In 1960, the group known as The Four Lovers evolved into The Four Seasons, with Frankie Valli as the lead singer, Bob Gaudio (formerly of The Royal Teens) on keyboards and tenor vocals, Tommy DeVito on lead guitar and baritone vocals, and Nick Massi on bass guitar and bass vocals.
The Four Seasons and the Beach Boys were virtually the only American groups whose successful careers were not derailed when the Beatles and the British Invasion bands hit the States in 1964. In fact, 1964 ranks as the Four Seasons' biggest year of all, despite the insurgency from abroad, which attests to their durability and appeal among America's teenagers. That appeal stemmed from the Four Seasons' ability to complement spotless Italian-American doo-wop harmonies with the forceful falsetto and three-octave range of lead vocalist Frankie Valli - the other members were Bob Gaudio on keyboards and tenor vocals, Tommy DeVito on lead guitar and baritone vocals, Gerry Polci on drums, and Nick Massi on bass guitar and bass vocals. Frankie Valli and Tommy DeVito previously performed with Nick DeVito (Tommy's twin brother) and Hank Majewski as the Four Lovers. later on the Four Season where heavley shaped by the songwriting of band member Bob Gaudio, with arrangements and production that drew upon everything from Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" to the danceable beat of Motown's pop/R&B singles. During a hitmaking streak that spanned the years 1962-68, the Four Seasons netted two dozen Top Forty singles, including the Number One hits "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man" and "Rag Doll." They've sold over 100 million records worldwide, making them the most successful white doo-wop group in rock and roll history.
At their peak, the Four Seasons made recordings that expressed the tough-but-tender sensibility of their home turf in the Northeast much in the way the Beach Boys encapsulated the world of Southern California in harmony and song. In the words of Billy Joel, a longtime fan who grew up listening to them on Long Island, "The Four Seasons had wonderful chord progressions, beautiful writing, terrific production fantastic harmony, records that really spoke to us."
The band released their first hit "Sherry" in 1962. Under the guidance of producer/songwriter Bob Crewe, The Four Seasons followed up "Sherry" with several well-remembered hits, including "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like a Man" and "Candy Girl". In the mid 1960s, the British Invasion slowed down their career somewhat, but the Four Seasons released several more big hits in 1964, such as "Dawn", "Rag Doll", which was the first single on WABC Radio, New York to be "pick hit of the week" one week and the number 1 single the following week, "Big Man in Town", "Ronnie" and "Save It for Me". Nick Massi left the Four Seasons in 1965 and was replaced by Joe Long who became the mainstay on bass and backup vocals until 1976. Several more Top 10 singles followed, including "Let's Hang On", "Working My Way Back To You", "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", and "C'mon Marianne"; but by late 1967, the group's popularity was deteriorating, as public interest moved towards rock with a harder edge and more socially conscious lyrics. The band would, however, enjoy a brief revival in their popularity in the mid 1970s, with the hits "Who Loves You", "Swearin' to God", and their last number one hit "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)".
Beggin'
The Four Seasons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put your lovin' hand out, baby
I'm beggin'
(Beggin') beggin' (ooh)
Put your lovin' hand out, baby
(Beggin') beggin' you
Put your lovin' hand out, baby
Ridin' high when I was king
Played it hard and fast 'cause I had everything
Walked away, wonderin' then
But easy come and easy go and it would end
(Beggin') I'm beggin' you
Won't you give your hand out, baby?
(Beggin') beggin' (ooh)
Put your lovin' hand out, baby
I need you to understand
That I tried so hard to be a man
The kind of man you'd want in the end
Only then can I begin to live again
An empty shell I used to be
Shadow of my life is hangin' over me
A broken man that I don't know
Don't even stand a devil's chance to win my soul
(Beggin') beggin' you
Won't you give your hand out, baby?
(Beggin') beggin' you
Put your lovin' hand out, baby
I'm fightin' hard to hold my own
No, I just can't make it all alone
I'm holdin' on, I can't fall back
Now that big brass ring is a shade of black
(Beggin') I'm beggin' you
Won't you give your hand out, baby?
(Beggin') beggin' (ooh)
Put your lovin' hand out, baby
(Beggin') beggin' you
Won't you give your hand out, baby?
The song "Beggin'" by The Four Seasons was first released in 1967 and has since become a classic soul/pop hit. It is a song about a man who has hit rock bottom and is begging his lover to give him another chance. The opening lines "Put your lovin' hand out, baby, I'm beggin'," immediately set the tone for the song and express the desperation of the singer. He continues to plead with his lover throughout the song, emphasizing that he needs her in order to get his life back on track.
The second verse of the song talks about how the singer was once successful and had everything he wanted, but he lost it all and is now struggling to get by. He admits that he wasn't always the best person and that he made mistakes, but he is willing to change if given the chance. The chorus repeats the plea for his lover to give him her hand and help him start over.
