They began writing and recording their own music in 1956, and their first hit song came in 1957, with "Bye Bye Love", written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The song hit No. 1 in the spring of 1957, and additional hits would follow through 1958, many of them written by the Bryants, including "Wake Up Little Susie", "All I Have to Do Is Dream", and "Problems". In 1960, they signed with the major label Warner Bros. Records and recorded "Cathy's Clown", written by the brothers themselves, which was their biggest selling single. The brothers enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1961, and their output dropped off, though additional hit singles continued through 1962, with "That's Old Fashioned (That's the Way Love Should Be)" being their last top-10 hit.
Long-simmering disputes with Wesley Rose, the CEO of Acuff-Rose Music, which managed the group, a growing drug usage in the 1960s, as well as changing tastes in popular music, led to the group's decline in popularity in its native U.S., though the brothers continued to release hit singles in the U.K. and Canada, and had many highly successful tours throughout the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the brothers began releasing solo recordings, and in 1973 they officially broke up. Starting in 1983, the brothers got back together, and would continue to perform periodically until Phil's death in 2014. Don died seven years later.
The group was highly influential on the music of the generation that followed it. Many of the top acts of the 1960s were heavily influenced by the close-harmony singing and acoustic guitar playing of the Everly Brothers, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and Simon & Garfunkel. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked the Everly Brothers No. 1 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class of 1986, and into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Don was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019, earning the organization's first Iconic Riff Award for his distinctive rhythm guitar intro to the Everlys' massive 1957 hit "Wake Up Little Susie".
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Everly_Brothers
Donna Donna
The Everly Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Donna, Donna, why'd you want to do that?
You led me on and lured me off
Then you turned me down flat, da-da, da-da
Donna, Donna, why'd you want to do that?
You tempted me and tortured me
And left me where I was at, da-da, da-da-da
Donna, why'd you want to do that?
Well, when I met you at the dance
You made me think you liked me
I thought that we could find romance
You even told me so
You had that promise in your eye
That made my heart get ready
You built my hopes up to the skies
And then you told me no
[Chorus]
Well, you really fed me quite a lie
You really snowed me under
I thought that things were workin' fine
From every thing you said
But when that Johnny boy came by
He really stole my thunder
When he gave you the bloomin' eye
He really cut me dead
Donna, Donna, why'd you want to do that?
You led me on and lured me off
Then you turned me down flat, la-da, da-da
Donna, Donna
The Everly Brothers’ song “Donna Donna” is a song about a young man, the singer of the song, who falls in love with a girl named Donna. The singer met Donna at a dance and was led on to believe that she liked him too. She even promised him in her eyes that they could find romance. The young man built his hopes up, his head up to the skies, but Donna unexpectedly turned him down after bringing him in with her promises. The singer is left wondering why Donna would want to do that to him. He feels let down and disappointed by her false promises.
The second verse brings in a second male character, Johnny, who the singer feels is responsible for Donna turning him down. When Johnny shows interest in Donna, the singer feels like he has lost out to Johnny, who has taken away his chance with her. The song shows the vulnerability of young people who are trying to find love and how the end of a relationship can be very difficult to deal with emotionally.
Overall, “Donna Donna” is a song that tells the story of a broken relationship that ended in disappointment and left the singer with a sense of betrayal from Donna. The lyrics portray the feelings and emotions that people go through when they are young and inexperienced in love. The song shows that love can be hurtful and uncertain, but it is still a force that draws people to each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Donna, Donna, why'd you want to do that?
Expressing confusion about why Donna would treat the singer this way.
You led me on and lured me off
Donna gave mixed signals and tempted the singer, only to disappoint him later.
Then you turned me down flat, da-da, da-da
Donna rejected the singer completely, leaving him feeling embarrassed and hurt.
Donna, Donna, why'd you want to do that?
Repeating the initial question, emphasizing the shock and bewilderment of the situation.
You tempted me and tortured me
Donna's behavior was extremely frustrating and caused the singer a lot of emotional pain.
And left me where I was at, da-da, da-da-da
Donna's actions left the singer feeling stuck and unable to move on from his feelings for her.
Donna, why'd you want to do that?
The singer pleading with Donna for an explanation for her behavior.
Lyrics © HOUSE OF BRYANT PUBLICATIONS, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOUDLEAUX BRYANT, FELICE BRYANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind