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.
Unchained Melody
Bobby Vinton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
God speed your love to me
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea,
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh, "Wait for me, wait for me!
I'll be coming home, wait for me!"
Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me
The lyrics of Bobby Vinton's song Unchained Melody describe the yearning of a lover for the touch and presence of their significant other. The singer expresses the deep longing for their lover's love and touch that they have been deprived of for a long, lonely time. The lines, "Time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much, are you still mine?" emphasize the anxiety and worry that come with being separated from one's lover.
The second stanza, "Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea, to the open arms of the sea. Lonely rivers sigh, 'wait for me, wait for me! I’ll be coming home, wait for me!'" refers to the natural flow of rivers to the sea, and how the singer feels the same pull towards their lover, who they believe is waiting for them with open arms. This imagery emphasizes the themes of hope and trust, despite the distance and time that separates them.
Overall, the lyrics of Unchained Melody capture the raw emotions of love and longing, as the singer sings about their hunger for their lover's touch and love, and their desperate need for their return.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, my love, my darling
Addressing the beloved and expressing affection
I've hungered for your touch
Longing for physical intimacy
A long, lonely time
Emphasizing how much time has passed since they were together
Time goes by so slowly
Time seems to move slowly without the beloved
And time can do so much
Time can make the separation harder to bear
Are you still mine?
Questioning whether the beloved still belongs to them
I need your love
Expressing a deep emotional need for the beloved's love
I need your love
Repeating the emotional need to emphasize the importance of the beloved's love
God speed your love to me
Requesting divine intervention to bring the beloved's love back to them
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea,
Creating a metaphor for how lonely the singer feels without the beloved, using a river and the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Highlighting the welcoming nature of the sea, which contrasts with the loneliness of the singer
Lonely rivers sigh, "Wait for me, wait for me!
Personifying the rivers and making them ask the beloved to wait for the singer's return
I'll be coming home, wait for me!"
Assuring the beloved that the singer will return and asking them to wait patiently
Oh, my love, my darling
Repeating the opening phrase to end the song on a sentimental note
I've hungered for your touch
Repeating the second verse to reinforce the message of longing and desire
A long, lonely time
Repeating the third verse to emphasize the time that has passed without the beloved
Time goes by so slowly
Repeating the fourth verse to further emphasize the slow passage of time without the beloved
And time can do so much
Repeating the fifth verse to reinforce how much time can make the separation harder
Are you still mine?
Repeating the sixth verse to end the song on a note of uncertainty about the relationship
Contributed by Caden G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
RC
on Venus
Frankie Avalon is the best-known version of this song.