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.
Tell Me Why
Dion & The Belmonts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why the stars in the sky
Are the same kind of stars
That i see in your eyes
I love you, yes, i do
Oh, won't you tell me why
Tell my why
Why my heart skips a beat
Every time that you're near
Every time that we meet
I love you, yes, i do
Oh, won't you tell me why
Tell me why
Tell me why, i love you so
You know my heart
Will never let you go
You know my love for you
Is on the square
When i wake up in the morning
I find you right there
Tell me why, tell me
Why my heart skips a beat
Every time that you're near
Every time that we meet
I love you, yes, i do
Oh, won't you tell me why
Tell me why
Tell me why, i love you so
You know my heart
Will never let you go
You know my love for you
Is on the square
When i wake up in the morning
I want you right there
Tell me why, tell me
Why my heart skips a beat
Every time that you're near
Every time that we meet
I love you, yes, i do
Oh, won't you tell me why
Tell me why
The song “Tell Me Why” by Dion and the Belmonts is a heartfelt plea for an explanation of why the singer is so in love with their partner. The lyrics are filled with imagery that compares the stars in the sky to the stars in the eyes of their lover, emphasizing the depth and intensity of their affection. The repetition of the phrase “tell me why” throughout the song underscores the singer’s confusion and desperation for an answer to their own emotions.
The chorus of the song highlights the physical and emotional reactions the singer experiences when they are near their partner. Their heart skips a beat and they feel an overwhelming sense of love and adoration. The use of the phrase “on the square” emphasizes the purity and honesty of the singer’s feelings, and their desire for a stable and committed relationship.
Overall, the song captures the sense of overwhelming love and infatuation that comes with new relationships. The lyrics and melody are timeless, evoking a sense of nostalgia and yearning for a simpler time when love was new and exciting.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell my why
The singer wants to know the reason behind something and is seeking an answer.
Why the stars in the sky
The singer is comparing the stars to something else they see, maybe someone's eyes or another night sky.
Are the same kind of stars
The stars in the sky and the ones the singer sees in someone's eyes are similar in some way.
That i see in your eyes
The artist is looking into someone's eyes and seeing stars, either literally or figuratively.
I love you, yes, i do
The artist is declaring their love for the person they are addressing.
Oh, won't you tell me why
The singer is asking the person they love to explain why they feel so strongly about them.
Tell me why, tell me why
The singer is repeating their desire to know the reason behind something.
Why my heart skips a beat
The artist's heart beats quickly or irregularly when they are near the person they love.
Every time that you're near
The person the artist loves is the reason their heart is beating faster.
I love you, yes, i do
The artist is reiterating their love for the person they are addressing.
Tell me why
The singer continues to request an explanation for their feelings.
Tell me why, i love you so
The artist is asking the person they love to explain why they feel such strong emotion for them.
You know my heart
The singer believes the person they love understands their feelings and knows their heart well.
Will never let you go
The singer will never abandon the person they love.
Is on the square
The singer's love for the other person is genuine and sincere.
When i wake up in the morning
The artist's love for the other person is the first thing they think of when they wake up.
I find you right there
The artist feels comforted and happy knowing the person they love is there with them.
Tell me why, tell me
The singer repeats their request for an explanation.
Why my heart skips a beat
The singer's heart beats irregularly in the presence of the person they love.
Every time that you're near
The person the artist loves is the reason their heart is beating faster.
I love you, yes, i do
The artist is openly expressing their love for the person they are addressing.
Oh, won't you tell me why
The artist continues to request an explanation for their feelings.
Tell me why
The singer repeats their desire to know the reason behind their feelings.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MARVIN SEASE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Edward-dd9tf
"Why the stars in the sky,
are the same kind of stars,
that I see in your eyes."
What a beautiful line.
@FordHoard
I thought the same thing!
@Flars-rd5ob
I was beginning to think I was delusional---this song has been bouncing around my aging brain for a couple weeks. I tried searching for it by the lyrics, but all I got was "new" stuff. I finally found this one when I entered "Do Wop--Tell Me Why". I was just a little kid when this song was popular, but it definitely left me with a fond memory. A "feel good" song!
@parson6868
Love it!
@gilloera8912
I grew up with this record! Played it over and over. I bopped to this disc for years. I'm still boppin' to this at 73 years old....forever may it still be played....
@enny7617
Listen to Norman Fox and the Rob Roys the original.
@artiglesias9317
MAY I HAVE THIS DANCE?
@WhiteChocolate74
I'm with you. I heard this song years ago then forgot about it. A few months ago I had this vague sense this existed while listening to another old song, then I found it again by chance!
@sunlitdragon7400
My grandma played this song all the time when I was little, and it gives me an unmeasurable sense of nostalgia.
@salsr.garcia5141
I was born in the small town of Oxnard, California in 1953. I was 4 years old when the Rob Roys version came out and 7 or 8 when the Belmonts sang it. "Tell me why" brings me great memories from my childhood. Especially from my "Teen Idol" who is my older brother David who I love very much. Big brother, you'll always be my teen Idol!!!!😎👍