Tragedy struck the group in November 1950. The group was traveling in two cars near Baltimore. Gaither drove one, with Reed and Nelson as passengers. He took a corner too fast and lost control of the car. It rolled down an embankment and crashed into a drive-in restaurant. Gaither was killed and Nelson and Reed were severely injured. Til and Sharp, in the other car, were not near enough to witness the accident. They heard about it when they arrived home. For a short time, only Til and Sharp performed as the Orioles.
They soon added two new members: guitarist/second tenor Ralph Williams and pianist Charlie Harris. Nelson returned in a few days, and Reed a few weeks later. Just a year after their tragic accident, they were involved in another accident in Akron, Ohio, but there were no injuries.
George Nelson left in 1953, to be replaced by Gregory Carroll, formerly of the Four Buddies. This new line-up had several hits in 1953, including "Crying In the Chapel" and their final big hit, "In the Mission of St. Augustine". Williams left briefly in late 1953, and was replaced, for a few weeks, by Chauncy Westbrook. In February of 1955, Reed left and eventually joined an The Ink Spots group. He was replaced by Maurice Hicks. Williams and Harris left soon after. The group continued a short time and disbanded.
Left without the Orioles, Til picked up another group, The Regals, whose members were Tex Cornelius, Diz Russell, Jerry Holeman, Billy Adams, and pianist Paul Griffin. This group became the new Orioles. Til liked the Regals' modern harmony style, and the existing tunes were rearranged to match the Regals' style (in many cases, sounding rather different than they formerly had). During this time, they were often billed as "Sonny Til and his New Orioles". Now without Chessler, they were self-managed. They left Jubilee and signed with Vee-Jay Records.
They continued with this arrangement until 1957 when Cornelius left the group. He was replaced for a short time by Frank Todd, who was replaced by Jimmy Brown. This lineup went until the last day of 1959. Holeman left the group, and Russel the next day, after finding Sonny's car (their means of transportation) repossesed. This was the end of the second Orioles.
Til recorded briefly as a solo artist before putting together the third Orioles group, with members Delton McCall, Billy Taylor, and Gerald Gregory, former bass of The Spaniels. They continued recording, this time for Charlie Parker Records. Gregory left after a couple of years and was replaced by Lawrence Joyner. This group split up in the mid 1960s.
In 1966, Til met Bobby Thomas, a long time Orioles fan. Bobby was singing in a group known as "The Vibrannaires"; coincidentally named the same as the Orioles' original name. This group consisted of Thomas, Clarence Young, Harry Accoo, and Mike Robinson. Thomas, Young, and Robinson joined Til to become the fourth Orioles group. Gregory Carroll was occasionally a member of this group. They recorded until 1975.
Following the breakup of that Orioles group, Til joined George Holmes' Ink Spots, who were Til, Holmes, Ann Lawson, and Larry Reed. With the addition of George "Pepi" Grant in 1977, they began touring as both The Ink Spots and The Orioles (as the Orioles, Lawson was billed as a special guest). Til and Grant alternated leads, and Holmes sang bass. They recorded briefly in 1977.
In 1977, Til formed the sixth Orioles group with former members: Diz Russell and Jerry Holeman from the second group, and Billy Taylor from the third group. The group also sometimes featured Eddie Palmer. This group was together in 1981, when Til died from a heart attack. He was 56.
The group continued, and by the late 1990s featured Russell, Reese Palmer, Skip Mahoney, Larry Jordan (who also tours with The Flamingos) and musical director Eddie Jones, who also works with The Cadillacs. Jones and Mahoney were later replaced by George Spann and Royal Height. Bobby Thomas started his own Orioles group following Til's death. Johnny Reed played with this group until his death in June of 2005.
The Orioles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Both groups were featured in the PBS special Doo Wop 51 in 2000, with the groups alternating verses on "Crying in the Chapel" (with Bobby Thomas and Larry Jordan on lead).
You Belong to Me
The Orioles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watch the sun rise on a tropic isle
Just remember, darling, all the while
You belong to me
See the market place in old Algiers
Send me photographs and souvenirs
But remember when a dream appears
I'll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too, and blue
Fly the ocean in a silver plane
Watch the jungle when it's wet with rain
Just remember till you're home again
You belong to me
The Orioles's song "You Belong to Me" is a classic love ballad that describes the intense longing and devotion that a lover feels towards their beloved when they are separated by distance. The lyrics of the song evoke images of exotic and romantic places like the pyramids along the Nile, old Algiers, and the wet jungles. The singer urges their beloved to explore the world and see all the wonders it has to offer but to always remember that they belong to them. The chorus of the song repeats the refrain "You belong to me" three times, emphasizing the depth of the singer's possessiveness.
The lyrics of the song can be interpreted in different ways. The song can be seen as a declaration of undying love, where the singer fiercely asserts their claim to their beloved, even when they are not physically present. The singer urges their beloved not to forget their love and commitment to them, even when they are far away, surrounded by the beauty and allure of other people and places. The song can also be seen as a product of its time, where the norms of romantic relationships placed great emphasis on ownership and control, and where expressions of devotion and commitment were seen as signs of true love.
Line by Line Meaning
See the pyramids along the Nile
Take in the majestic beauty of ancient Egyptian civilization
Watch the sun rise on a tropic isle
Observe the breathtaking sunrise on a beautiful, tropical island
Just remember, darling, all the while
Despite being apart, remember that you are still mine
You belong to me
You are mine and always will be, no matter where you go or what you do
See the market place in old Algiers
Take in the colorful sights and sounds of a bustling market in Algiers
Send me photographs and souvenirs
Please send me tangible reminders of the places you visit and the memories we share
But remember when a dream appears
Don't get too caught up in the excitement of your travels, remember that we are still connected
I'll be so alone without you
I will deeply miss you while you are away
Maybe you'll be lonesome too, and blue
Perhaps you will also feel sad and lonely without me
Fly the ocean in a silver plane
Travel across vast bodies of water in a sleek, modern aircraft
Watch the jungle when it's wet with rain
Observe the lush greenery of the jungle during a tropical downpour
Just remember till you're home again
Keep me in your thoughts until you return to me
You belong to me
Once again, I remind you that you are forever mine
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ARISTIDES GIOSASI, ARTHUR ZWIRN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind