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.
My Melancholy Baby
The Marcels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All right... we will!
Come to me, my melancholy baby
Cuddle up and don't be blue
All your fears are foolish fancies, maybe
You know, dear, that I'm in love with you
Wait until the sun shines through
Smile, my honey dear
While I kiss away each tear
Or else, I shall be melancholy too
Gee that's pretty, sing it again
Well all right
Come to me, my melancholy baby
Why don't you cuddle up and don't be blue
Smile, my honey dear
While I kiss away each tear
Or else, I may be melancholy too
Come to me my melancholy baby
(Repeat to fade)
The Marcels's song My Melancholy Baby is a love song that speaks to the heart of someone who is feeling down and blue. The singer is telling the person to come to them and cuddle up, assuring them that their fears are just foolish fantasies. The cloud that is hanging over them will clear up eventually, and they should try to smile through the tears. The singer is in love with the person, and they don't want to be melancholy because it will impact their relationship. They want to be happy and in love.
The lyrics are simple but evoke a sense of sadness and hope at the same time. They convey the message that no matter how dark things may seem, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. The singer is offering comfort and companionship, someone to lean on during tough times. This is what makes the song timeless; the message of love, support, and assurance that everything will eventually be okay is just as relevant today as it was when the song was written.
Line by Line Meaning
Nah, not that thing again... sing Melancholy baby
A playful rejection of the song, followed by a sarcastic agreement to sing it
Come to me, my melancholy baby
A request for the singer's lover to come to them, insinuating that the lover is feeling down
Cuddle up and don't be blue
An invitation to comfort the lover with an embrace and alleviate their sadness
All your fears are foolish fancies, maybe
An attempt to reassure the lover that their fears and worries are baseless
You know, dear, that I'm in love with you
A declaration of love, emphasizing the importance of the lover's happiness to the singer
Every cloud must have a silver lining
An expression of optimism, suggesting that even the darkest times will eventually brighten
Wait until the sun shines through
A call for patience, promising that things will improve in time
Smile, my honey dear
An encouragement to the lover to smile, to improve their mood and show their affection towards the singer
While I kiss away each tear
A promise to provide emotional support and comfort to the lover, through physical affection
Or else, I shall be melancholy too
A statement of the singer's emotional vulnerability and dependence on the lover's happiness
Gee that's pretty, sing it again
An admiring comment on the song, followed by a request for it to be repeated
Come to me, my melancholy baby
A repetition of the initial request for the singer's lover to come to them
Why don't you cuddle up and don't be blue
A repetition of the original invitation to comfort the lover and alleviate their sadness
Or else, I may be melancholy too
A repetition of the statement of emotional vulnerability, emphasizing the importance of the lover's happiness to the singer
Come to me my melancholy baby
A final repetition of the request, with the song fading out
Contributed by Gavin R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
cdsnow1966
Love The marcels !! Great !!
DOOWOP FOREVER !!!
ShoreScout
So glad to find this on Youtube.. As a little kid in the 70's I played my parents old 45's from the 50's and 60's to death. This was one of them. I must have listened to this song 1000X .. I love it. So glad to find it again. Thanks!
ildibildi53
I listen to it again with pleasure any time. Stunning performance... Have a nice evening
Celena Rodríguez
Hola amiga, saludos desde Chile
lateforbreakfast
the Marcels sure could sing the clasic songs to a modern beat. Good upload.
akavitsuma
The Marcel's are the best!
Clotis Avenue
Great number by a top band.
Neal Lucas
Great Doo Wop number, love this kind of Music Big Time! I'm only 38 but have heard that this type of music was never too popular in the UK, i think that's a real shame!!!......
RoxAnn Gee
Neal, please keep this music alive. It's wonderful that you enjoy it. You made my day! Thank you.
chromefin
Yes it is. But you had Mrs. Mills in the UK and we didn't in the US.