After an unsuccessful first single, the group were signed to Laurie Records. Their breakthrough came when "I Wonder Why" made # 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the group appeared for the first time on the Dick Clark TV show. They followed it with the ballads "No One Knows" (#19) and "Don't Pity Me" (#40).
This success won Dion and the Belmonts their first major tour in late 1958, with The Coasters, Buddy Holly and Bobby Darin, and this was followed up by the "Winter Dance Party" tour with Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. On 2 February 1959, after playing at Clear Lake, Iowa, Dion decided that he could not afford the $36 cost of a flight to the next venue. The plane crashed, and Holly and the other stars were killed. However, the tour continued, with Jimmy Clanton and Bobby Vee being added to the bill.
In March 1959, Dion and the Belmonts’ next single, "A Teenager in Love", was released, making #5 in the Billboard Hot 100 and #28 in the UK Singles Chart, and this was followed by an album, Presenting Dion and the Belmonts. Their biggest hit, "Where or When", was released in November 1959, and reached #3 on the U.S. chart.
However, in early 1960, Dion checked in to hospital for heroin addiction, a problem he had had since his mid-teens. Further single releases for the group that year were less successful, there were musical and financial disputes between Dion and members of the Belmonts, and in October 1960 Dion decided to quit for a solo career. The Belmonts also continued to release records, but with less success.
Dion and the Belmonts reunited in 1966 for the unsuccessful album Together Again on ABC Records, and again in 1972 for a one-off show at Madison Square Garden, recorded and released as a live album.
Dream Lover
Dion & The Belmonts Lyrics
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A dream lover will come my way
A girl to hold in my arms
And know the magic of her charms
'Cause I want
A girl
To call
My own
So I don't have to dream alone
Dream lover, where are you
With a love, oh, so true
And the hand that I can hold
To feel you near as I grow old
'Cause I want
A girl
To call
My own
I want a dream lover
So I don't have to dream alone
Someday, I don't know how
I hope she'll hear my plea
Some way, I don't know how
She'll bring her love to me
Dream lover, until then
I'll go to sleep and dream again
That's the only thing to do
Till all my lover's dreams come true
'Cause I want
A girl
To call
My own
I want a dream lover
So I don't have to dream alone
Dream lover, until then
I'll go to sleep and dream again
That's the only thing to do
Till all my lover's dreams come true
'Cause I want
A girl
To call
My own
I want a dream lover
So I don't have to dream alone
Please don't make me dream alone
I beg you don't make me dream alone
No, I don't wanna dream
The lyrics of Dion & The Belmonts' song Dream Lover convey a longing for love and companionship, specifically a dream lover who can fulfill the singer's desire for a girl to call his own. The song implies a sense of loneliness and desperation for a person to share his life with, calling out to this dream lover with the hope that she will hear his plea and come to him. The singer wants to hold this dream lover in his arms, feel the magic of her charms, and grow old with her by his side.
The lyrics also suggest that the singer has been enduring this loneliness for some time, having to resort to dreaming to ease his pain until his lover's dreams come true. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the singer's desire for a dream lover and his fear of continuing to dream alone.
Overall, Dream Lover is a poignant and heartfelt ballad about the human need for love and companionship, expressed through a simple yet powerful melody and evocative lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night I hope and pray
Each night, I hope and plead for a dream lover.
A dream lover will come my way
I hope to find a lover who only exists in my dreams.
A girl to hold in my arms
I want a girl to embrace.
And know the magic of her charms
I want to experience the enchantment of her presence.
'Cause I want
Because I desire
A girl
A female partner
To call
To consider as
My own
Exclusively mine
I want a dream lover
I long for a lover from my dreams.
So I don't have to dream alone
So I won't have to be in solitude in my dreams.
Dream lover, where are you
Lover of my dreams, where are you?
With a love, oh, so true
With a pure and genuine love.
And the hand that I can hold
A hand to hold onto.
To feel you near as I grow old
To feel your presence as I age.
Someday, I don't know how
In the future, I don't know how.
I hope she'll hear my plea
I hope she'll listen to my request.
Some way, I don't know how
In some way, I don't know how.
She'll bring her love to me
She'll come and give me her love.
Dream lover, until then
Until I find you, dream lover.
I'll go to sleep and dream again
I'll sleep and have dreams once more.
That's the only thing to do
That's the only option I have.
Till all my lover's dreams come true
Until my lover's dreams come true.
Please don't make me dream alone
I plead with you to not make me dream alone.
I beg you don't make me dream alone
I implore you to not let me dream alone.
No, I don't wanna dream
I do not want to dream alone.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: Bobby Darin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind