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.
Kansas City
Dion & The Belmonts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kansas City here I come
I'm going to Kansas City
Kansas City here I come
They got crazy little women there
I′m gonna get me just one
I'm going to be stand on that corner
I'm going to be stand on that corner
Twelfth Street and Vine
With my Kansas City baby
And a bottle of Kansas City wine
Well I might take a train
I might take a plane
But if I have to walk
You know I′ll get there just the same
I′m going to Kansas City
Kansas City here I come
They got some crazy little women there
And I'm going to get me just one
If I stay with that woman
Don′t you know I'm gonna die
I got a brand new baby
And that′s the reason why
I'm going to Kansas City
Kansas City here I come
They got some crazy little women there
And I′m going to get me one
They got some crazy little women there
I'm going to get me one
They got some crazy little women there
I'm gonna get me one
The song "Kansas City" by Dion and The Belmonts is a classic rock and roll tune that offers us a peek into the exciting world of courting and love in Kansas City. The lyrics are about a man who is excited to head to Kansas City, where he has heard that the women are "crazy" and he is determined to find one for himself. The man is so excited about his future in that city that he repeats the phrase "Kansas City here I come" several times throughout the song. He describes how he plans to stand on the corner of 12th Street and Vine with his "Kansas City baby" and "a bottle of Kansas City wine."
The song speaks of the excitement and anticipation that comes with falling in love and the lengths one is willing to go to find that special someone. The line, "If I stay with that woman, don't you know I'm gonna die," indicates that the man would rather be out there searching for love than settle into a loveless relationship. Overall, the song provides an uplifting, energetic vibe that is sure to make anyone want to dance.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going to Kansas City
I am going to travel to Kansas City.
Kansas City here I come
I am excited to go to Kansas City.
They got crazy little women there
There are women in Kansas City who are full of life and energy.
I'm gonna get me just one
I am looking forward to finding a woman in Kansas City who matches my energy and spirit.
I'm going to be stand on that corner
I am planning on standing at the corner of Twelfth Street and Vine in Kansas City.
Twelfth Street and Vine
A specific intersection in Kansas City that the singer is planning on visiting.
With my Kansas City baby
Referring to the woman the singer hopes to find in Kansas City.
And a bottle of Kansas City wine
The singer plans to enjoy some local wine with his new companion.
Well I might take a train
The singer is considering different modes of transportation to get to Kansas City.
I might take a plane
The singer is considering different modes of transportation to get to Kansas City.
But if I have to walk
The singer is determined to get to Kansas City, even if it means walking there.
You know I’ll get there just the same
The singer is confident in their ability to reach their destination, despite any challenges or obstacles.
If I stay with that woman
Referring to a previous relationship that the singer is leaving behind to pursue new prospects in Kansas City.
Don’t you know I'm gonna die
If the singer stays with their previous partner, they feel like they will be unhappy and unfulfilled.
I got a brand new baby
The singer has found a new companion in Kansas City.
And that's the reason why
The singer is motivated to leave their previous relationship because they have found someone new.
They got some crazy little women there
Again, referring to the lively and energetic women in Kansas City.
And I'm going to get me just one
The singer is determined to find a woman in Kansas City who matches their energy and spirit.
I'm gonna get me one
The singer is confident that they will find a new companion in Kansas City.
Writer(s): Mike Stoller, Jerry Leiber
Contributed by Violet P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.