Robbers.
In the course of his career, Vinton has sold over 75 million records (singles, albums, compilation inclusions, etc) and is still performing on tour and at the Bobby Vinton Blue Velvet Theatre in Branson, Missouri.
Halfway to Paradise
Bobby Vinton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But your friend is all I've stayed
I'm only halfway to paradise
So near, yet so far away
I long for your lips to kiss my lips
But just when I think they may
You lead me halfway to paradise So near, yet so far away, mmm
Bein' close to you is almost heaven (heaven)
But seein' you can do just so much
It hurts me so to know your heart's a treasure (treasure)
And that my heart is forbidden to touch, so
Put your sweet lips close to my lips
And tell me that's where they're gonna stay
Don't lead me halfway to paradise
Mmm, so near, yet so far away
Oh, uh, oh so near, yet so far away
Yeah, yeah so near, yet so far away
The lyrics of "Halfway To Paradise" by Bobby Vinton express the love and longing for someone who is not able to reciprocate the same feelings. The singer wants to be with the person they love and be their lover, but they have always been just a friend to them. The title and the chorus of the song "Halfway To Paradise" represent the halfway point between being in love with someone and not being able to experience the fullness of that love. The singer is close to their love interest, but they cannot seem to get any closer and achieve full happiness.
The verses describe the singer's desire to kiss their love interest's lips and the frustration they feel when they are led to the halfway point of their desire, so close yet so far away. The singer feels that being close to the person they love is almost heaven, but they cannot experience the full extent of their affection as their love interest's heart is a treasure that they are forbidden to touch. The song highlights the pain of unrequited love and the struggle that many individuals face when they are in love with someone who does not feel the same way.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to be your lover
I desire to be in a romantic relationship with you
But your friend is all I've stayed
However, I have only maintained friendship with you so far
I'm only halfway to paradise
I feel incomplete, as I have not yet reached a state of complete happiness
So near, yet so far away
Although I am close to achieving my desire, it still seems very far away
I long for your lips to kiss my lips
I yearn to share a romantic kiss with you
But just when I think they may
However, every time I feel that it might happen, things don't go as expected
You lead me halfway to paradise
You bring me close to my happiness but not completely
Bein' close to you is almost heaven (heaven)
Being close to you feels like I'm almost in paradise
But seein' you can do just so much
However, just seeing you can only bring me so much joy
It hurts me so to know your heart's a treasure (treasure)
It pains me to know that your heart is precious and I can't freely have it
And that my heart is forbidden to touch, so
And I am not allowed to touch your heart, so we remain distant
Put your sweet lips close to my lips
Bring your lips next to mine
And tell me that's where they're gonna stay
Promise me that they will remain there and we will share a kiss
Don't lead me halfway to paradise
Don't bring me close to happiness but not fully, I want to experience it completely
Mmm, so near, yet so far away
Although we are close to it, we are still distant from our happiness
Oh, uh, oh so near, yet so far away
We are very close to it, but still unable to reach our paradise
Yeah, yeah so near, yet so far away
We are both close to each other, yet our happiness remains elusive
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, GERRY GOFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
n00se
I want to be your lover
But your friend is all I've stayed
I'm only halfway to paradise
So near, yet so far away
I long for your lips to kiss my lips
But just when I think they may
You lead me halfway to paradise
So near, yet so far away
Bein' close to you is almost heaven (heaven)
But seein' you can do just so much
It hurts me so to know your heart's a treasure (treasure)
And that my heart is forbidden to touch, so
Put your sweet lips close to my lips
And tell me that's where they're gonna stay
Don't lead me halfway to paradise
Mmm, so near, yet so far away
Oh, uh, oh so near, yet so far away
Yeah, yeah so near, yet so far away
TheLimePopsicle
This is my favorite version of the song, and it's the first I ever heard. Often the first one we hear becomes our favorite.
paul mcdowell
Amazing how 3 different interpretations of the same song can sound, Tony Orlando's very poppy, Billy Fury's totally classical and this one full of meaning. All great but if I have to choose , its got to be Billy. Thanks for posting.
Thomas Ponzio
should have been a much bigger hit
Ted Crim
Discernible, intelligible music that sounds as good today (4/13/20) as it did in August 1968. While some current popular music seems regressive, the wonderful music from a few years ago is still with us. Bobby is still out there and so are we.
Phil Davis
Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote more songs of my youth than anyone except perhaps Lennon-McCartney. I love her.
Judith Radtke
I love this song.
Linda
The best version, thank you for posting
Edward Peterson
Magnificent.
turtlecreekchick
thank you for putting this beautiful love song on your site, i listen to it every day
ed johnson
A record.
No down votes.
Well done.