They also recorded the original version of "Daddy Cool", which was used as part of a medley with Little Richard's "The Girl Can't Help It", for the UK band Darts which made number 6 in the UK Singles Chart in 1977. The song also lent its name to the Australian band Daddy Cool, who recorded the song in 1971.
"Silhouettes" was also released by The Diamonds in 1957 reaching number 10 on the charts and later in a slightly faster cover version by Herman's Hermits in 1965, reaching number 5 on the US chart. It was also covered by Bob Dylan, but still unreleased, from his Basement Tapes sessions in the late 1960s.
Harold Miller - (lead singer) - (born Brooklyn, New York)
Walter Ford - (tenor) - (born Lexington, Kentucky)
David Jones - (tenor) - (born Brooklyn, New York)
Harry James - (baritone) - (born Brooklyn, New York)
Billboard singles
1957 "Silhouettes" U.S. Black Singles number 3
1957 "Silhouettes" U.S. Pop Singles number 3
1960 "Mediterranean Moon" U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number 95[3]
1961 "Magic Moon (Clair de lune)" U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number 49[3]
Triangle
The Rays Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comes with a house
On the grass, who is that
To come by my house
Stands outside my window
Sucking on the berries
And eats us out of house and home
Can I come over, I need to rest
Lay down for a while
Disconnect the night was so long
The day even longer
Lay down for a while recollect
Five a.m. out again
Triangle walks
Magpies, I throw sticks at them
They laugh behind my back
Getting a feeling
Maybe I will dream again
Having that feeling
When there's no one awake
No no one awake
Can I come over, I need to rest
Lay down for a while
Disconnect the night was so long
The day even longer
Lay down for a while recollect
The Rays's song "Triangle" is a dream-like journey through the mind of the singer as they try to make sense of their surroundings. In the first verse, the lyrics describe the appearance of an apple and a berry plant that come with the singer's house. The lyrics then shift to the presence of an unknown figure outside of the singer's house, which keeps them awake at night. This gives off a feeling of unease and discomfort as they watch the stranger eat the berries and gradually exhaust the food supply.
In the second verse, the lyrics depict the morning after and the presence of a triangle walking nearby, which further adds to the mysterious atmosphere of the song. The singer describes their attempt to scare away magpies by throwing sticks at them, but they end up being laughed at instead. The last lines suggest that the singer feels alone, and they long for the feeling of being in a dream when nobody else is awake.
Overall, the lyrics of "Triangle" create a sense of confusion and disconnectedness, as the singer tries to find meaning in their environment but is met with puzzling and unsettling experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
An apple and a berry plant
The house comes with some fruit plants.
Comes with a house
The fruit plants are part of the house property.
On the grass, who is that
There's someone on the grass outside the house.
To come by my house
The person seems interested in visiting the house.
Stands outside my window
The person is now standing outside the window.
Sucking on the berries
The person is consuming the berries.
And eats us out of house and home
The person consumes so much food that it's becoming a problem for the people inside the house.
Keeping us awake, keeping us awake
The noise and disruption caused by the person is affecting the sleep of the people inside the house.
Can I come over, I need to rest
The artist wants to visit someone's house to take a break and relax.
Lay down for a while
The artist wants to rest and lie down for some time.
Disconnect the night was so long
The singer wants to disconnect from the events of the night since it was a long one.
The day even longer
The artist is feeling tired and exhausted from the day, which was even longer than the night.
Lay down for a while recollect
The singer wants to rest and gather their thoughts.
Five a.m. out again
It's early in the morning, around 5 a.m.
Triangle walks
A person or group walks by in a triangle shape.
Magpies, I throw sticks at them
The artist is throwing sticks at magpies that they see.
They laugh behind my back
The magpies continue to taunt and mock the artist even when they're not looking.
Getting a feeling
The singer is experiencing a certain emotion or sensation.
Maybe I will dream again
The singer feels that they may have a good dream again.
Having that feeling
The artist is experiencing a familiar sensation.
When there's no one awake
The artist likes to have this feeling when no one else is around or awake.
No no one awake
The artist is emphasizing that they like this feeling when there's no one else to disturb them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KARIN DREIJER ANDERSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DerekEvan
I've always liked this just as much or perhaps even better than "Silhouettes". It's a froggin' awesome record!
Allan Johnson
Great song on its own merit with a great sound from The Rays.
bluenote824 jones
a really great group !!!!
longboarder771
Silhouettes by the Rays is one of my all time favourite doo-wop songs, it even made the UK charts! This is a virtual remake of the song which could explain why it wasn't a hit again?
13loomisst
Agree with your assessment completely, though I must say it was utterly shameless when they went into the Triangle, Triangle, Triangle thing just after the one-minute mark. Was "Silhouettes" also on Cameo? In any case, interesting.
PJDooWop
"Silhouettes" was originally on XYZ but was a hit on Cameo. It's really not the group's fault.. Bob Crewe and Frank Slay wrote and arranged both songs
bluenote824 jones
Group should have made it really big.
Mary Kowalski
Silhouettes was the FIRST record I ever bought. I thought Daddy Cool was on the back?
The Gregola Horology Channel
Mary Kowalski That’s the version by “The Diamonds”. I got the 78 a few months back, who knows, maybe I wound up with your copy!
bftime1
A great follow up but how do you top Silhouettes?