Formed in Queens, NY, in 1955, the Cleftones consisted of five friends from… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in Queens, NY, in 1955, the Cleftones consisted of five friends from Jamaica High School -- Herb Cox (lead), Warren Corbin (bass), Charlie James (first tenor), William McClain (baritone), and Berman Patterson (second tenor). Originally signed to Gee, the group released its first single, "You Baby You," late in 1955; an up-tempo doo wop song, the record became a regional hit. "Little Girl of Mine," the Cleftones' second single, broke nationally, charting at number eight R&B and number 57 pop in 1956; two other similar singles, "Can't We Be Sweethearts" and "String Around My Heart," were released the same year, yet they failed to attract national attention. "See You Next Year," a ballad the group recorded in 1957, did not earn the group an audience outside of New York. Two years later, McClain left the group and was replaced by Gene Pearson from the Rivileers. Patricia Spann was also added to the Cleftones' lineup that year, which helped nudge the band away from traditional group-oriented doo wop harmonies and towards a vocal sound that was dominated by the lead vocals. In 1961, the Cleftones realized the potential of the sound with their smash hit version of the standard "Heart and Soul;" it became the group's biggest hit, reaching number 18 on both pop and R&B charts. Later that year, the group had another hit with "For Sentimental Reasons," but the band had reached a peak with "Heart and Soul" and were never able to reach those heights again. The Cleftones broke up in 1964, three years after their greatest success. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All-Music Guide

Lover Come Back to Me
The Cleftones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You went away
I let you
We broke the ties that bind
I wanted to forget you
And leave the past behind
Still, the magic of the night I met you
Seems to stay forever in my mind

The sky was blue
And high above
The moon was new
And so was love
This eager heart of mine was singing
Lover where can you be

You came at last
Love had its day
That day is past
You've gone away
This aching heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
When I remember every little thing

You used to do
I'm so lonely
Every road I walk along
I walk along with you
No wonder I am lonely

The sky is blue
The night is cold
The moon is new
But love is old
And while I'm waiting here
This heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
When I remember every little thing

You used to do
I grow lonely
Every road I walk along
I walk along with you
No wonder I am lonely

The sky is blue
The night is cold
The moon is new
But love is old
And while I'm waiting here

This heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me

Overall Meaning

The Cleftones' song "Lover Come Back to Me" is about the heartbreak and longing that comes with a failed relationship. The singer of the song has let go of their partner in an attempt to move on and forget about them, but the memories of the night they met and the love they shared continue to linger in their mind. They feel the painful absence of their lover and wish for their return.

The lyrics capture the bittersweet essence of lost love, as the singer reminisces on the beautiful moments they shared with their partner. The sky was blue, the moon was new, and their heart was eager and singing when they met, but now they feel lonely without them. The love they once shared may be old, but their heart still beats for them, and they can't help but yearn for their lover to return.

The song is relatable to anyone who has experienced heartbreak, and The Cleftones' harmonies and doo-wop style add to the emotional intensity of the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

You went away
You left me

I let you
I allowed you to go

We broke the ties that bind
We ended our relationship

I wanted to forget you
I tried to erase you from my memory

And leave the past behind
And move on from our history

Still, the magic of the night I met you
However, the enchanting memory of the night we first met

Seems to stay forever in my mind
Seems to be etched permanently in my memory

The sky was blue
The sky had a blue hue

And high above
And was lofty

The moon was new
The moon was in its first phase

And so was love
And we were both newly in love

This eager heart of mine was singing
My enthusiastic heart was singing

Lover where can you be
Wondering where my lover is

You came at last
You finally arrived

Love had its day
Our love story had its time

That day is past
That time has elapsed

You've gone away
You have left

This aching heart of mine is singing
My agonized heart is singing

Lover come back to me
Asking my lover to return to me

When I remember every little thing
When I reminisce about every detail

You used to do
You used to say and do

I'm so lonely
I am overcome by lonesomeness

Every road I walk along
Every path I take

I walk along with you
I envision walking with you

No wonder I am lonely
No wonder I feel so alone

The night is cold
The night has a chilly atmosphere

But love is old
But our love has been around for a long time

And while I'm waiting here
And while I am eagerly anticipating your return

This heart of mine is singing
My heart is singing

Lover come back to me
Please come back to me

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN, II, OSCAR II HAMMERSTEIN, SIGMUND ROMBERG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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