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.
We Went Away
Dion & The Belmonts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never to return... (da-da-da-do-da-dum)
Oh, you and me, we went away
We went on a long trip
Forever we′ll stay
Goodbye everybody
You won't see us no more...
We′re on our way
We started at noon
It won't take long
We'll get there soon
Goodbye everybody
You won′t see us no more (see us no more)...
Ooooooh-ooooooh-oooo-weee-oooo-woooo-ooo-oooo
Oooooo-weee-ooooo-oooo-oooo (doo-wadda-wah-doo-wadda-wah-doo)
Yeaa, yeah, yeah
We opened the door
We looked right in
Ooh, what we saw
The glory of him
Goodbye everybody
You won′t see us no more
(See us no more)
Seeee us no more...
The lyrics of Dion & The Belmonts's song "We Went Away" convey a sense of freedom and escape. The first two lines of the song indicate a departure on a long journey, with a strong suggestion that it is one-way. The repetition of the words "Goodbye everybody" reinforces the notion that the singer and the person they are addressing are severing their ties with their old life and embarking on a new adventure. The use of the phrase "we'll get there soon" enhances the idea that the journey is both exciting and unknown.
As the song progresses, it builds towards a climax with a sense of mystery and wonder. The line "We looked right in / Ooh, what we saw / The glory of him" suggests a spiritual experience, and the use of "him" implies that the singer may have encountered a divine being. Still, the song ends with a sense of finality, with the phrase "You won't see us no more" repeated twice, indicating that the characters have made a definitive break with their past lives.
Overall, "We Went Away" is a song that celebrates the freedom to embark on an adventure and to explore the unknown. It conveys a sense of wonder and excitement, but also finality and closure at the end, as the characters have gone in search of something new and leave their old lives behind.
Line by Line Meaning
We went on a long trip (pom-pom-pom)
We embarked upon a journey that spanned great lengths
Never to return...(da-da-da-do-da-dum)
We did not plan on coming back
Oh, you and me, we went away
The two of us left and went elsewhere
Forever we'll stay
We intend to remain there permanently.
Goodbye everybody, You won't see us no more
We say farewell to all, and will not be seen again
We're on our way
We are currently en route
We started at noon
Our journey began in the middle of the day
It won't take long
Our trip will not require much time
We'll get there soon
We will arrive in a timely manner
We opened the door
We gained entrance to a particular location
We looked right in
We immediately looked upon what was inside
Ooh, what we saw
Our eyes beheld a sight of significance
The glory of him
We perceived the splendor or magnificence of someone or something
Seeee us no more...
We emphasize that we will not be seen again
Writer(s): Dion Di Mucci, Carlo Mastrangelo
Contributed by Adrian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.