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.
Little Star
Dion & The Belmonts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh oh oh oh ra da ta da ta da too
Oh oh oh oh ra da ta da ta da too
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder where you are
Wish I may, wish I might
Make this wish come true tonight
Searched all over for a love
Oh oh oh oh ra da ta da ta da too
Oh oh oh oh ra da ta da ta da too
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder where you are
High above the clouds somehwere
Send me down a love to share
Oh oh oh oh ra da ta da ta da too
Oh oh oh oh ra da ta da ta da too
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh there you are, high above
Oh dear God, send me a love
Oh there you are, you're lighting up the sky
I need a love, a real real, my
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder where you are
Wish I may, wish I might
Make this wish come true tonight
Oh oh oh oh ra da ta da ta da too
Oh oh oh oh ra da ta da ta da too
Oh (da da da) wo wo oh
There you are, little star
The song "Little Star" by Dion & The Belmonts is a love song that expresses the singers' yearning for a love that seems out of their reach, much like a twinkling star in the sky. The lyrics are full of imagery that speaks to the fascination and longing of the singer for their desired love. The line "How I wonder where you are" repeats throughout the song, emphasizing the feeling of intense curiosity and desperation to find this missing love.
The singer searches "all over for a love," but cannot seem to find the right one until they notice the little star high above. They call out to God to "send me a love," and in the end, it seems as though their wish comes true as they finally find the little star they've been searching for. The song ends with the singer expressing their need for a real and true love.
Line by Line Meaning
Where are you, little star? (Where are you?)
The singer is searching for love and is calling out to the star as a symbol of hope in his quest.
Oh oh oh oh ra da ta da ta da too
The singer is repeating a nonsensical phrase, using it as a form of self-expression and to show his longing for love.
Twinkle twinkle little star
The singer is addressing the star as a symbol of hope and guidance in his search for love.
How I wonder where you are
The singer expresses his curiosity and longing for love, wondering where he will find it.
Wish I may, wish I might
The singer is making a wish in the hope of finding love.
Make this wish come true tonight
The singer wants his wish for love to come true as soon as possible.
Searched all over for a love
The singer has been looking for love everywhere.
You're the one I'm thinkin' of
The singer has found someone he cares about deeply.
High above the clouds somehwere
The singer imagines that love is out of reach, like the star in the sky.
Send me down a love to share
The singer is asking for love to come to him and be shared with someone else.
Oh there you are, high above
The singer suddenly sees the star, symbolizing his newfound hope in finding love.
Oh dear God, send me a love
The singer is now praying to God, asking for help in his quest for love.
Oh there you are, you're lighting up the sky
The singer is excited to have found a symbol of hope and inspiration in his search for love.
I need a love, a real real, my
The singer wants a true love that is his, someone to share his life with.
Oh (da da da) wo wo oh
The singer is expressing his emotions, using a nonsensical phrase to convey his longing.
There you are, little star
The singer has found inspiration and hope in the symbol of the star, as he continues his quest for love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: VITO PICONE, ARTHUR VENOSA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind