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."
The Mountain's High
Dick & Dee Dee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The mountain's high
And the valley's so deep
Can't get across
To the other side
Don't you give up, babyDon't you cry
Don't you give up til
I reach the other side
I was lonely, baby
I couldn't sleep
The night they took you
From my side
I was a lonely soul
Until you became my goal
And then I saw the spark of love
And then the stars fell
From up above, oh, yeah
I know someday
We will meet again
But I don't know exactly
Where or when
But, baby, if fate has its way
We'll meet again some other day
The mountain's high
And the valley's so deep
Can't get acrossTo the other side
Don't you give up, baby
Don't you cry
Don't you give up til
I reach the other side
The lyrics to Dick & Dee Dee's song The Mountain's High speak of the power of love and the determination to be reunited with a loved one. The repeated phrase "The mountain's high and the valleys so deep, can't get across to the other side" symbolizes the struggles and obstacles that come with being separated from a loved one. The singer pleads with their partner to not give up hope and to continue to hold on until they are reunited. The lyrics also speak to the loneliness and heartache that comes with the absence of a loved one, as the singer describes their own inability to sleep after their partner was taken away.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's determination to overcome any obstacle in the way of their reunion. The repetition of "Don't ya give up baby, don't ya cry, Don't ya give up till I reach the other side" highlights the persistence and unwavering love that the singer has for their partner. The song expresses a deep longing for connection and a belief that fate will one day bring the lovers back together.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yea-hea, yea-hea, yea-hea yea-hea
Excitement and anticipation for what is to come
The mountains high and the valleys so deep
The obstacles we face are vast and challenging
Cant get across to the other si-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hide
It feels impossible to overcome these obstacles and reach our goal
Dont ya give up baby, dont you cry
Don't lose hope or despair, keep pushing forward
Dont ya give up till I reach the other si-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hide
Keep pushing forward until we reach our goal, even if it takes time
I was lonely baby, I couldnt sleep
I felt incomplete and restless without you by my side
The night they took you from my si-hi-hi-hi-hi-hide
The moment you were gone was painful and difficult to bear
I was a lonely soul
I felt like something was missing within me
Until you became my goal
Finding you became my main focus and purpose
And then I saw the spark of love
Our love became a powerful force in my life
And then the stars fell from (up above OH YEAH!)
Our love felt magical and brought us great joy
I know someday we will meet again
I have faith that we will be reunited
But I dont know exactly where or whe-he-he-he-he-he-he-hen
The future is uncertain and we don't know how or when we will be reunited
But baby, if fate has its way
If it is meant to be, we will be together again
Well meet again some other day-aaaaaaaaaayyyy
We will be together again one day, somehow
Hoo hoo hoo hoo (I know it to I tell ya)
Expressing agreement or confirmation
The valleys deep baby.......
The challenges we face can be overwhelming, but we will overcome them
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RICHARD GOSTING, DICK ST JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sauquoit13456
Sixty years ago today on September 25th, 1961 "The Mountain's High" by Dick and Dee Dee peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's Top 100 chart, for the two weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for those two weeks was "Take Good Care of My Baby" by Bobby Vee...
"The Mountain's High" reached #37 on the United Kingdom's Singles chart...
Between 1961 and 1965 the California duo had eight records on the Top 100 chart, one made the Top 10, the above "The Mountain's High"...
They had two Top 20 records, "Young and In Love" {#17 in 1963} and "Thou Shalt Not Steal" {#13 in 1965}...
Dick St. John passed away on December 27th, 2003 at the age of 63 {an accidental fall}...
May he R.I.P.
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of Billboard's Top 10 on September 25th, 1961:
At #3. "Michael" by The Highwaymen
#4. "Crying" by Roy Orbison
#5. "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor (On the Bedpost Over Night)" by Lonnie Donegan and His Skiffle Group
#6. "Little Sister" by Elvis Presley
#7. "Who Put The Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)" by Barry Mann
#8. "My True Story" by The Jive Five
#9. "Without You" by Johnny Tillotson
#10. "(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame" by Elvis Presley
Note: Three records in the above Top 10 were recorded on June 26th, 1961 at RCA Studio 'B' on 1611 Roy Acuff Place in Nashville, Tennessee. Roy Orbison's "Crying" {at #4}, Elvis' "Little Sister {at #6}, and his "(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame" {at #10}...
@Macsood-l1r
One of the Most Beautiful Songs Ever To Come Out Of A Recording Studio.
@albertdrover2604
I was 14 when this came out. I thought it was bloody brilliant then and nothing has changed my mind - I’m now 75.
@mariamercy7317
I was 14 also, 76 now. Used to live in NYC then. This song popped into my mind at 6am on a chilly, Floridian morning 😊 Reminisce is to live.
@thomastittmann2967
So was I. Finished elementary school and started high school at Power Memorial Academy in NYC at the same time as Lou Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar). I woke up a few minutes ago thinking about this tune. See, a young friend of mine and my wife will be having an exhibition of his drawings and paintings that feature a lot of mountains and valleys…His inspiration comes from remembrances of growing up in Central America as well as his personal up’s and down’s. Thank you for posting this 🙏
tOM
@clairereynolds8583
72 same here
@jimwyatt9894
I am 77. Precisely!
@ILLGREEN1
I was 14 too but I didn't heard it in your time, I heard through an oldie station on the radio back in 1992. I remember me and my brother looking at each other and saying this is the most illest sound we ever heard.
@rosejackson8670
I am now 72 years old. And I am happy to say I still have the 45 record. I don't looks so good, but it still sounds good. And I still dance to it. Mush Love, Form Missouri.
@stjames3540
YAY! Never Stop . . . . We were a great generation. . . Much Love
@colinfrance6926
I am 71. I bought the original 45 and still love it. I look old and I sing and dance to it but only in private. Colin . South coast of England.