After working together for a bit, Mary Weiss ended up singing lead. In April of 1964, since the girls were still minors, their parents signed for them with Red Bird Records, with their name coming from the title of a mythical place of wonder. Mary was 15, Betty was 17, and the Ganser twins were 16. That same year, they had their first hit with "Remember (Walking in the Sand)". The song, a U.S. #5 and a U.K. #14, was created after producer George "Shadow" Morton hired the band.
Their songs with "Shadow" Morton featured lavish production with heavy orchestration and sound effects. Their biggest hit, the renowned death disc "Leader of the Pack", climaxes with the sounds of roaring motorcycles and breaking glass. A U.S. #1 and U.K. #11 hit, the tune still gets serious airplay to this day.
According to a Biography episode on various 60s 'Brill Building' songwriters, including retrospective interviews with Greenwich, Barry and Morton among others, Barry said that at the time he was suspicious of Morton's overt attention to Greenwich. Disbelieving Morton was really the songwriter he claimed to be, Barry challenged Morton to prove his legitimacy and bring in samples of his recent work (expecting never to hear again from an embarrassed Morton). Morton stated in his interview that, with an empty song portfolio at the time, he felt sufficiently challenged by Barry, whereupon he left the Brill Building and drove his automobile to a Long Island Beach.
Full of both inspiration and desperation, Morton spent the evening writing his first song, while sitting in the dark in his parked car. Entitled "Remember (Walking In The Sand)", Morton then 'rolled the dice' and recorded a demo of his song with a long-shot, unknown girl-group local club act that he admired, The Shangri-Las (according to Morton, with the then-unknown Billy Joel on piano in the demo recording), and offered the demo recording to Jerry Leiber, who was then setting up Red Bird Records. The recording "Remember (Walking In The Sand)" by the Shangri-Las reached #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. Considering the scope of this accomplishment, Morton was transformed overnight from a credential-less industry 'wannabe' into a teen recording songwriter and recording producer. According to Steve Kurutz at Allmusic, "Morton's production work, which included brilliant sound effects and inventive percussion, carried the Shangri-Las to girl-group history."
The band continued to have a string of American hit records, mainly on depressing themes such as death, loneliness, and abandonment. Songs included "Past, Present and Future", "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" and "Long Live Our Love".
In 1966, the Shangri-Las' subsequent two releases on Red Bird failed to make the top 50. That same year the band left Red Bird and Morton after the label folded. At the beginning of 1967, Marge decided to leave the group. Despite signing to Mercury Records that year, the group had no further hits. In 1968, they disbanded.
Mary Ann died of a drug overdose in 1970. Marge succumbed to breast cancer on July 28, 1996 at age 48.
The group experienced a small revival in the UK when "Leader Of The Pack" was re-issued twice, reaching #3 in 1972 and #7 in 1976.
The Shangri-La's 1966 hit "Past, Present & Future" was effectively covered in 2004 by ex ABBA singer Agnetha Fältskog on her 2004 album, "My Colouring Book".
Since the 1980's, the group has had to deal with a group calling themselves The Shangri Las, but having nothing to do with the original group. The group was put together by Dick Fox.
Discography
Standard albums
* 1964: Leader of the Pack (US #109)
* 1965: Shangri-Las-65!
Compilations
* 1966: Golden Hits of the Shangri-Las
* 1975: The Shangri-Las Sing
* 1996: The Best of the Shangri-Las
Singles
* 1964: "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" (US #5, UK #14)
* 1964: "Leader of the Pack" (US #1, UK #11)
* 1965: "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" (US #18)
* 1965: "Give Us Your Blessings" (US #29)
* 1965: "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" (US #6)
* 1965: "Maybe" (US #91)
* 1965: "Out in the Streets" (US #53)
* 1965: "Right Now and Not Later" (US #99)
* 1966: "He Cried" (US #65)
* 1966: "Long Live Our Love" (US #33)
* 1966: "Past, Present and Future" (US #59)
* 1966: "Take the Time"
* 1967: "Sweet Sounds of Summer"
References
* "Shangri-Las 77!", footnote 4, by Phil X Milstein, Spectropop
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shangri-Las
I Can Never Go Home Anymore
The Shangri-Las Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna run away
Don't!!
Cause you can never go home anymore
Listen. Does this sound familiar? You wake up every morning, go to
School every day, spend your nights on the corner just passing the time away.
Called "glad." Now my mom is a good mom and she loves me with all her heart.
But she said I was too young to be in love and the boy and I would have to part.
And no matter how I ranted and raved, I screamed, I pleaded, I cried-she told me it
Was not really love but only my girlish pride. And that's called "bad."
(Never go home anymore)
Now if that's happened to you, don't let this. I packed my clothes and
Left home that night. Though she begged me to stay, I was sure I was right. And
You know something funny?? I forgot that boy right away. Instead I remember
Being tucked in bed and hearing my mama say
(Hush, little baby, don't you cry)
(Mama won't go away)
Mama!!!
(You can never go home anymore)
Mama!!!
I can never go home anymore
Do you ever get that feeling and want to kiss and hug her? Do it now
Tell her you love her. Don't do to your mom what I did to mine. She grew so lonely
In the end. Angels picked her for a friend.
(Never)
And I can never go home (never) anymore
And that's called "sad".
The Shangri-Las’ song “I Can Never Go Home Anymore” tells the story of a young girl who leaves her home because her mother forbade her to see her boyfriend. The girl believes that she is in love with her boyfriend, but her mother doesn’t see it that way. She is young, and her mother thinks that she is too inexperienced to know what love really is. The mother insists that the relationship is just a passing thing and tells her daughter that she is being foolish. After the mother and daughter argue, the daughter leaves home without saying goodbye.
As the song progresses, the girl begins to realize that her decision to leave was a mistake. She thinks about her mother and wishes that she could go back home. But it’s too late; the damage has been done, and she knows that she can never go home again. The girl is filled with regret and sadness, knowing that she has lost a part of herself by leaving home.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna hide if she don't leave me alone
If my mom continues to bother me, I will try to avoid her by hiding from her.
I'm gonna run away
If hiding doesn't work, I will run away from home.
Don't!!
A plea not to run away and to stay home instead.
Cause you can never go home anymore
When you leave home, you can never return to that same place, and things will not be the same anymore.
Listen. Does this sound familiar? You wake up every morning, go to
School every day, spend your nights on the corner just passing the time away.
Your life is so lonely like a child without a toy. Then a miracle-a boy. And that's
Called "glad."
A description of a lonely life suddenly becoming happier upon meeting a boy.
Now my mom is a good mom and she loves me with all her heart.
But she said I was too young to be in love and the boy and I would have to part.
And no matter how I ranted and raved, I screamed, I pleaded, I cried-she told me it
Was not really love but only my girlish pride. And that's called "bad."
The girl's mom disapproves of her relationship with the boy, citing her young age and lack of experience. Despite the girl's outbursts, her mom dismisses her feelings as childish.
Now if that's happened to you, don't let this. I packed my clothes and
Left home that night. Though she begged me to stay, I was sure I was right. And
You know something funny?? I forgot that boy right away. Instead I remember
Being tucked in bed and hearing my mama say
The singer advises against making the same mistake she did and leaving home over a disagreement with her mom. She packed her bags and left, despite her mom's pleas, but realized afterward that her relationship with the boy was not worth abandoning her home and her mom's love. The girl recalls her mom's bedtime reassurances, which she now realizes were invaluable.
(Hush, little baby, don't you cry)
(Mama won't go away)
Mama!!!
The lyrics of the mother's bedtime song, which the girl remembers fondly.
(You can never go home anymore)
Mama!!!
I can never go home anymore
The girl laments her decision to leave home, realizing too late that she can never return to the same place she once called home.
Do you ever get that feeling and want to kiss and hug her? Do it now
Tell her you love her. Don't do to your mom what I did to mine. She grew so lonely
In the end. Angels picked her for a friend.
The song concludes with the singer urging listeners to express their love for their moms while they can, and avoid the mistakes she made when she was younger. She reminds us that time is short and our loved ones will not always be with us, so we should cherish our time with them.
(Never)
And I can never go home (never) anymore
And that's called "sad".
A final, melancholic reminder that leaving home and family can have permanent consequences, and can leave one with regret.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORGE MORTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@colineh5869
I'm gonna hide if she don't leave me alone
I'm gonna run away
Don't!
'cause you can never go home anymore
SPOKEN: Listen. Does this sound familiar? You wake up every morning, go to
school every day, spend your nights on the corner just passing the time away.
Your life is so lonely like a child without a toy. Then a miracle-a boy. And that's
called "glad." Now my mom is a good mom and she loves me with all her heart.
But she said I was too young to be in love and the boy and I would have to part.
And no matter how I ranted and raved, I screamed, I pleaded, I cried-she told me it
was not really love but only my girlish pride. And that's called "bad."
(Never go home anymore)
SPOKEN: Now if that's happened to you, don't let this. I packed my clothes and
left home that night. Though she begged me to stay, I was sure I was right. And
you know something funny? I forgot that boy right away. Instead I remember
being tucked in bed and hearing my mama say
(Hush, little baby, don't you cry)
(Mama won't go away)
Mama!
(You can never go home anymore)
Mama!
I can never go home anymore
SPOKEN: Do you ever get that feeling and wanna kiss and hug her? Do it now-
tell her you love her. Don't do to your mom what I did to mine. She grew so lonely
in the end. Angels picked her for a friend.
(Never)
And I can never go home (never) anymore
And that's called "sad.
@michaeladams8401
This song is like a cinematic masterpiece. What an amazing performance from lead vocalist Mary Weiss.
@JohnJohn-qq1cw
They were ahead of their time
@FourColorSinners
She had a really good solo album in 2007 also.
@Herodotus3
It definitely sounds like The Wall of Sound production..
@donaldward2927
Amy Winehouse mentioned this song in an interview, so I had to check it out and I love it, its emotional and true. I wish I could go home to a time when me and my family were all in the same house . Now its rare for us all to be together, and it just makes me remember how I took those days for granted. I have so much regret that my child self wished those days away, I just didn't know at the time that those days would be the best days of my life. I know its pointless to tell kids to slow down and soak in every moment but I wish they would realize how fast life goes bye, don't wish your days away, and hug your mom. Tell her you love her, and try not to be mean to her because one day, the times you treated her badly will haunt you like they do me
@user-kj1pq6zh3x
Your comment touched me
@Mr98778909
I could never return home after I left.i was on my own at 19 😢
@stewartfenton7660
I can't understand how I never appreciated this brilliant track. It's about 99%,until she cries "Mama! " Then it's utter perfection. I've loved these girls for years and years, but only just starting to really learn about them.
@agegroot5666
True masterpiece, excellent composition sung full with emotion by the right girls, really nothing could be done better.
@bluecatky
My mom had a heart valve operation 6 years ago and at that time it looked like we might lose her. One day, I was on the way to the hospital to see her and this song came on the radio. I had to pull over because I was so upset. Thankfully the operation was a success and she is still alive and doing fine today. But don't ever take your mother for granted. You never know when you might lose her.