Runaround Sue

October 1961

A lot of these old songs that were once huge hits are now almost completely forgotten. But here we've had a few in a row which are still staples of oldies stations. Dion's "Runaround Sue" continues in that category.

And it certainly deserves it – it's a terrific song. After a portentous opening in which Dion declares that the girl he once loved started running around "with every single guy in town" (either it's a very small town or this is some world-class promiscuity), the song launches into a screaming tale of heartbreak and rock and roll vitriol. It's a classic song topic – man has been cheated on and is now very upset – but it's done with such conviction here that it's a resounding success, mostly thanks to Dion's powerful and charismatic singing voice.

Dion's follow-up single, "The Wanderer," was nearly as popular, and I'm sure I'm not the first one to notice the irony in the two songs' messages.

In "Sue," he so eloquently decries his ex for having the very same quality he would later champion in himself. I must admit, there's a certain charm to the sheer bravado that would inspire him to commit such a blatant hypocrisy, even though the song isn't quite the tour de force that the previous one is.

In fact, the more I listen to Dion's various hits, the more I like the guy. He produced a whopping 10 top ten singles between 1959 and 1963, and they are nearly all quite good. For a short list of the best, I'd pick the early charmer "Teenager in Love;" the gloomy, kazoo-featuring "Little Diane;" and the bluesy "Ruby Baby." For a pop singer, he's displayed considerable versatility. Before doing this entry, I'd more or less written him off as a campy 60s relic, and I'm glad I had the chance to change that opinion.

Dion made a moderately successful attempt to reinvent himself as a hippie folk singer in the late 60s. This culminated in "Abraham, Martin and John," a song in remembrance of Lincoln, King, and Kennedy, respectively, which was the last commercial success of his career. What could have easily been trite is actually well done and it comes across as pretty honest. However, my favorite song from this period of Dion is a hilariously misguided cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze." It must be heard to be believed:

That nonsense aside, this entry has been a pleasant surprise. A bunch of these songs are worth knowing, even though "Runaround Sue" remains the biggest success of Dion's career and his defining song.

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