The Velvets were an American doo wop group from Odessa in Ector County in W… Read Full Bio ↴The Velvets were an American doo wop group from Odessa in Ector County in West Texas. The African American quintet was formed in 1959 by Virgil Johnson, a high school English teacher, with four of his students. Roy Orbison heard the group and arranged for them to be signed to Monument Records in 1960. Their first release was the standard "That Lucky Old Sun" but their biggest hit single was "Tonight (Could Be the Night)", which hit #26 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1961. "That Lucky Old Sun" (#46) and "Tonight (Could Be the Night)" (#50) made brief appearances in the UK Singles Chart in 1961. The follow-up to "Tonight", "Laugh", peaked at number 90 and after a half-dozen further singles but no more hits the group disbanded.

Their complete recorded output comprises just thirty songs, which were collected onto one compact disc and released on Ace Records in 1996

1. Tonight: (Could Be The Night) more
2. Time And Again more
3. Spring Fever more
4. That Lucky Old Sun more
5. Laugh more
6. Lana more
7. The Love Express more
8. Don't Let Him Take My Baby more
9. Let The Good Times Roll more
10. The Light Goes On, The Light Goes Off more
11. Crying In The Chapel more
12. Dawn more
13. Here Comes That Song Again more
14. Nightmare more
15. If more
16. Let The Fool Kiss You more
17. Baby The Magic Is Gone more
18. Be Ever Mine more
19. You Done Me Bad more
20. Kiss Me more
21. Alicia more
22. Bird Dog more
23. My Love more
24. Who Has The Right more
25. I'm Trusting In You more
26. Almost But Not Quite more
27. Husbands And Wives more
28. I Can Feel It more
29. Poison Love more
30. That's Out Of My Line more

Group Members were Virgil Johnson, Will Solomon, Mark Prince, Clarence Rigsby (1947 -1978, died in a car accident) and Bob Thursby. Johnson sometimes appears in nostalgia concerts.

Crying In The Chapel
The Velvets Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You're running out of fire
You don't know what it is that you desire any more
You're pouring beers at the pub to a crowd of kids
Picking up their ciggie butts, the social cues they miss

I have friends who get the blues
They'll call you when they choose
To try again, try to have friends,

try to work the whole thing out
But they're getting better
They're getting stronger

Oh but how the night will fall again
And oh, I won't be called a friend
And oh, I hope to be forgotten
For its time to live and breath,
Don't let the bastards let you down

I'll say it to be plane
I think it will go down with all the passengers in flames
I can't ride in your car
Have bear legs that spread apart
You cannot drive me home
Though I long to be alone
But I guess I'm better
I guess I'm stronger

Oh but how the night will fall again
And oh, I won't be called a friend
And oh, I hope to be forgotten
For its time to live and breathe,
Don't let the bastards let you down

I'm running out of fire

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Velvets' song "Crying In The Chapel" depict the struggles of feeling lost and lacking motivation. The opening lines "You're running out of fire, You don't know what it is that you desire any more" suggest a sense of exhaustion and uncertainty. The following lines describe the singer working at a pub, dealing with rowdy youth and their "ciggie butts". The use of the phrase "the social cues they miss" alludes to a feeling of disconnect between the singer and the patrons they serve.

The second verse shifts to the singer's friends who "get the blues" and can only call on occasion. While they try to overcome their struggles, the singer acknowledges how difficult it can be to maintain friendships during difficult times. The chorus repeats the line "Oh but how the night will fall again" emphasizing how these struggles can often recur. The third verse speaks to a more personal struggle as the singer longs to be alone, suggesting an introverted disposition. However, there is hope suggested in the lines "But I guess I'm better, I guess I'm stronger" that the singer is beginning to overcome their struggles and grow stronger.

Overall, the song speaks to the difficulties of navigating life's struggles and maintaining meaningful relationships in the face of personal difficulties. The repeated line "Don't let the bastards let you down" can be interpreted as a call to persevere despite one's struggles.

Line by Line Meaning

You're running out of fire
You're losing your motivation and drive in life

You don't know what it is that you desire any more
You're uncertain about what you truly want in life

You're pouring beers at the pub to a crowd of kids
You're working a dead-end job and serving drinks to young, clueless customers

Picking up their ciggie butts, the social cues they miss
You're being forced to clean up after your immature customers who lack basic manners

I have friends who get the blues
I know people who struggle with depression and sadness

They'll call you when they choose
They'll reach out for help when they feel ready to do so

To try again, try to have friends, try to work the whole thing out
They're attempting to overcome their issues and improve their social life

But they're getting better, they're getting stronger
They're making progress and becoming more resilient in their struggles

Oh but how the night will fall again
The darkness of depression will always return

And oh, I won't be called a friend
I fear losing my connections to others due to my own struggles

And oh, I hope to be forgotten
I don't want my struggles to define my legacy

For its time to live and breath, Don't let the bastards let you down
It's important to focus on living and breathing, and not let negative influences drag you down

I'll say it to be plane
I'll speak plainly and clearly

I think it will go down with all the passengers in flames
I believe this situation will end badly for everyone involved

I can't ride in your car
I don't want to be involved in this situation

Have bear legs that spread apart
I'm vulnerable and exposed

You cannot drive me home, Though I long to be alone
I don't want to be controlled, even if it means being isolated

But I guess I'm better, I guess I'm stronger
Despite my struggles, I'm learning to be more resilient and self-sufficient

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Hannah Crofts

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS