The Teddy Bears was a band that is perhaps most known for being Phil Specto… Read Full Bio ↴The Teddy Bears was a band that is perhaps most known for being Phil Spector's first band.

Following his graduation from Fairfax high school in Los Angeles, Phil Spector became obsessed with a song, "To Know Him Is to Love Him", he had written for his group, The Teddy Bears. After a hasty audition at ERA Records who offered to finance a studio session, The Teddy Bears - Spector, Marshall Leib, lead singer Annette Kleinbard, and last minute recruit, drummer Sandy Nelson - recorded the song at Gold Star Studios at a total cost of $75. Released on ERA's Dore label in August 1958, it took a full two months before "To Know Him Is to Love Him" began to get air play.

The record eventually stayed in the "Hot Hundred" for twenty-three weeks, resided in the "Top Ten" for eleven of those weeks, and commanded the #1 chart position for three weeks. At age seventeen, Spector had written, arranged, played, sung, and produced the best-selling record in the country. Although subsequent releases by the Teddy Bears on the Imperial label were considered well-recorded soft pop, they did not sell, and within a year of their impressive debut, Spector had disbanded the group.

Spector was not the only Teddy Bear who went on to an illustrious career after the group broke up. Annette Kleinbard continued to write and record songs, and eventually changed her name to Carol Connors. Among her songwriting credits are the Rip Chords hit "Hey Little Cobra" and the Academy Award-nominated Rocky theme song "Gonna Fly Now."

Not to be confused with Swedish band Teddybears STHLM.

Unchained Melody
The Teddy Bears Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long lonely time
And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you, still mine?
I need your love
I need your love

God speed your love to me

Lonely rivers flow
To the sea, to the sea
To the waiting arms of the sea
Lonely rivers cry
Wait for me, wait for me
To the open arms, wait for me

My love, my darling
I've hungered for your kiss
Are you still mine?
I need your love

I need your love
God, speed your love to me

Overall Meaning

The Teddy Bears's classic, "Unchained Melody," has become a timeless love song that continues to captivate audiences. The singer of the song longs for the touch and love of their significant other who has been away for far too long. The words, "Oh, my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch, a long lonely time," convey a sense of longing, desperation and a deep yearning that can be felt throughout the song.

The singer speaks of time passing by slowly, expressing the pain of waiting and the difficulty of being separated from the one they love. The line, "And time can do so much, are you still mine?" suggests fear and doubt creeping in if their loved one still feels the same way they used to.

The pre-chorus speaks of lonely rivers flowing to the sea, which symbolizes a journey taken to reach the destination. "Lonely rivers cry, wait for me, to the open arms, wait for me," emphasizes the need to be with the one they love.

Finally, the chorus repeats the desire for the love of their life to return to them, and the line, "God speed your love to me," suggests a sense of urgency and hope that their loved one will soon come back to them.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, my love, my darling
Addressing to the beloved one with utmost endearment and actual longing

I've hungered for your touch
Expressing an intense desire to feel the physical closeness with the loved one

A long lonely time
Reflecting the amount of time that has passed has only led to loneliness and desperation

And time goes by so slowly
Time seems to have slowed down making life seem monotonous and without any excitement

And time can do so much
Acknowledging the influence of time on shaping the lives and fates of individuals

Are you, still mine?
Pleading for an answer in regards to the status of the relationship and the love being still present

I need your love
Expressing the necessity of the love and affection of the loved one to feel complete and alive

God speed your love to me
A prayer for the divine to bring the cherished love back to life and rekindle the passion and warmth in the relationship

Lonely rivers flow
Metaphorically comparing the flow of rivers towards the sea to the emotional pursuit of the lover waiting desperately for the loved one

To the sea, to the sea
Pointing towards the destination where the lover's quest ends - the sea (representing acceptance and fulfilment)

To the waiting arms of the sea
Personifying the sea that is ready to embrace the lover in its nurturing arms and offer solace

Lonely rivers cry
Emphasising on the emotional intensity of the yearning and desperation in the lover's cry for reunion

Wait for me, wait for me
The lover is urging the sea and their beloved to hold on a little longer as they strive to bring their love back to life

To the open arms, wait for me
To the ocean (the loved one), wait for me (the lover) and embrace me in your loving embrace ensuring our reunion

My love, my darling
Once again addressing the beloved with utmost endearment and unreserved love

I've hungered for your kiss
Intensifying the desire to be with the beloved intimately, to fill the void and relieve the loneliness

Are you still mine?
Reiterating the desire to be with the loved one and to know if they still possess the fervent love for the other

I need your love
Underscoring how crucial the love of the loved one is to the lover, more than anything else in the world

God, speed your love to me
Closing the song with another prayer, asking the almighty to intervene and ensure the speedy return of the loved one's love towards the lover

Contributed by Ella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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