The disc climbed all the way to number one in the UK singles chart. However all follow-ups sank without trace, and the group became known there as a one-hit wonder. Even in their U.S. homeland, later revivals in the same vein as "Blue Moon" - "Heartaches" and "Melancholy Baby" - were much less successful.
In August of 1961, Knauss and Bricker left and were replaced by Alan Johnson (brother of Fred) and Walt Maddox. Mundy left soon after, leaving the group a quartet.
In 1962, Harp and Alan Johnson left, and were replaced by Richard Harris and William Herndon. There was a brief reunion of the original members in 1973. The group made several recordings in 1975 with Harp back on lead.
By the early 1990s the group was Johnson, Maddox, Harris, Jules Hopson and Richard Merritt.
The group split around 1995. Fred Johnson formed his own group with new members, while the other four members recruited new bass Ted Smith. Maddox won a lawsuit against Sunny James Svetnic, the manager of Johnson's group, for trademark infringement in 1996. Svetnic died in 2002.
Johnson reunited with Harp, Mundy, and Knauss in 1999 for the PBS special Doo Wop 50 with a fifth member.
I Wanna Be the Leader
The Marcels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As we ride empty roads
So close inside your car
I can smell your skin
Your hand brushes mine
I try not to think of it
On my neck, on my lips
Im tired of pretending
Refraining the feeling
Who am I fooling?
Cant keep it in
Im tired of pretending
Refraining the feeling
Who am I fooling?
Cant keep it in
Want you to know that I want you
Cause I dont want to be your friend
I wont be playing by the rules
Cause I dont want to be your friend
Dont want to be
Dont want to be
Dont want to be your friend
Dont want to be
Dont want to be
Dont want to be your friend
Dont want to be
Dont want to be
Dont want to be your friend
Dont want to be
Dont want to be
Dont want to be your friend
Daylight grows dim
As we ride empty streets
So close inside your car
I can feel the heat
Im tired of pretending
Refraining the feeling
Who am I fooling?
Cant keep it in
Im tired of pretending
Refraining the feeling
Who am I fooling?
Cant keep it in
Want you to know that I want you
Cause I dont want to be your friend
I wont be playing by the rules
Cause I dont want to be your friend
Dont want to be
Dont want to be
Dont want to be your friend
Dont want to be
Dont want to be
Dont want to be your friend
Dont want to be
Dont want to be
Dont want to be your friend
Dont want to be
Dont want to be
Dont want to be your friend
The lyrics of "I Wanna Be the Leader" by The Marcels convey the internal struggle of a person who is lost in his/her feelings of love and attraction towards someone. The song begins with the singer describing a moment of physical intimacy with the person he/she desires while riding inside their car. The lighting of the day is fading away, and the singer can smell the skin of the other person, making the moment more intense. The singer tries to control his/her thoughts, but the physical sensation becomes too much to handle.
As the song progresses, the singer expresses disappointment and frustration with his/her inability to conceal the feelings from the other person. The singer declares that he/she wants to be honest with the other person about the depth of his/her feelings and that being just friends will not be enough. The singer is tired of trying to restrain the emotions, and he/she can no longer fake what he/she truly feels.
In the end, the singer repeats the chorus, expressing his/her desire to be more than friends and admitting that playing by the rules will not work for him/her. The song ends with the singer's struggle being unresolved, uncertain of whether the other person feels the same way or not.
Overall, "I Wanna Be the Leader" by The Marcels is a beautifully crafted song that depicts the complicated journey of falling in love with someone and the struggle to express those feelings. It conveys the internal dilemma of someone who wants to be honest and transparent in their intentions but can't be sure of the outcome.
Line by Line Meaning
Daylight grows dim
The sun is setting.
As we ride empty roads
We are driving on deserted streets.
So close inside your car
We are in close proximity inside the car.
I can smell your skin
I can smell your scent.
Your hand brushes mine
Our hands touch.
I try not to think of it
I try to avoid acknowledging the physical contact.
On my neck, on my lips
You touch my neck and lips.
You say something, but Im distracted
You speak, but I am too preoccupied with physical attraction to listen.
Im tired of pretending
I am exhausted from hiding my true feelings.
Refraining the feeling
Suppressing my emotions.
Who am I fooling?
I am not deceiving anyone.
Cant keep it in
I can no longer suppress my emotions.
Want you to know that I want you
I want you to know that I am attracted to you.
Cause I dont want to be your friend
I do not want a platonic relationship.
I wont be playing by the rules
I will not conform to societal norms of friendship.
Dont want to be
I do not wish to become.
Dont want to be your friend
I do not want a friendship with you.
Can feel the heat
There is a sexual tension between us.
Im tired of pretending
I cannot conceal my feelings anymore.
Refraining the feeling
I have been suppressing my desires for too long.
Who am I fooling?
Others may not know, but I cannot hide it from myself.
Cant keep it in
I cannot keep my emotions bottled up anymore.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, APM MUSIC ASSOCIATED PRODUCTION MUSIC
Written by: ADAM MICHAEL GEORGE DOUBLE, ANDREW MICHAEL ERNEST, MARCEL BOLANO, MERRICK DAY, NICHOLAS JONATHAN HILL, SARAH EISENFISZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sinfulshea
Sad to think most of my generation will never hear music like this; doo wop generally deserves so much more recognition. I’m glad to be one of the few though :D
@iamnotafederalagent5552
Gen z?
@palapa1265
They have no idea what music is
@looloo2866
I'm here
@looloo2866
I'm the only one left with good music taste
@icychill105
its hard to believe that there are almost no comments on such an amazing song from the marcels
@thecinephiliac4034
It’s also hard to believe that the ENTIRE cast of “Saved by the Bell” are all dead.
@BIOMIESGAMING
wait until marvel studio use the song, so people know this mastepiece
@EvanGundersen
I'm 14 and now this is my new favorite song
@CatPersian1
Very underrated group !!