The Wanderer
DiMucci Dion Lyrics

The Wanderer by DiMucci Dion is a classic rock and roll song about a man who lives his life without any attachments, travelling from place to place and woman to woman. The lyrics reveal the singer’s character as a rover who never settles down but moves from one pretty girl to another. He professes his love to them indiscriminately, proclaiming that they are all the same to him, hugging and squeezing them without regard to their feelings or their significance to him. He is the wanderer who roams aimlessly through life without a care in the world, living for the moment, and enjoying the thrill of the chase.

The song’s chorus repeats the phrase ‘I roam around, around, around’ which reinforces the theme of restlessness, as the singer is never content with where he is or who he is with. The Wanderer perfectly exemplifies the spirit of rock and roll music - it revels in the wild energy of youth, the joy of adventure, and the freedom of living without constraints.

* The Wanderer was released in 1961, and quickly became a hit, reaching #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
* The song was written by Ernie Maresca, who was a songwriter and singer himself, and he co-wrote other hits for the likes of Dion, The Dovells, and Jay and the Americans.
* Ernie Maresca wrote the song with Dion in mind, as he felt that it would suit his gravelly voice and energetic rock and roll style.
* The song was covered by many other artists, including Status Quo, Eddie Rabbitt, and Bruce Springsteen.
* The Wanderer was featured in several movies, including The Wanderers in 1979 and Christina Aguilera's Burlesque in 2010.
* In 2002, Dion recorded a new version of the song with Brian Setzer, which was released as a single and included on his album Deja Nu.
* The song is included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".
* The Wanderer was also included on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
* The song's lyrics have been interpreted as expressing a male chauvinistic attitude towards women, with the singer treating them as disposable objects.
* In the lyrics, the singer tears open his shirt to reveal the name “Rosie” tattooed on his chest, which has become iconic in popular culture and has been referenced in other songs and films.

Key: A
Intro: A D A D

Verse:
A D A D
Oh well, I'm the type of guy who will never settle down
A D A D
Where pretty girls are, well you know that I'm around
A D A D
I kiss 'em and I love 'em 'cause to me they're all the same
A D A D
I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em, they don't even know my name

Chorus:
A D A D
They call me the wanderer, yeah, the wanderer
A D A D
I roam around, around, around

Verse:
A D A D
Oh well, there's Flo on my left and then there's Mary on my right
A D A D
And Janie is the girl, well, that I'll be with tonight
A D A D
And when she asks me, which one I love the best?
A D A D
I tear open my shirt, and I show "Rosie" on my chest

Chorus:
A D A D
I'm the wanderer, yeah, the wanderer
A D A D
I roam around, around, around

Bridge:
A D A D
Oh well, I roam from town to town
A D A D
I go through life without a care
A D A D
And I'm as happy as a clown
A D A D
With my two fists of iron but I'm going nowhere

Verse:
A D A D
Oh yeah, I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around
A D A D
I'm never in one place; I roam from town to town
A D A D
And when I find myself fallin' for some girl
A D A D
I hop right into that car of mine and ride around the world

Chorus:
A D A D
Yeah, 'cause I'm a wanderer, yeah, the wanderer
A D A D
I roam around, around, around

Outro:
A D A D A D