The bridge of the song features a powerful moment where the singer realizes that he needs to be a better man in order to win back his lover. "Only then can I begin to live again," he sings, showing that he understands the gravity of the situation and is willing to work hard to make things right. The final verse reinforces this idea, emphasizing that the singer is fighting hard to hold his own but needs his lover's support to make it through.
Overall, "Beggin'" is a powerful song about love, loss, and redemption. The Four Seasons' performance is full of emotion and showcases the raw power of their vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
Mmh
The singer is making a humming sound.
Put your lovin' hand out, baby
Asking the beloved to extend their love and support.
I'm beggin' (Beggin') beggin' (ooh)
The singer is repeatedly asking for love and support.
Put your lovin' hand out, baby (Beggin') beggin' you
The singer wants the beloved to extend their love and support to him.
Ridin' high when I was king
The singer was once happy and confident.
Played it hard and fast 'cause I had everything
The singer was reckless and overconfident because he had everything he wanted.
Walked away, wonderin' then
The singer left behind his happy life and now he's wondering if he made a mistake.
But easy come and easy go and it would end
The singer realizes that his happy life was not permanent.
I need you to understand
That I tried so hard to be a man
The singer is asking the beloved to understand that he tried being a good man.
The kind of man you'd want in the end
Only then can I begin to live again
The singer wants to be the kind of man that the beloved would want, so he can start living again.
An empty shell I used to be
The singer was once empty inside.
Shadow of my life is hangin' over me
The singer is haunted by his past.
A broken man that I don't know
The singer is now broken and lost.
Don't even stand a devil's chance to win my soul
The singer has lost hope and thinks he cannot be saved.
I'm fightin' hard to hold my own
The singer is trying hard to survive.
No, I just can't make it all alone
The singer cannot survive on his own.
I'm holdin' on, I can't fall back
The singer is holding on and cannot give up.
Now that big brass ring is a shade of black
The singer's once bright future is now looking bleak.
Won't you give your hand out, baby? (Beggin') beggin' you
The singer is begging for the beloved's love and support again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Peggy Farina, Bob Gaudio
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@daniilnemykin6987
Put your loving hand out, baby
I`m begging
(Begging) begging
Put your loving hand out, baby
(Begging) begging you
Put your loving hand out, baby
Riding high when I was king
Played it hard and fast
Cause I had everything
You walked away, won me then
But easy come and easy go
And it would end
(Begging) I`m begging you
Won`t you give your hand out, baby
(Begging) begging
Put your loving hand out, baby
I need you to understand
That I tried so hard
To be your man
The kind of man you want in the end
Only then can I begin to live again
An empty shell
Used to be
Shadow of my life
Is hanging over me
Broken man without a throne
Won't even stand the devils dance
To win my soul
(Begging) begging you
Won`t you give your hand out, baby
(Begging) begging you
Put your loving hand out, baby
I`m fighting hard
To hold my own
No, I just can't make it
All alone
I`m holdin on
I can`t fall back
Now that big brass ring
Is a shade of black
(Begging) I`m begging you
Won`t you give your hand out, baby
(Begging) begging
Put your loving hand out, baby
(Begging) begging you
@sorix224
If you're interested in more versions of the song, here's a list I found of 22 different versions that have been covered!
1.Four Seasons (Frankie Valli)-1967
2.TimeBox-1968
3.Pilooski-1970
4.Dolpdere Big Gang-1974
5.Upstarts-1978
6.Noel McCalla-1980
7.Patrica Payaa-1981
8.John Lloyd-2004
9.Christiano-2004
10.Young-2004
11.Hoff'n Daniel-2004
12.Madcon-2007
13.The Saturdays-2009
14.Shocking Blue-2010
15.Thomas:2010
16.The Overthones-2011
17.Mile25-2011
18.Feliz-2016
19.Måneskin-2017
20 .Monophonics-2021
21. Leo Moracchioli-2021
22.Leod-2021
@kumoj
Beggin' went through 3 music generations
@user-uu3zt1uc4y
4
@noyes4549
even 4
@sxxchico_con_swagxxs2087
@@noyes4549 and @City Kittens
I only know about this, madcon and maneskin, which one is the 4th one?
@taslimlimah5418
Actually 4
@erluchetto6420
@@sxxchico_con_swagxxs2087 Logic did a cover too
@darthnicholas9675
It’s crazy how the original 1967 sounds like a current song that would be written today. The vocals are amazing.
@krisletsplay3266
Because it's a Remaster
Edit: because the Song was ahead of its time
@darthnicholas9675
@@krisletsplay3266 yes, but the way it is written and the way it was sung aren’t effected by a remaster.
@krisletsplay3266
@@darthnicholas9675 agree