Dick and Dee Dee were American musical entertainers. Dick St. John (born Ri… Read Full Bio ↴Dick and Dee Dee were American musical entertainers. Dick St. John (born Richard St. John Gosting, 1940 - died December 27, 2003), was the male half of the duo, and Dee Dee Sperling (real name Mary) was the female half. Formed while students in high school in Santa Monica, California, the duo were not romantically linked.

They teamed up in the 1950s, but their first major hit was the million-selling rock and roll song "The Mountain's High" (1961). The song spent two weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, kept out of the top spot by Bobby Vee's "Take Good Care of My Baby." The track reached #37 in the UK Singles Chart.

Their recordings were created with four voice tracks. Each of them sang two separate harmony lines. St. John sang the highest and lowest parts including the falsetto, and Dee Dee sang in the middle notes.

The duo recorded three Rolling Stones tracks in 1964 including "Blue Turns to Grey" and Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind" penned by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In an interview with the BBC Radio, recorded in 2006, Sperling revealed that their singing was overdubbed onto backing tracks recorded by the Stones, with Mick Jagger's vocals removed.

Their other hits included "Turn Around", "Tell Me", "Thou Shalt Not Steal" (their second-biggest hit, reaching #13 in 1965, with a special picture sleeve issued promoting Triumph Motorcycles), and "Young and in Love".

By 1969, both singers had married other people and the duo disbanded.

St. John died in 2003 after falling from the roof of his home. In 2006, Sperling published a book about her experiences as half of Dick and Dee Dee, entitled Vinyl Highway. In 2008, Sperling teamed with actor/singer Michael Dunn singing St. John's parts, and the two are performing as "Dick and Dee Dee."

Not Fade Away
Dick & Dee Dee Lyrics

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I wanna tell you how it's gonna be
You're gonna give your love to me
I wanna love you night and day
You know my love will not fade away
You know my love will not fade away
Not fade away

My love's bigger than a Cadillac

I try to show you but you drive me back
Your love for me has got to be real
You're gonna know just how I feel

Love's real, not fade away
Not fade away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dick & Dee Dee's song "Not Fade Away" express a romantic passion and devotion that is both insistent and powerful. The opening lines, "I wanna tell you how it's gonna be / You're gonna give your love to me," are an unequivocal demand for the object of the singer's affection to reciprocate his feelings. The subsequent lines, "I wanna love you night and day / You know my love will not fade away" intensify this demand, suggesting that the singer's love will endure despite any obstacles or doubts that might arise. The repetition of the phrase "not fade away" emphasizes this enduring quality, reinforcing the idea that the singer's love is a force to be reckoned with.

The second verse of the song continues this theme of passionate devotion, with the singer comparing his love to a Cadillac, a symbol of luxury and status. The line "I try to show you but you drive me back" hints at the frustration that the singer feels as his beloved resists his advances, while the line "Your love for me has got to be real" underscores the importance of authenticity in their relationship. The final lines of the song, "Love's real, not fade away / Not fade away," suggest that the singer's love is not only enduring, but also grounded in reality.

Overall, "Not Fade Away" is a song that celebrates the power of love to overcome obstacles and endure over time. It speaks to the universal human desire for connection and intimacy, while also conveying an assertive and confident attitude towards pursuing that desire.

Line by Line Meaning

I wanna tell you how it's gonna be
I want to explain to you how our relationship will unfold

You're gonna give your love to me
You're going to choose to love me and only me

I wanna love you night and day
I want to be with you all the time and constantly show my love

You know my love will not fade away
You can trust that my love for you will always be strong and unwavering

Not fade away
My love will never diminish or disappear

My love's bigger than a Cadillac
My love for you is immense and all-encompassing

I try to show you but you drive me back
I attempt to express my love, but you push me away

Your love for me has got to be real
Your love for me must be authentic and genuine

You're gonna know just how I feel
You will come to understand and reciprocate my love

Love's real, not fade away
Our love is real and will never fade away

Not fade away
Our love will never diminish or disappear