Song Lyric Sunday – Silhouettes

This week you might be perfectly clear about the prompt, or it may have left you in the dark. Hopefully everyone will see the light and choose a fun song this week.

This week we have some general words that are used to describe colors, being Clear/Dark/Light and hopefully everyone will be able to find a song that utilizes one of these prompt words in the title or in the lyrics.

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I am not sure exactly why this song popped into my head, but I am glad it did. “Silhouettes” tells the story of a guy who goes to what he thinks is his girlfriend’s house only to see silhouettes cast on the shades of her in romantic embraces with another guy. I will leave you to discover the outcome of the encounter by listening to the song (if you are not already familiar).

The song was inspired in 1957 when Bob Crewe saw the silhouette of a couple embracing on the window shade as he passed riding the train. He collaborated with Frank Slay to turn this image he witnessed into a song. The song was recorded by the doo-wop group The Rays who Crewe and Slay had worked with on 2 prior singles.

Philadelphia disc jockey Hy Lit inadvertently helped promote the song according to this story on Wikipedia:

”The song received a break when popular local disc jockey Hy Lit fell asleep with a stack of newly released records on his record player. “Silhouettes” happened to be the last to play, and so it repeated until he woke up. He began to play the song on his show. It became popular enough that Cameo-Parkway picked it up for national distribution, and it eventually reached number 3 on both the R&B Best Sellers chart and Billboard Top 100 while also hitting the top five on both the sales and airplay charts. It was the group’s only top 40 hit.”

The Diamonds (canada 1957) and Cliff Richard (1990 UK) also recorded the song, but the version most familiar to me (although I remember the original well) is the 1965 recording by Herman’s Hermits. It reached #5 on the charts in the U.S. and #3 on the charts in the UK. According to Songfacts.com, Jimmy Page (guitarist and founder of Led Zeppelin) was with the Yardbirds at the time and played as a session guitarist on this recording.

Silhouettes
Lyrics from LyricsMode.com

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, hut-hut
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, hut-hut

Took a walk and passed your house
(Late last night)
All the shades were pulled and drawn
(Way down tight)
From within, a dim light cast two silhouettes on the shade
Oh, what a lovely couple they ma-ade

Put his arms around your waist
(Held you tight)
Kisses I could almost taste
(In the night)
Wondered why I’m not the guy whose silhouettes on the shade
I couldn’t hide the tears in my eye-eyes

Silhouettes silhouettes silhouettes
Ty-oh, oh-oh
Silhouettes silhouettes silhouettes,
Ty-oh, oh-oh

Lost control and rang your bell
(I was sore)
Let me in or else I’ll beat
(Down your door)
When two strangers who had been two silhouettes on the shade
Said to my shock you’re on the wrong blo-ock

Rushed down to your house with wings
(On my feet)
Loved you like I never loved
(You my sweet)
Vowed that you and I would be two silhouettes on the shade
All of our days, two silhouettes on the sha-ade

Silhouettes silhouettes silhouettes
Ty-oh, oh-oh
Silhouettes silhouettes silhouettes,
Ty-oh, oh-oh

Two silhouettes on the shade
Silhouettes!

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Why not join in on this Sunday blogging ritual. Head over to Jim Adams’ blog to check out the rules and read some of the great responses to the weekly prompt.