Philadelphia Freedom

Written for Song Lyric Sunday –
“April Music Birthdays”
This is my response to the challenge.

This week at Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday, the theme is “April Music Birthdays”. Our challenge is to write about a song written or performed by someone born in the month of April.

Growing up in The Bronx in the 50s and 60s was an innocent and nourishing time for me. My family went to church, ate dinner together at home every night, and watched TV shows like “Father Knows Best” and “The Ed Sullivan Show”. I was about 9 years old when my parents gave me a little white transistor radio for Christmas. It sat on my desk in my bedroom where I’d listen to the Good Guys on WMCA 570 AM for hours; that’s when my love affair with Rock & Roll really took hold. I never dreamed that after so many years, I’d be writing music blogs about some of the great singers and songwriters I heard on my little radio. Climb aboard the Nostalgia Express and hang on, kids! We’re going back 66 years to the time when my featured artist was on the top of the charts.

Born Robert Ridarelli on April 26, 1942, Bobby Rydell never strayed far from his Philadelphia roots, living in the area for most of his life. Along with childhood friends James Darren, Fabian and Frankie Avalon, Rydell was among a wave of wholesome teen idols who emerged after Elvis Presley and before the rise of The Beatles. Before he graced the covers of teen magazines and movie screens, Rydell made his bones as a youngster in Philadelphia clubs …. but not as a singer. Inspired by drummer Gene Krupa, his performance debut at age 7 was behind a drum kit; when he was 9, he debuted on an amateur television show and became its regular drummer for three years. Bobby Rydell’s big break came in 1959 on “American Bandstand”, which originally was broadcast from Philadelphia. His first hit quickly followed and the skinny 17-year-old with a pompadour haircut rocketed to stardom.

Bobby Rydell had recurring roles on some TV shows such as “The Red Skelton Show”; the 1963 movie “Bye Bye Birdie” was rewritten to give him a major part as Hugo Peabody, the boyfriend of Ann-Margret. Rydell didn’t want to move to Hollywood, however, so “Birdie” became his only significant movie role …. although you may recall that, as a tribute, the high school in the hit ’70s musical “Grease” was named Rydell High.

Changing musical tastes ushered in by The Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion defused the hit-making careers of Rydell and his compatriots; he continued performing and recording music into the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1985, he joined his old friends Frankie Avalon and Fabian for what they thought would be a few appearances. They dubbed themselves “The Golden Boys of Bandstand”; the shows were so successful that the trio ended up touring for three years!

Bobby Rydell passed away 4 years ago today. Join me in celebrating his life with some of his most well-known hits.

Released on January 18, 1960, by Cameo Records, “Wild One” is one of Bobby Rydell’s most iconic hits; peaking at #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #7 in the UK, it became one of his signature songs. Written by the prolific team of Kal Mann, Bernie Lowe, and David Appell (who wrote many of Rydell’s songs), the high energy track spent more than four months on the charts. The song was a cornerstone of the recording label’s success in the 60s Philadelphia music scene and established Rydell as a premier singer in the US, alongside contemporaries like Bobby Darin. The lyrics expressed the singer’s confidence that he could “tame” a girl who had a new boyfriend every day, transforming her from a wild, fickle party girl into his devoted partner. Unlike the bad boy types, Rydell’s lyrics represented confidence by someone who knew he was the one who would “knock her out” and make her want to “settle down”. The song aligns with the 1960s clean cut and playful, romantic, and somewhat possessive persona often portrayed by teen idols of that era.

This is “Wild One” by Bobby Rydell

“Forget Him” was a 1963 hit for Bobby Rydell, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 where it stayed for 16 weeks. It was a top 10 hit in several countries and reached #13 in the UK. Written by British songwriter Tony Hatch, this ballad is famously cited as inspiration for The Beatles’ “She Loves You”. The lyrics advise that if a man doesn’t truly care, it’s time to let him go. It’s a warning to the “little girl” in the song that the man of her dreams is not dreaming of her and that he will break her heart. It encourages taking action, specifically to tell him goodbye. Released when Bobby Rydell was 21, the song reflected a shift to a more mature and romantic tone compared to his earlier teen idol hits.

This is “Forget Him” by Bobby Rydell

“Volare” was a massive 1958 hit by the Italian singer Domenico Modugno, which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Bobby Rydell’s cover of “Volare” was a standout hit for him in 1960; his version blended R&R with traditional pop, showcasing his Italian heritage and versatile vocal style. It became one of Rydell’s signature songs. “Volare” means “to fly” in Italian and represents the euphoric feeling of love, freedom, and the ability to transcend limitations. The song, officially titled “Nel blu, dipinto di blu” (“in the blue, painted blue”), depicts a joyful dream of soaring through an endless blue sky; co-writer Franco Migliacci was inspired by the Marc Chagall painting, “Le Coq Rogue”, which shows a man suspended in the blue sky, floating in a dream-like state.

This is “Volare” by Bobby Rydell

LYRICS

Volare (to fly)
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh
Cantare (to sing)
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh

Let’s fly way up to the clouds
Away from the maddening crowds
We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Just like birds of a feather
A rainbow together we’ll find

Volare
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh
Cantare
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh

No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings

Yeah, yeah, yeah
(Are) La, la, la, la, la, la, la
(Cantare) Woah, woah
(Woah, oh, oh, oh) Woah, woah, woah, woah

Let’s fly way up to the clouds
Away from the maddening crowds
We could sing in the glow of a star that I know of
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Just like birds of a feather
A rainbow together we’ll find

Volare
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh
Cantare
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh

No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings
Little baby, your love has given me wings

^{Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Domenico Modugno/Francesco It 2 Migliacci
Volare lyrics © Curci Edizioni S.r.l., Emi Robbins Catalog Inc., Curci Edizioni S R L, Edizioni Curci S.r.l., Curci Usa Music Publishing, Edizioni Curci, S.r.l.}

April Music Birthdays

Big thanks to Jim Adams for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday this week and every week. Be sure to follow the link and check out Jim’s site.

Thanks for stopping by and listening to some great old music. I hope you enjoyed the theme for this week as well as the information and songs I featured.

That’s all she wrote, kids. See you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2026

^{Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.}