They began as The Buckeyes around 1955 with members Bruce Robinson and Ronnie Collins, and released two singles on the Cincinnati label Deluxe Records in 1957. In 1959 the group added Leroy Swearingen and released their first single as The Stereos, "A Love for Only You"; it flopped, and Swearingen left the group to be replaced by Nathaniel Hicks.[1] Swearingen, however, wrote the song "I Really Love You", which became their biggest hit, peaking at #15 on the U.S. Black Singles chart and #29 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] They continued releasing singles up until 1968, none of which came close to reaching the success of "I Really Love You".
George Harrison covered "I Really Love You" for his 1982 album Gone Troppo.
* Bruce Robinson - lead vocals
* Leroy Swearingen - tenor
* Nathaniel Hicks - tenor (replaced Swearingen in 1960)
* Ronnie Collins - bass
* Sam Profit - tenor
* George Otis - baritone
The Big Knock
The Stereos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That waits inside
There's a lonely pair of eyes
That cries and cries
I′m longing to hear your footsteps
Walking down the floor
And I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
Yes, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
There′s a lonely pair of lips
Remember yet
The way we used to always kiss
Each chance we′d get
You said you'd return, my darling
It′s me that you adore
Well, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
Yes, I′m waiting (waiting for the big knock)
Girl, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
On my door
Each night I pray (knock knock, knock knock)
Each day will be drawing near (knock knock, knock knock)
And know that you′d be mine, all mine (knock knock, knock knock)
Don't let my heart (knock knock, knock knock)
Feel what I feel (knock knock, knock knock)
That you will leave me standing in the heart one night
Now you don't know how I cry
And what I go through
I know I′ll never fall
Out of love with you
I′m dying to hear you tell me
You're home forevermore
Well, I′m waiting (waiting for the big knock)
Girl, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
I said, I′m waiting (waiting for the big knock)
On my door
Well, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
The Stereos' song "The Big Knock" is a powerful and emotional ballad about a person who is waiting for their loved one to return home. The lyrics express the loneliness and ache that the person feels as they wait for their loved one to come back to them. They long to hear the sound of their footsteps as they walk to the door and knock, and they pray each day that their loved one will return home soon.
The song's lyrics also portray the memories of the couple's past, when they used to kiss and be together. The person waiting remembers the way their lips used to touch and hopes that they will once again experience that feeling when their loved one returns. They express their love and devotion to their partner, desperately wanting to hear them say that they are home forevermore.
Overall, "The Big Knock" is a poignant song that captures the pain, longing, and hope that a person can feel when they are waiting for someone they love to come back to them.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a lonely aching heart
That waits inside
The singer is experiencing heartache and longing for someone.
There's a lonely pair of eyes
That cries and cries
The singer is crying because of their loneliness and yearning for someone.
I'm longing to hear your footsteps
Walking down the floor
And I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
Yes, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
The singer is waiting eagerly for the person they miss to arrive at their door, hoping to hear them knocking.
There's a lonely pair of lips
Remember yet
The way we used to always kiss
Each chance we'd get
You said you'd return, my darling
It's me that you adore
Well, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
Yes, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
Girl, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
On my door
The artist is reminiscing about how the person they miss would always kiss them and promises to return. They believe that they are loved by this person and are waiting for them to arrive at their door.
Each night I pray (knock knock, knock knock)
Each day will be drawing near (knock knock, knock knock)
And know that you'd be mine, all mine (knock knock, knock knock)
Don't let my heart (knock knock, knock knock)
Feel what I feel (knock knock, knock knock)
That you will leave me standing in the heart one night
The artist prays every night that the person they miss will return soon and they will be together. They don't want to experience heartbreak again by being left alone.
Now you don't know how I cry
And what I go through
I know I'll never fall
Out of love with you
I'm dying to hear you tell me
You're home forevermore
Well, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
Girl, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
I said, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
On my door
Well, I'm waiting (waiting for the big knock)
The singer cries and struggles with their emotions while waiting for the person they miss. They know that they will always love this person and are eager to hear them say they will be home with them forever.
Writer(s): Otis Blackwell, Don Covay, John Bobby Berry
Contributed by Carson V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bobbispi
No city is doo wop crazy like the Pittsburgh area. Surrounding cities still hold dances attended by us "old folks".
@fjjtigh
Doo-Wop best sound ever🎉
@Labaron26
The 50's will never be topped.
@darreleggemeyer539
That is for sure !!!
@angelamary9493
Yes ..great memories ..💕
@rickrick5041
The best 1959-1963
@doriswashington9636
❤wow, this is another one. I'm just hearing for the first time and I wowed,wooed.
@Labaron26
I grew up in Swissvale, a suburb of Pittsburgh, that was just across the Monongahela River from Homestead, where at the foot of the High Level Bridge on the Homestead side, sat a small radio station, WHOD, where Porky Chedwick, a Pittsburgh Doo Wop Legend, piped out this kind of music in the 50s and beyond...Great Memories....
@Labaron26
Hard to believe I posted that 9 years ago, and I am still listening to this.
@Labaron26
Another Year ......