In April 1963, her single "I Will Follow Him" had soared to number one on U.S. charts. Recorded in early January 1963 and released January 22 of that year, it made Peggy March the youngest female singer with a number one hit at age fifteen. The record also took the number one spot in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Scandinavia.
Her success also came with financial trouble. March was a minor and the Coogan Law prevented her parents from managing her money. The responsibility was placed on her manager, Russell Smith. It was discovered in 1966 that he had squandered the fortune away, leaving her with $500. She soon had a new manager, Arnie Harris, who became her husband and gave her one daughter, Sande, born in 1974.
Though she is remembered by some as a one-hit wonder, her singles "I Wish I Were a Princess" and "Hello Heartache, Goodbye Love" made the Top 30 in the United States and the United Kingdom. She began making a very strong presence in the European and Asian music markets, and she moved to Germany around 1969. Her commercial success in Germany continued through much of the 1970s. In 1979 she experimented with disco on the album, Electrifying, but it failed to achieve commercial success. By 1981 record companies did not renew her contracts, and she moved back to the United States. A retro fad in Germany brought her some continuing success starting in the mid-1990s. Her song "I Will Follow Him" largely inspired the beat in the Eminem and Dr. Dre song Guilty Conscience, and was also featured in the 1992 movie Sister Act. Currently she works largely in the Las Vegas music scene.
Wind-Up Doll
Little Peggy March Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wind it up and away it goes
It does the things it's taught to do
I guess I'm kind of a wind up dollie too
Wind me up I really walk
Wind me up I really talk
Wind me up and I'll come straight to you
Wind me up you'll realize
Just how much a wind up doll can do
You can see what makes me tick
Little springs and gears
I can show you one more trick
Break my heart, I'll cry real tears
Wind me up my dreams will start
Hears the key unlock my heart
Wind up dolls sometimes get lonely too
Wind me up I'll fall in love with you
Wind me up I'll fall in love with you
The song "Wind-Up Doll" by Little Peggy March is an upbeat and playful tune that has deeper meanings related to human emotions and relationships. The song seems to be from a perspective of a toy, specifically a wind-up doll. The lyrics explain how a wind-up doll works, how it moves and talks, and how it only does the things it's taught. Then it juxtaposes this mechanical nature of the doll with the emotional and psychological nature of humans. The singer expresses that she is like a wind-up doll in some ways, highlighting the limitations we often experience as we go about our lives doing what we are taught to do, and not questioning what is happening outside of our predetermined path.
The singer seems to be asking for someone to wind her up, to activate her, and then take her home as a prize, but also acknowledging that wind-up dolls can get lonely. By the end of the song, she suggests that winding her up will not only start her dreams but will also unlock her heart, and she will fall in love with the person who winds her up. These lyrics reveal the metaphorical meaning behind the concept of the wind-up doll. It alludes to the idea that people often feel mechanical, programmed, and lonely before finding someone who unlocks their heart and makes them feel alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, wind up doll everyone knows
The singer refers to a popular type of toy and implies that everyone is familiar with it.
Wind it up and away it goes
The singer explains the mechanism of the toy, where winding up the toy causes it to move.
It does the things it's taught to do
The singer explains that the toy is only capable of performing the actions for which it is programmed.
I guess I'm kind of a wind up dollie too
The artist compares herself to the toy, implying that she too is restricted to performing only certain actions, and is capable of being 'wound up' to perform them.
Wind me up I really walk
The artist implies that, like the toy, she can be made to move.
Wind me up I really talk
The singer implies that, like the toy, she can be made to speak.
Wind me up and I'll come straight to you
The singer implies that she is obedient and will follow instructions.
Take me home I'm quite a prize
The artist implies that she has value and is worth taking care of.
Wind me up you'll realize
The artist implies that winding her up will demonstrate her abilities and worth.
Just how much a wind up doll can do
The artist concludes that, like the toy, she too can perform many different actions if given the opportunity.
You can see what makes me tick
The singer implies that she is transparent and can be easily understood or analyzed.
Little springs and gears
The artist describes the mechanical parts that make the toy work, suggesting that she too has specific and predictable systems in place.
I can show you one more trick
The singer implies that there is another aspect to her abilities or personality that can be revealed.
Break my heart, I'll cry real tears
The singer implies that, despite her comparison to a toy, she is capable of experiencing and expressing complex emotions.
Wind me up my dreams will start
The singer suggests that she has aspirations or desires that can be set in motion by 'winding her up'.
Hears the key unlock my heart
The artist refers to a common image of a key unlocking a heart-shaped mechanism, suggesting that her true feelings can be revealed by someone who has access to her 'key'.
Wind up dolls sometimes get lonely too
The artist suggests that, despite her willingness to behave like a toy, she is also capable of feeling isolated or in need of companionship.
Wind me up I'll fall in love with you
The singer suggests that, if given the chance, she is capable of developing romantic feelings for someone who interacts with her in a certain way.
Contributed by Joseph D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.