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.
Sandy
Dion & The Belmonts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sandy, I long for your touch
A better luck the next time Sandy
I gotta tell ya that we're through
A find a guy who's always handy
A listen girl I'm leavin you
Dum dadida dum dum da dida dida
A dum dadida dum dum dadida dida
Dum dadida dum dum dadida dida
I love a girl around the corner
Just found out that she's no good
I left her, didn't even want her
But I'd crawl back if I could
Why must I love you so much?
Sandy, I long for your touch
I never thought you'd put me down
I can't believe that you're untrue
And now the new is out around town
Yeah, what eles can I do?
Whoa ooooo dumdidala dumdidala
la dal la dal la dal la dal
Oh it's worth this pain
I can't explain, Oh,and all those tears
I cry for you,(wop,wop,wop,wop,wop,wop
A better luck the next time Sandy
I've gotta tell you that we're through
A find a guy who's always handy
Listen girl I'm leavin you
Why must I love you so much?
Sandy, I long for your touch
I never thought you would put me down
Can't believe that you're untrue
And now the news is out around town
Sandy babe what can I do?
Dida dida dum dum da dida dida
Dum da dida dum dum da dida dida
Dida dida dum dum da dida dida
Dida did dum dum da dida dida
The lyrics to Dion & The Belmonts' song Sandy are about the pain of unrequited love. The singer is in love with Sandy and longs for her touch, but she has put him down and he can't believe she is untrue. He decides to break up with her and tells her to find a guy who's always handy, implying that she has been unfaithful. He is heartbroken and can't understand why he loves her so much, even though she has hurt him deeply. He also talks about another girl around the corner who he recently found out is no good, but admits he would crawl back to her if he could.
The song is a classic doo-wop ballad from the late 1950s and reflects the genre's focus on themes of love and heartbreak. The lyrics express the complexity of romantic relationships and the pain of unrequited love, which resonated with many listeners at the time. The song has a catchy melody and simple, repetitive lyrics that are easy to sing along to.
Line by Line Meaning
Why must I love you so much?
The singer is questioning why he loves Sandy so much
Sandy, I long for your touch
The singer desires Sandy's touch
A better luck the next time Sandy
The singer hopes for better luck in the future with someone else
I gotta tell ya that we're through
The singer is breaking up with Sandy
A find a guy who's always handy
The singer advises Sandy to find a reliable guy
A listen girl I'm leavin you
The singer clarifies again that he is leaving Sandy
A dum dadida dum dum dadida dida
Nonsensical vocalization
I love a girl around the corner
The singer is in love with someone else
Just found out that she's no good
The singer has discovered flaws in the girl he loves
I left her, didn't even want her
The singer broke up with the girl he loved even though he did not want to
But I'd crawl back if I could
The singer still has feelings for the girl he loves
I never thought you'd put me down
The singer is surprised that Sandy has betrayed him
I can't believe that you're untrue
The singer is having a hard time accepting that Sandy has been unfaithful
And now the new is out around town
The news of Sandy's betrayal is spreading
Yeah, what else can I do?
The singer feels helpless in the situation
Whoa ooooo dumdidala dumdidala
More nonsensical vocalization
Oh it's worth this pain
The singer believes the pain of the breakup is worth it
I can't explain, Oh,and all those tears
The singer cannot explain his emotions
I cry for you,(wop,wop,wop,wop,wop,wop
The singer is crying for Sandy
Can't believe that you're untrue
Repetition of disbelief in Sandy's betrayal
Sandy babe what can I do?
The singer is asking Sandy what he can do to fix the situation
Dida dida dum dum da dida dida
More nonsensical vocalization
Dum da dida dum dum da dida dida
More nonsensical vocalization
Dida dida dum dum da dida dida
More nonsensical vocalization
Dida did dum dum da dida dida
More nonsensical vocalization
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DION DI MUCCI, STEVE BRANDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind