Gore also worked as an actress and composed songs with her brother Michael Gore for the 1980 film Fame, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. She was active until 2014, and hosted an LGBT-oriented public television show, In the Life, on American TV in the 2000s.
Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey to Jewish parents, Gore was discovered as a teenager. Her first single in 1963 at age 16 was the #1 hit It's My Party still perhaps her best known recording, which also made #9 in Britain. It was followed by others, including Judy's Turn to Cry (the sequel to "It's My Party"), She's a Fool, the proto-feminist You Don't Own Me, and Maybe I Know. Her record producer was Quincy Jones, who would later become one of the most famous producers in American music.
Instead of accepting the television and movie contracts that came her way, Gore chose to attend Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. This limited her public career to weekends and summer vacations and undoubtedly hurt her career. Nevertheless, throughout the mid-1960's, Gore continued to be the one of the most popular female singers in the United States and Canada.
By the late 1960s, though, her fame lessened as popular tastes evolved towards a harder-edged, psychedelic sound. Her last major hit was "California Nights," (1967) which she performed on an episode of the Batman TV series in which she guest-starred as one of Catwoman's minions. Afterwards, she continued to stay busy in the music industry, performed at concerts and in cabarets and achieved noted success as a professional songwriter, including composing songs for the soundtrack of the 1980 film, Fame. She received an Academy Award nomination for "Out Here on My Own," written with her brother Michael.
Gore continued to be busy, playing concerts, appearing on television, and recently (2005) recording a self-produced and critically-acclaimed CD, "Ever Since." She is also known for tackling a variety of musical genres, including a credible take on AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap."
Although Gore did not officially come out until 2005, her lesbianism was not exactly a secret. The 1996 film Grace of My Heart featured a character (played by Bridget Fonda) whose industry struggles over her sexual orientation were similar to Gore's. Beginning in 2004 Gore could be seen hosting the PBS series In the Life, which focused on LGBT issues.
On February 16, 2015, Gore died of lung cancer at the age of 68.
The Old Crowd
Lesley Gore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I start cryin' every time
What I wouldn't give if I could just relive
One day with those old friends of mine
No one ever planned it, but every day at four
We would get together at the corner candy store
We just ignore the sign no dancing allowed
Sally was the funny one, Sue wore the hippest clothes
Eddie was the wise guy, was always one of those
Johnny used to sing off-key before he was allowed
Oh wo yeah, how I miss the old crowd
Well now, it's funny when high school gets all through
Friendships always come to an end
Everybody tells you they'll keep in touch, yeah
But you don't see them again, oh no
It's not that I'm unhappy, I know I still have you
But I still think about those good times we knew
We were so carefree and our thoughts were out loud
Oh wo yeah, how I miss the old crowd
Oh, how I miss the old crowd
Yeah, how I miss the old crowd
The lyrics of Lesley Gore's song The Old Crowd are about nostalgia for a group of friends from the past. The singer reminisces about their carefree times together and how they used to gather every day at the corner candy store. She misses her old friends and longs to go back to those days when they were all together. The song is full of bittersweet memories of the people who once meant the most to her.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer reflects on the past and how it makes her cry. She wishes she could relive one day with her old friends, implying that she feels a sense of loss or emptiness without them. The second verse describes the friends themselves, giving us a sense of their personalities and relationships with one another. Sally is funny, Sue is fashionable, Eddie is a wise guy, and Johnny loves to sing, even if he's not very good at it. The third verse addresses the reality of growing up and losing touch with people, even those we promised to stay in contact with. Despite having new friends or a partner, the singer still thinks about the old crowd and how much she misses them.
Overall, The Old Crowd is a nostalgic look back at a time when life was simpler and friendships were everything. The song captures the feeling of longing and yearning for a group of people who meant so much but who are no longer around.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I get to thinkin' 'bout days gone by
I sometimes reminisce about the past
And I start cryin' every time
When I think about the past, it makes me emotional
What I wouldn't give if I could just relive
I wish I could go back and experience again
One day with those old friends of mine
One day spent with my old friends would mean everything to me
No one ever planned it, but every day at four
Our meetups were never scheduled, but always happened at four
We would get together at the corner candy store
We would gather at the nearby candy store
We just ignore the sign no dancing allowed
We danced even though we weren't allowed to
Oh wo yeah, how I miss the old crowd
I miss the group of friends from the past
Sally was the funny one, Sue wore the hippest clothes
Each of my friends had their own unique qualities
Eddie was the wise guy, was always one of those
Eddie always had a wise remark
Johnny used to sing off-key before he was allowed
Johnny sang poorly and only got better with time
Well now, it's funny when high school gets all through
It's interesting how friendships end after high school
Friendships always come to an end
All friendships have to end at some point
Everybody tells you they'll keep in touch, yeah
Everyone promises to stay in contact
But you don't see them again, oh no
But in reality, you don't see them again
It's not that I'm unhappy, I know I still have you
I'm not unhappy because I still have you
But I still think about those good times we knew
I still think about the good memories from the past
We were so carefree and our thoughts were out loud
We were carefree and spoke our minds
Oh wo yeah, how I miss the old crowd
I really miss my old group of friends
Oh, how I miss the old crowd
I really, really miss my old group of friends
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, GERRY GOFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Wonder Boy
Yet another great Leslie Gore song.
Philip Kassabian
on Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows
Fantastic song by Leslie Gore.
Philip Kassabian
on It's My Party
A great Leslie Gore song.