The guys auditioned for the seminal music team of Leiber and Stoller, who gave the group its name in 1960. In the manner of the time, Leiber and Stoller wanted to extend this to "Binky Jones and the Americans", but Traynor declined to be known as "Binky Jones" his whole career. He instead offered up "Jay", a family nickname, and it suited everyone.
They first hit the Billboard charts in 1962 with the tune "She Cried". Later covered by several other artists, the track's highest charting was #5, inspiring the group. The next two singles didn't fare nearly as well, however, and John Traynor left the band. David Black (né David Blatt) of The Empires took his place (after first agreeing to adopt the name Jay Black), and Empires guitarist Marty Sanders also joined. Black sang lead for the rest of the group's existence.
They returned to the charts in 1963 with "Only In America", a song originally meant for The Drifters. Other notable hits for the Americans were "Come a Little Bit Closer" in 1964, which hit #3, and "Cara Mia" in 1965, which hit #4. The Americans also recorded a commercial for H.I.S. Slacks, and a public service announcement for the Ad Council, featuring a backing track by Brian Wilson and Phil Spector.
In 1968, they recorded an album of their favorite oldies remade fresh, called Sands of Time, and its single was "This Magic Moment", which also came through the Drifters. That track proved to be the last Top Ten record for the group. However, the band's follow-up album, titled 'Wax Museum', yielded the #19 hit "Walkin' In The Rain". First recorded by The Ronettes, the emotive love song has remained a classic on oldies themed stations along with the group's earlier work.
Their next singles failed to chart, nonetheless, and the band grew apart. The demand for live appearances remained. While the other members moved on to solo musical careers in 1973, Jay Black continued to perform as "Jay and the Americans" or "Jay Black and the Americans" until the 1980s, with a variety of musicians, including Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who would later found Steely Dan. ."
The group reunited in the 1990s for special performances, most notably the 45 Years of Motown special on PBS.
in 2006, Jay Black filed for bankruptcy due to gambling debts, and his ownership of the name "Jay & The Americans" was sold by the bankruptcy trustee to Sandy Deanne (Yaguda), Black's former band mate and original member of Jay & The Americans for $100,000 to pay Black's debts. With the name purchase, former members Deanne, Howard Kane, and Marty Sanders reunited, and recruited a sound-alike singer from Chicago, coincidentally nicknamed "Jay." Thus, John "Jay" Reincke became the third "Jay" and the band returned to playing both national and international music venues. Their show covers the history of Jay and The Americans, acknowledging all three Jays and featuring all of the top hits in their original arrangements.
David Blatt still tours under his stage name, "Jay Black". Kenny Vance is currently the lead singer of Kenny Vance and the Planotones, a neo-doo wop band that he formed in the 1970s. After leaving the group, John Traynor recorded a handful of songs on the Coral label, including "I Rise, I Fall" in 1964. None were hits, but "I Rise, I Fall" became a minor hit for Johnny Tillotson. The label billed Traynor as "JAY formerly of Jay and the Americans." Traynor now tours with Jay Siegel's Tokens.
Please Let Me Dream
Jay & The Americans Lyrics
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In her pictures now
But I'd never tell you
I'm fronting a heart
That's been torn in half
I can see you are happy
Cause you post her, too
Whenever we meet up
But it's not true
And I say it isn't real
Though I'd love to cop a feel
You reach out to shake my hand
But all I wanna do is kneel
Just like all of those lemon twisted nights in our hotel room
Please don't let me love you
Please don't let me
Please don't let me love you anymore
But you don't know and I don't say
What's on my mind, on replay
Oh no
And you look at me, I look away
I tell myself every day, oh
Please don't let me love you anymore
I try not to see you
But you're everywhere
I held onto your hoodie
And I know that's no good for me
I don't care
From the pillows of my home
To the favorites in my phone
Still wear you in my sheets
Roll in the scent of your cologne
Remembering the passwords to the apps that we used to share
Try to erase the thought of you
While I'm pacing in my room
Tuning out your frequency
But somehow it's cutting through
I still feel your knife twisting across and against my bones
Please don't let me love you
Please don't let me
Please don't let me love you anymore
But you don't know and I don't say
What's on my mind, on replay
Oh no
And you look at me, I look away
I tell myself every day, oh
Please don't let me love you anymore
Standing right next to me
So close I can feel the heat
Staring so long that
Now my eyes are burning
Please don't let me love you anymore
But you don't know and I don't say
What's on my mind, on replay
Oh no
And you look at me, I look away
I tell myself every day, oh
Please don't let me love you anymore
Please don't let me love you anymore
The lyrics to "Please Let Me Dream" by Jay & The Americans explore the feelings of heartbreak and longing that come with seeing someone you still have strong feelings for move on and be happy with someone else. The singer is struggling to accept the end of their relationship and is constantly reminded of their former love through social media and memories. They try to put on a brave face and pretend to be over them when they meet, but deep down, they are still deeply attached.
The singer pleads with the person not to let them love them anymore because it is causing them pain. They try to avoid seeing the person, but they are everywhere - in photographs, memories, and even in their scent that lingers on the sheets. The singer is torn between wanting to erase all thoughts of this person and still feeling the pain of their absence. Despite their efforts to move on, the emotional connection and longing still persist.
The song captures the conflicting emotions of desperately wanting to let go and move on, while also secretly hoping for a reunion. It reflects the universal experience of heartbreak and the difficulty of truly letting go of someone we once loved.
Line by Line Meaning
I hate when I see you
I feel a strong aversion when I encounter you
In her pictures now
In images where you are depicted together with her
But I'd never tell you
However, I would never communicate this to you
I'm fronting a heart
I am pretending to have a strong emotional facade
That's been torn in half
Although it has been deeply wounded
I can see you are happy
I can perceive that you are content
Cause you post her, too
Because you also share pictures of her
Whenever we meet up
Every time we encounter one another
Pretend that I'm over you
I feign being completely moved on from our past
But it's not true
However, that is not the reality
And I say it isn't real
I state that my feelings are not authentic
Though I'd love to cop a feel
Despite desiring to physically touch you
You reach out to shake my hand
You extend your hand for a friendly greeting
But all I wanna do is kneel
Yet all I truly desire is to kneel in emotional distress
Just like all of those lemon twisted nights in our hotel room
Similar to the countless bittersweet nights spent together in our hotel room
Please don't let me love you
I implore you to not allow myself to develop deeper affection for you
Please don't let me
I beg you not to permit
Please don't let me love you anymore
To avoid allowing myself to love you any longer
But you don't know and I don't say
However, you are unaware and I choose not to express
What's on my mind, on replay
The recurring thoughts that occupy my mind
And you look at me, I look away
Whenever you gaze upon me, I divert my eyes elsewhere
I tell myself every day, oh
I continuously remind myself, oh
I try not to see you
I make an effort to avoid encountering you
But you're everywhere
Yet, you appear to be present in every aspect of my life
I held onto your hoodie
I retained possession of your sweatshirt
And I know that's no good for me
Although I am aware it is detrimental to my well-being
I don't care
Regardless, I am indifferent
From the pillows of my home
Starting with the cushions of my residence
To the favorites in my phone
Extending to the preferred contacts on my mobile device
Still wear you in my sheets
Your presence is still felt within my bedding
Roll in the scent of your cologne
I inhale the fragrance of your perfume
Remembering the passwords to the apps that we used to share
Recalling the login information for the applications we previously shared
Try to erase the thought of you
I make an attempt to eliminate thoughts of you
While I'm pacing in my room
During the moments when I am anxiously walking back and forth within my room
Tuning out your frequency
Disregarding your influence over my emotions
But somehow it's cutting through
Yet, it still manages to penetrate
I still feel your knife twisting across and against my bones
I can still sense the pain you inflict upon me, deeply affecting me physically and emotionally
Standing right next to me
Positioned directly beside me
So close I can feel the heat
In such proximity that I experience the warmth emitted by your presence
Staring so long that
Gazing for such an extended duration that
Now my eyes are burning
Resulting in my eyes becoming inflamed
Please don't let me love you anymore
I implore you not to allow myself to continue loving you
But you don't know and I don't say
Nevertheless, you are oblivious and I avoid disclosing
What's on my mind, on replay
The recurrent thoughts that constantly replay in my mind
Oh no
Expressing a disheartened realization
And you look at me, I look away
When you direct your gaze towards me, I promptly avert my eyes
I tell myself every day, oh
Each day, I remind myself, oh
Please don't let me love you anymore
I entreat you to prevent me from continuing to love you
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Hailey Johnson, Joseph Marquez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind