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.
I Can't Go on
Dion & The Belmonts Lyrics
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Rosalie, come back to me
I'm reeling and I'm rocking like a willow tree
Rosalie, come back home
Rosalie, come back home
I might as well confess, I'm blue and all alone
Oh I know you're not doing me right
Please come back and try to stay
Can't go on this way
Rosalie, come back to me
I'm reeling and I'm rocking like a willow tree
Rosalie, come back to me
Rosalie, come back to me
I'm reeling and I'm rocking like a willow tree
Rosalie, come back home
Rosalie, please come home
I might as well confess, I'm blue and all alone
The song "I Can't Go On" by Dion & The Belmonts is a classic doo-wop ballad that expresses the longing of the singer, presumably Dion, for his lost love, Rosalie. The song is structured around a simple, repetitive chorus that emphasizes the theme of the song - the plea for Rosalie to return. The verses provide some context for the plea, with Dion admitting that he is unable to sleep and acknowledging that Rosalie has not been treating him well. Despite this, he is still deeply in love with her and is unable to continue without her.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of vulnerability and desperation that is conveyed through both the lyrics and the music. The slow tempo and mournful harmonies of the doo-wop style create a sense of sadness and longing, while the repetition of the chorus underscores the singer's inability to move on without Rosalie. The image of a willow tree, which is mentioned twice in the chorus, is particularly effective in capturing this sense of emotional turmoil - willow trees are known for their flexible branches that sway in the wind, creating a visual metaphor for the singer's emotional instability and need for Rosalie's return.
Overall, "I Can't Go On" is a classic example of a doo-wop ballad that captures the pain and longing of lost love. The repetitive structure and plaintive harmonies create a sense of emotional intensity that remains powerful even decades after the song was originally recorded.
Line by Line Meaning
Rosalie, come back to me
The singer is asking Rosalie to return to him
I'm reeling and I'm rocking like a willow tree
The singer is feeling distressed and unstable
Rosalie, come back home
The singer is pleading for Rosalie to come back to his home
I might as well confess, I'm blue and all alone
The artist admits to feeling sad and isolated without Rosalie
I can't sleep day or night
The artist is having trouble sleeping
Oh I know you're not doing me right
The singer is aware that Rosalie's absence is causing him distress
Please come back and try to stay
The singer is asking Rosalie to return and commit to staying with him
Can't go on this way
The artist is unable to continue living without Rosalie
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTOINE DOMINO, DAVE BARTHOLOMEW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind