Lymon was credited with their first big hit, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, though in the early '90s, a federal judge ruled after a lengthy trial that Lymon hadn't written "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" -- another member of the Teenagers had. Nevertheless, his wise-beyond-his-years vocal and performing abilities not only made the Teenagers a group several notches above the competition but made Lymon the first black teenage pop star. Though only together for a brief 18-month period, Lymon & the Teenagers exerted an enormous influence, spawning several "kid" vocal groups and providing initial inspiration to Berry Gordy to model his entire Motown production approach around Lymon's original vocal style. Inexplicably, the group split into two fractions at the height of their success, and neither had a hit again. Lymon died from a drug overdose at age 25. Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Len Barry, and his principal protégé, Michael Jackson (whose early recordings with the Jackson 5 are virtual re-creations of the early Lymon sound, merely updated) all show the influence of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' groundbreaking work.
Thumb Thumb
Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers Lyrics
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thumb thumb
Well i'm gonna find you baby if I have to thumb thumb
thumb thumb
Well i'll thumb across the ocean
I'll thumb across the sea
And i'll thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb a baby till your right home to me
well oh baby oh baby well oh bay yah yah yah
oh baby oh baby oh baby
The lyrics to Frankie Lymon's song Thumb Thumb are about a determined lover who is willing to do whatever it takes to find their significant other. The repetition of "thumb thumb" throughout the chorus emphasizes their persistence and willingness to go to great lengths. The use of the word "thumb" as a verb to describe traveling by hitchhiking adds a sense of adventure and risk to the pursuit.
When the singer says "I'll thumb across the ocean, I'll thumb across the sea," they are expressing how far they are willing to go to find their lover. The use of the phrase "thumb thumb" in this context also implies a sense of urgency and desperation, as if time is running out and they need to find their lover quickly.
Line by Line Meaning
Well i'm gonna find you baby if I have to thumb thumb
I will search for you no matter what it takes, even if it means hitchhiking and using my thumb as a mode of transportation
thumb thumb
Repeating the sound of the hitchhiking gesture
Well i'll thumb across the ocean
I am willing to hitchhike across the vast ocean to find you
I'll thumb across the sea
I am willing to hitchhike across the entire sea to find you
And i'll thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb thumb a baby till your right home to me
I will hitchhike relentlessly - using my thumb to signal for rides - until you return home to me safely
well oh baby oh baby well oh bay yah yah yah
Expressing excitement and urgency about finding the baby
how dow do dow poppa de a do
Nonsensical lyrics used to fill in the gap between stanzas
oh baby oh baby oh baby
Continuing to exclaim excitement and urgency about finding the baby
Lyrics © Freibank Musikverlags und vermarktungs GmbH, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOBBY FONVILLE, RALPH HERNANDEZ, STUART WIENER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind