The wispy innocence of the Poni-Tails' harmony ha… Read Full Bio ↴The Poni-Tails
The wispy innocence of the Poni-Tails' harmony has been heard on oldies radio for over thirty years thanks to one timely hit "Born Too Late." A record about an older boy, "Born Too Late" is a rock and roll classic, a "girl group goldie," and round the world favorite.
The trio of Toni Cistone (lead vocals), LaVerne Novak (high harmony), and Karen Topinka (low harmony) were students at Brush High School in Lynhurst, Ohio near Cleveland, when they started singing together in 1956. They performed at school functions and benefits, and it was at one of these shows that they were spotted by an attorney, John Jewitt, who gave them an introduction to music publisher Tom Illius. Illius liked the soft style of the trio and their original song "Que La Bozena." Illius took them to the local Point Records, who issued their first single "Your Wild Heart" in January, 1957. Unfortunately, even innocence white girls were subjected to being covered. "Your Wild Heart" became a hit for Mercury artist Joy lane (#20) while the Version by the Poni-Tails, named for the hairstyle they wore at the time, became an instant collectible.
With Illius managing the group they had one more single with Marc Records "Can I Be Sure".
Tony and LaVerne auditioned for a replacement for Karen when her father made her leave the group. They came up with former Regina High student Patti McCabe.
Illius got ABC Records' Don Costa , later to produce/arrange for Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and found DCP Records; interested in the group. ABC released "It's Just My Luck To Be 15" by the end of 1957. It quickly disappeared.
With a similar theme "Born Too Late" made the Poni-Tails part of rock and roll history. It reached number seven on Billboard's Top 100 and number five in England. The group might have remained anonymous if ABC had had its way as they were promoting the other side "Come On Joey, Dance With Me". It was only after several Cleveland deejays pushed "Born Too Late," the other side, that the record took off.
The model of what parents of the 50s considered to be "the safe look" appearances on Dick Clark's American Bandstand by the Poni-Tails further fostered that image.
For the next two years the Poni-Tails attempted to recapture the magic of "Born Too Late". Despite its suggestive title "Seven Minutes To Heaven," their next single, only reached number 87 in December, 1958. Their last record to chart was "I'll Be Seeing You," a rockaballad that went down well at record hops as a "ladies choice" number, in late fall of 1959. "Who, When, and Why" was their last record in 1960.
ABC still wanted to renew their contract for another five years in 1960, but the Poni-Tails decided to call it a career and settle into family life.
"The three years were fun, but I just wanted to get out of the record business and get back to normal living." (Toni Cistone)
In 1991 LaVerne (Novak) Glivic was working for a real estate agent in Menor, Ohio, and had five grandchildren. Toni (Cistone) Costabile was working at a high school in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Patti (McCabe) Barnes died of cancer in January, 1989. Tom Illius went on to become a top executive with the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles.
Born Too Late
The Poni-Tails Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To you, I'm just a kid that you won't date
Why was I born too late?
Born too late to have a chance to win your love
Oh why, oh why was it my fate
To be born too late?
I see you walk with another
I wish it could be me
I long to hold you and kiss you
But I know it never can be
For I was
Born too late for you to care
Now my heart cries
Because your heart just couldn't wait
Why was I born too late?
Born too late for you to care
Now my heart cries
Because your heart just couldn't wait
Why was I born too late?
Why was I born too late?
Too late
The Poni-Tails' song "Born Too Late" is a lamentation from a young woman who feels that she was born at the wrong time. The singer is bemoaning the fact that she was born too late to be noticed by someone she loves, who only sees her as a kid that he won't date. She sings about how she was born too late to have a chance to win his love and wonders why it was her fate to be born at the wrong time.
The song has a melancholic feel to it as the singer sees the object of her affection walking with someone else, and she wishes that it could be her. She dreams of holding and kissing him but knows that it will never happen. She is left with a broken heart as she realizes that she was born too late for him to care, and his heart just couldn't wait. The song ends with the repeated refrain of "Why was I born too late," highlighting the feelings of regret and sadness that the singer feels.
Overall, "Born Too Late" is a poignant song that touches on themes of unrequited love, missed opportunities, and the pain of longing for someone who does not feel the same way. It is a relatable song that many can identify with, as everyone has experienced unrequited love at some point in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Born too late for you to notice me
I came into existence long after you did, and now you see me as too young for your romantic interest.
To you, I'm just a kid that you won't date
In your eyes, I'm just a naive youngster that you'd never consider as a potential partner.
Why was I born too late?
I can't help but ponder why I was not born earlier when I could have stood a chance with you.
Born too late to have a chance to win your love
I was born too late to have the opportunity to earn your affection and make you love me.
Oh why, oh why was it my fate
I can't help but wonder why destiny chose to consign me to an existence in which I'm destined to love you from afar.
I see you walk with another
I often watch you stroll with someone else.
I wish it could be me
I yearn for the day when I'll be the one walking carefreely beside you.
I long to hold you and kiss you
I have an intense desire to embrace you tightly and feel your lips on mine.
But I know it never can be
Unfortunately, I'm aware that this scenario is unlikely to occur.
For I was born too late for you to care
Unfortunately, my birthdate falls after the point at which you'd be inclined to genuinely care about me.
Now my heart cries
My heart is filled with sorrow and grief.
Because your heart just couldn't wait
My sadness is because you couldn't wait around for me, and your heart fell for someone else in a shorter timeframe than would have given me a chance.
Why was I born too late?
This question lingers on, as I wonder why I didn't arrive earlier so that I could have formed a connection with you.
Too late
It's just too late for my romantic aspirations to ever come to fruition.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES STROUSE, FRED TOBIAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ariglesiasutset3305
Born too late for you to notice me
To you, I'm just a kid that you won't date
Why was I born too late?
Born too late to have a chance to win your love
Oh why, oh why was it my fate
To be born too late?
I see you walk with another
I wish it could be me
I long to hold you and kiss you
But I know it never can be
For I was
Born too late for you to care
Now my heart cries
Because your heart just couldn't wait
Why was I born too late?
Born too late for you to care
Now my heart cries
Because your heart just couldn't wait
Why was I born too late?
Why was I born too late?
Too late
@ernestmartinezAO3
Wait For Me
by The Playmates 1960
🎶Wait, for me (wait for me)
Wait, for me (wait for me)
When I first met her she was only three,
And I remember how she followed me,
She was always getting in my way,
And I still, yes I still can hear her say,
Wait for me, wait for me, Johnny please wait for me,
I love you more than I can hardly stand,
Wait for me, wait for me, Johnny please wait for me,
I'll grow up just as fast as I can.
Wait, for me (wait for me)
Wait, for me (wait for me)
As we grew older she would always wait,
She'd wait for me by the schoolyard gate,
I would yell at her to go away,
And I still, yes I still can hear her say,
Wait for me, wait for me, Johnny please wait for me,
I love you more than I can hardly stand,
Wait for me, wait for me, Johnny please wait for me, I'll grow up just as fast as I can.
Wait, for me (wait for me)
Wait, for me (wait for me)
And now we're grown up but she didn't wait,
And I'm in love with her but it's too late,
She just married someone else
Today and I still, yes I still can hear her say,
Wait for me, wait for me, Johnny please wait for me,
I love you more than I can hardly stand,
Wait for me, wait for me, Johnny please wait for me,
I'll grow up just as fast as I can.
Wait, for me, (wait, for me),
Johnny, wait for me. 🎶
@kaiadenham3955
I sang along with this in 1958. I was a freshman in high school and he was a senior. We were friends but he never asked me out. He graduated in 1958 and after 1959, our paths didn't connect again for 60 years. He found me using geneology in 2019, and now I'm not born too late anymore. Who says you can't fall in love again at ages 75 and 79? We will spend the rest of our lives together now. It's never too late!
@monder4837
Aww, that's so cute... are you two still together? ☺
@kaiadenham3955
@@monder4837 YES. I'm now 79 and he's 82.
@eileenhudson4934
Great story ..
@eileenhudson4934
Happy ending
@user-mj8nf2vp7q
...Glad it worked out for you both, that's a beautiful story with a happy ending. Thanks for giving this 47 year old hope that it's never too late for love.
👍🏽💯🤗
@artlover4997
This song perfectly encapsulates the feelings of every teen girl crushing on an older guy in high school or your celebrity crush that you are just so darn infatuated with.
@lilac7363
johnny depp... 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
@helpgirlimtrappedinthetestube
robert de niro ☠
@LeprechaunJackson
Or celeb crushes that have died… 🙃😭