Bobby Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is an American pop music singer. At 16, … Read Full Bio ↴Bobby Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is an American pop music singer. At 16, Vinton formed his first band, which played clubs around the Pittsburgh area. With the money he earned, Vinton helped finance his college education at Duquesne University, where he studied music and graduated with a degree in musical composition. While at Duquesne, he became proficient on all of the instruments in the band: piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums and oboe.

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.

My Elusive Dreams
Bobby Vinton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You followed me to Texas,
You followed me to Utah,
We didn't find it there,
So we moved on.

You followed me to Alabama.
Things looked good in Burmingham.
We didn't find it there,

So we moved on.

I know your tired
Of following
My elusive dreams and scheems.
For there only fleeting things.

My elusive dreams.
You had my child in Memphus.
I heard of work in Nashville.
We didn't find it there.

So we moved on.
To farm in Nebraska.
To a gold mine in Alaska.
We didn't find it there.

So we moved on.
And now we've left Alaska.
Because there was no gold mine.
But this time,

Only two of us move on.
Now all we have is each other.
And a little memory to cling to.
And still you won't let me

Go on alone.
I know your tired
Of following
My elusive dreams and scheems.

For there only fleeting things.
My elusive dreams.

For there only fleeting things.
My elusive dreams.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bobby Vinton's song My Elusive Dreams tell a story about a man who is constantly searching for something bigger and better, dragging his partner along with him on a journey that takes them across the country in search of his illusive dreams. The man acknowledges that his partner is tired of chasing his elusive dreams and schemes that always turn out to be fleeting things. The song highlights the theme of the pursuit of happiness, the search for something better, and the costs that come with it.

The opening lines tell of travels to different locations in search of the man's dreams. However, the refrain, "we didn't find it there, so we moved on" suggests that they were always looking for a greener pasture. The man's partner had gone along with him everywhere, from Texas to Utah, Alabama to Tennessee, Nebraska to Alaska, Alaska to wherever, until there were only two of them left. The singer finally admits to his partner that his dreams are elusive and fleeting things, recognizing that his ambitions often come at the cost of her happiness and well-being.

The song's lyrics are relatable to anyone who has ever searched for something greater, something beyond what they have. The feeling of dissatisfaction with one's current situation is universal, and the urge to find something better is a powerful motivator. The song shows the price that is often paid in the pursuit of those elusive dreams - broken promises, shattered hopes, and a lonely path forward.

Line by Line Meaning

You followed me to Texas,
I had a dream that we couldn't find in Texas, but you followed me there anyway.

You followed me to Utah,
We went to Utah, but we still didn't find the dream I was searching for.

We didn't find it there,
Despite our efforts, the dream was not attainable in Texas or Utah.

So we moved on.
We left those places in search of something new.

You followed me to Alabama.
We went to Alabama, hoping to find the dream I was seeking.

Things looked good in Burmingham.
We had hope that our dream might be attainable in Birmingham.

I know your tired
I understand that you're exhausted from chasing after my dreams.

Of following
Of following me from place to place in search of my aspirations.

My elusive dreams and scheems.
Those aspirations I pursue are not permanent, and likely impossible to attain.

For there only fleeting things.
Because those dreams are only temporary, never truly achievable.

My elusive dreams.
The dreams I chase are ever-changing and always out of reach.

You had my child in Memphus.
You and I had a child while living in Memphis.

I heard of work in Nashville.
I heard that we might have better luck finding our dreams in Nashville.

To farm in Nebraska.
We thought maybe we could fulfill our aspirations by farming in Nebraska.

To a gold mine in Alaska.
Our search even took us to Alaska to work in a gold mine in hopes of fulfilling our dreams.

And now we've left Alaska.
Unfortunately, the gold mine in Alaska fell short of fulfilling our dreams, and we had to move on.

Because there was no gold mine.
Our hopes of striking it rich in the gold mines proved to be futile.

But this time,
Unlike our past moves, we had to leave without achieving anything.

Only two of us move on.
It's just the two of us now, continuing our search for something that may never come.

Now all we have is each other.
Our travels have led us to this point, where all we have is each other and our memories of our journeys.

And a little memory to cling to.
Our only comfort is the memories of the places we have visited and the things we have done.

And still you won't let me
Even though we have failed to achieve our dreams time and time again, you still stand by me.

Go on alone.
You won’t let me continue my search on my own, but stay by my side in our quest.

For there only fleeting things.
We continue to chase after our aspirations, even though we know they are impermanent, never to be fully realized.

My elusive dreams.
We still hold onto our dreams, even though we know they are impossible to attain.

For there only fleeting things.
Our aspirations are a temporary thing—they come and go and are never permanent.

My elusive dreams.
The dreams and hopes we have chased after have proven time and time again to be evasive and out of reach, yet we continue to pursue them.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Billy Sherrill, Claude Putman Jr., Curly Putman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Tom Smith

3y↑15

So glad to see Bobby Vinton! Please post more of his appearances! I especially want to see these performances:

1964 01 19 medley: "Blue Velvet," "Roses Are Red (My Love)" & "There! I've Said It Again".

1964 03 22 "My Heart Belongs to Only You."

1964 06 28 "Tell Me Why".

1965 03 28 "Long Lonely Nights".

1969 07 06 "Those Were The Days" and a medley: "Blue Velvet," "Halfway to Paradise," "Take Good Care of My Baby" and "Please Love Me Forever."