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)".
Let's Hang On
The Four Seasons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
True love takes a lot of tryin'
Oh, I'm cryin'
Let's hang on to what we've got
Don't let go, girl, we've got a lot
Got a lot of love between us
Hang on, hang on, hang on to what we've got
Doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo
You say you're gonna go and call it quits
Gonna chuck it all and break our love to bits
Breakin' up (I wish you'd never said it)
Breakin' up (no no, we'll both regret it)
That little chip of diamond on your hand
Ain't a fortune, baby
But you know it stands, (for the love) a love to tie and bind ya
(Such a love) we just can't leave behind us
Baby (don't you know?)
Baby (don't you go, oh no no)
(Think it over) and stay
Let's hang on to what we've got
Don't let go, girl, we've got a lot
Got a lot of love between us
Hang on, hang on, hang onto what we've got
Doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo
Ooh, ho-ooh, ooh
Ooh, ho-ooh, ooh
There isn't anything I wouldn't do (I do love you girl)
I'd pay any price to get in good with you (you know I do)
(Patch it up) give me a second turnin'
(Patch it up) don't cool off while I'm burnin'
You've got me cryin', dyin' at you door (cryin', dyin')
Don't shut me out, ooh, let me in once more (cryin)
(Open up) your arms, I need to hold you
(Open up) your heart, oh girl, I love you
Baby (don't you know?)
Baby (oh no, no)
(Think it over) and stay
Let's hang on to what we've got (girl, girl)
Don't let go, girl, we've got a lot (it ain't the world girl)
Got a lot of love between us
Hang on, hang on, hang on to what we've got
Doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo
Ooh, ho-ooh, ooh
Ooh, ho-ooh, ooh
Ooh, ho-ooh, ooh
The lyrics to The Four Seasons's song Let's Hang On express the desperation of a man trying to hold onto a fading love. The first lines of the song acknowledge the difficulty of letting go of true love, indicating that the singer has put a lot of effort into making the relationship work. He is crying, which shows the emotional impact that the idea of breaking up has on him. He then urges his partner to hold onto what they've got and not let go, emphasizing that they have a lot of love between them.
The next set of lyrics has the singer addressing his partner's desire to break up, not wanting to "chuck it all and break our love to bits." He regrets that the word "breaking up" was ever mentioned and tries to convince his partner to rethink the decision, reminding her of the little diamond on her hand that represents the love binding them together. The singer makes it clear that he does not want to lose their love, desperately seeking ways to patch things up and urging his partner to let him back in.
In summary, the lyrics of Let's Hang On detail a man's attempt to convince his partner to stay in a troubled relationship, acknowledging the difficulty letting go of true love and urging his partner to hold onto what they've got.
Line by Line Meaning
There ain't no good in our goodbyein'
Breaking up won't bring any good to us
True love takes a lot of tryin'
We need to put effort into our relationship to make it work
Oh, I'm cryin'
I am sad and emotional about the situation
Let's hang on to what we've got
Let's hold on to the love we still have
Don't let go, girl, we've got a lot
We have a lot of love and we shouldn't let it go
Got a lot of love between us
Our love is strong and valuable
Hang on, hang on, hang on to what we've got
We need to hold on tightly to the love we share
You say you're gonna go and call it quits
You want to end the relationship
Gonna chuck it all and break our love to bits
You want to break up and destroy our love
Breakin' up (I wish you'd never said it)
I don't want to break up and I regret hearing you say it
Breakin' up (no no, we'll both regret it)
If we break up, we will both regret it
That little chip of diamond on your hand
The small diamond on your finger (from our commitment) has big meaning
Ain't a fortune, baby
It's not a huge amount of money, but it represents our love and commitment
But you know it stands, (for the love) a love to tie and bind ya
The diamond symbolizes our strong love that ties and binds us together
(Such a love) we just can't leave behind us
Our love is so strong that we can't just leave it behind
Baby (don't you know?)
I want you to realize
Baby (don't you go, oh no no)
I don't want you to leave me
(Think it over) and stay
Take some time to consider, but please stay with me
There isn't anything I wouldn't do (I do love you girl)
I love you so much that I would do anything for you
I'd pay any price to get in good with you (you know I do)
I am willing to do whatever it takes to make things right between us
(Patch it up) give me a second turnin'
Let's fix our relationship and try again
(Patch it up) don't cool off while I'm burnin'
Let's not let our love fade away while we can still make things right
You've got me cryin', dyin' at you door (cryin', dyin')
You have made me so emotional and upset that I am at your door crying and feeling desperate
Don't shut me out, ooh, let me in once more (cryin)
Please don't push me away, let me try to make things right and show you my love
(Open up) your arms, I need to hold you
Please open up and let me hold you in my arms
(Open up) your heart, oh girl, I love you
Please open up your heart and let me show you how much I love you
Let's hang on to what we've got (girl, girl)
Let's hold onto our love and not let it slip away
Don't let go, girl, we've got a lot (it ain't the world girl)
We have a lot of love, which is priceless and precious
Got a lot of love between us
Our love is strong, valuable and worth keeping
Hang on, hang on, hang on to what we've got
We need to hold on tightly to the love we share and not give up on it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Crewe, Denny Randell, Sandy Linzer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheBoxfitter
I just saw him perform on 11/18/23. He sang for nearly 90 minutes and put on a great show. Amazing stamina for a performer who is 89.5 years old and has still got it. God bless him.
@valentinmontana9951
I was a teenager when this song came out in September 1965. What a wonderful time I had listening to it, I just couldn't stop playing it again and again on my record player. It was the beginning of a real pop music revolution that changed my life forever. How lucky I was to have experienced that period in time. I remember I used to have long hair combed in The Beattles style and wore tight jeans, T-shirt and white socks and leather moccasins. The happiest time in my life.
@jackienuttall7549
Weren't we lucky back then.. wouldn't want to be young today
@peterbalac1915
Nor me, very difficult for the young generation right now we were blessed and I never realised it at the time!!!
@zephead843
Sadly, life in America will never be that good again... Ladies and Gentlemen, The Beatles!
@antibiba1
absolutely fantastic. Valli's range is phenomenal. And the music - the arrangement of it - is sheer brilliance. I am 47 and I will listen to Valli and the Four Seasons till the day I die.
@peterandreadakis3851
With Covid-19 that could be sooner than you think. Keep well.
@rennathabaughn7303
In my opinion, you are 100% correct! It is truly amazing how Franki Valli & The Four Seasons have stood the test of time well into the 21st century 😃
I have been an adoring fan since I was 12 years old and now I'm 46.
@formalcomputer
That'll be the day.
@LucilleBallFan
I just performed this song on sat night! I sing alot of his songs 😊 I was blessed with a high vocal range 🙏