The Crests were a popular New York City R&B musical group of the late 1950s… Read Full Bio ↴The Crests were a popular New York City R&B musical group of the late 1950s, often thought to be another all-black teenage-sound band, they were in fact about as integrated as a group could get, with four men (two of them black, one Puerto Rican and one Italian) and one black female. The band was founded by JT Carter and included Talmoudge Gough, Harold Torres, and Patricia Van Dross (older sister of the late Luther Vandross) JT found lead vocalist Johnny Mastrangelo (later just Johnny Maestro). The group had several Top 40 hits including "16 Candles", "Step By Step" and "The Angels Listened In". Johnny Maestro later formed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1968 and had a Top 40 hit with "The Worst That Could Happen". JT Carter kept the band together and working steadily through the 1990's. The current version of the Crests contains no original members.

Their most popular song was "Sixteen Candles" which rose to number 2 on the Billboard charts in 1958.

The 1984 John Hughes teen movie Sixteen Candles took its title from The Crests' song, which was rerecorded by The Stray Cats for the Sixteen Candles soundtrack.

It should be noted that Johnny Maestro went on to form the Brooklyn Bridge who had two number one hits including "The Worst That Could Happen" . His voice got better with age but unfortunately Mastroangelo passed away last year of throat cancer at the age of 65.

Young Love
The Crests Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Happy birthday, happy birthday, baby
Oh, I love you so

Sixteen candles
make a lovely light
But not as bright as your eyes tonight

Blow out the candles,

make your wish come true
For I'll be wishing
that you love me, too

You're only sixteen
But you're my teenage queen
You're the prettiest, loveliest girl I've ever seen

Sixteen candles
in my heart will glow
For ever and ever for I love you so

You're only sixteen
But you're my teenage queen
Oh, you're the prettiest, loveliest girl I've ever seen

Sixteen candles
in my heart will glow
For ever and ever

for I love you so
For I love you so!!!

Overall Meaning

The Crests' song Young Love celebrates young love in a sweet and sentimental way. The lyrics are addressed to a girl who just turned sixteen, and the singer expresses his love and admiration for her. He mentions how the light of the sixteen candles on her birthday cake is not as bright as her eyes, indicating her beauty and radiance. He then invites her to blow out the candles and make a wish, while secretly wishing that her wish is for her to love him back. Through the verse and chorus, the singer repeats how much he loves her and how she is his teenage queen. The song ends with the assurance that the sixteen candles in his heart will continue to glow with love for her.

The song's lyrics are simple, yet they capture the essence of young romance and infatuation. The mention of sixteen candles and the teenage queen create a nostalgic and innocent atmosphere. The song's melody is also catchy and easy to sing along, making it a popular hit in 1959. Interestingly, the song was re-recorded by The Crests' new lead singer, Johnny Maestro, in 1981, and featured in the popular movie "Sixteen Candles," bringing the song back to popularity.

Line by Line Meaning

Happy birthday, happy birthday, baby
Celebrating the anniversary of your birth brings me joy and happiness, my dear

Oh, I love you so
I have strong feelings of affection towards you

Sixteen candles make a lovely light
The light from sixteen candles is beautiful and pleasing to the eye

But not as bright as your eyes tonight
However, the brightness and radiance of your eyes are even more captivating and enchanting than the candlelight

Blow out the candles, make your wish come true
As you blow out the candles on your birthday cake, you have the opportunity to make a wish and hope it comes true

For I'll be wishing that you love me, too
At the same time, I'll be making a wish that you reciprocate my feelings of love and affection

You're only sixteen, but you're my teenage queen
Despite being young and inexperienced, you are the ruler of my heart and I adore you

You're the prettiest, loveliest girl I've ever seen
You are without a doubt the most beautiful and attractive girl I have ever laid eyes on

Sixteen candles in my heart will glow
My heart is filled with intense emotions of love and affection for you, symbolized by sixteen candles that emit a radiant glow

For ever and ever for I love you so
My love for you is permanent and unwavering, now and forevermore

Contributed by Anthony F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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