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.
Love Came to Me
Dion & The Belmonts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (Oh yeah)
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (oh yeah)
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do
I, I live in dreams.
Strange as it seems
When I, I opened my eyes
I realized
Love came to me,
Only this time for real.
A sing it now:
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (Uh-uh-uh, oh yeah)
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (oh-oh-oh yeah)
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (oh yeah)
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do
I tell ya now
Love makes me ah, makes me feel so good (huh!)
Just like I, I dreamed it would
And I'm glad that ah, I found you
'Cause ah love is a gas and I know it will last
And I
(Love came to me)
I feel so good.
(Love came to me)
And knock knock knock on wood.
(Love came to me)
Yeah, I'm in a whirl
(Love came to me)
I just love that girl.
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (woe-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah now)
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (Uh uh uh uh )
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (Oh yeah)
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (Oh Oh Oh)
Now love makes me, makes me feel so good
Just like I, I dreamed it would
And I'm so glad that-ah, I found you
'Cause - ah-ah - love is a gas and I know it will last
And I
(Love came to me)
I feel so good.
(Love came to me)
And knock knock on wood.
(Love came to me)
I I'm in a whirl.
(Love came to me)
I just love that little girl now.
Sing it
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (Oh-oh-oh yeah)
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (Oh-oh yeah)
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (la-ah-ah-ah)
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do
The lyrics of Dion & The Belmonts’ “Love Came To Me” describe the realization of love and the joy it brings. The singer begins by saying that they lived in dreams and could not believe that someone would actually love them until love came to them. The second stanza talks about the singer’s realization of love and how this time it felt so real. The joy of love is expressed in the chorus where the singer says that it makes them feel good, just like they dreamed it would. Love is described as a gas, which suggests that it is a force that moves them in a positive direction. In the final stanza, the singer expresses their happiness for having found someone to love and notes that love will last because it came to them.
The song is a classic doo-wop ballad that features three-part harmony, hand clapping and the signature “shad doy-ya-do” backing vocals that serve as a rhythmic driver. The instrumentation is minimal, with only a piano and drums providing a light accompaniment to the vocals. The song’s melody is simple yet catchy and the lyrics are straightforward and romantic, making it an enduring classic that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do
Background vocals
I, I live in dreams.
I often dream and fantasize.
Strange as it seems
Despite it being unusual, it still makes me feel good.
Love came to me.
I fell in love.
When I, I opened my eyes
When I woke up from my dream.
I realized
I noticed and became aware of something.
Love came to me,
I fell in love.
Only this time for real.
This is not just a dream.
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (Uh-uh-uh, oh yeah)
Background vocals
I tell ya now
Let me tell you.
Love makes me ah, makes me feel so good (huh!)
Love makes me feel great.
Just like I, I dreamed it would
Exactly as I hoped for.
And I'm glad that ah, I found you
I am happy that I found love with you.
'Cause ah love is a gas and I know it will last
Because love is wonderful and will endure.
And I (Love came to me)
I fell in love.
I feel so good. (Love came to me)
I am very happy.
And knock knock knock on wood. (Love came to me)
Expressing hope that things will continue to go well.
Yeah, I'm in a whirl (Love came to me)
I am overwhelmed with emotions.
I just love that girl.
I am head-over-heels for that woman.
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do (woe-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah now)
Background vocals
Now love makes me, makes me feel so good
Love makes me feel great.
Just like I, I dreamed it would
Exactly as I hoped for.
And I'm so glad that-ah, I found you
I am happy that I found love with you.
'Cause - ah-ah - love is a gas and I know it will last
Because love is wonderful and will endure.
And I (Love came to me)
I fell in love.
I feel so good. (Love came to me)
I am very happy.
And knock knock on wood. (Love came to me)
Expressing hope that things will continue to go well.
I I'm in a whirl. (Love came to me)
I am overwhelmed with emotions.
I just love that little girl now.
I am head-over-heels for that woman.
Shad doy-ya-do, doy doy doy-do
Background vocals
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: JOHN FALBO, DION DI MUCCI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind