My Melody of Love
Encyclopedia
"My Melody of Love" is the title of a popular song from 1974 (see 1974 in music
) by the American singer Bobby Vinton
. Vinton adapted his song from a German song composed by Henry Mayer, and it appears on Vinton's album Melodies of Love
.
Vinton came up with the idea to adapt Mayer's song while performing in Las Vegas, Nevada
. The original song was called Herzen haben keine Fenster ("Hearts have no windows") and was a hit in Germany and Austria as performed by Austrian singer Elfi Graf
. A version with newly written English lyrics was released as a single
called "Don't Stay Away Too Long" by the British duo Peters and Lee
earlier in 1974. Peters and Lee's version of the song failed to chart in the US but reached number three on the UK Singles Chart
. Vinton's lyrics use a refrain
that switches
between English and Polish
:
Means that I love you so.
Moja droga, ja cię kocham,
More than you'll ever know.
Kocham ciebie całym sercem,
Love you with all my heart.
1974 in music
-January–April:*January 3 – Bob Dylan and The Band kick off their 40-date concert tour at Chicago Stadium. It's Dylan's first time on the road since 1966.*January 17...
) by the American singer Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton is an American pop music singer of Polish origin. In pop music circles, he became known as "The Polish Prince".-Early life:...
. Vinton adapted his song from a German song composed by Henry Mayer, and it appears on Vinton's album Melodies of Love
Melodies of Love
Melodies of Love was Bobby Vinton's twenty-fourth studio album and his first studio album for ABC Records. It was released in 1974.The album was released in response to popular demand, following Vinton's million-selling single "My Melody of Love", his first single in two years, which proved a...
.
Vinton came up with the idea to adapt Mayer's song while performing in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. The original song was called Herzen haben keine Fenster ("Hearts have no windows") and was a hit in Germany and Austria as performed by Austrian singer Elfi Graf
Elfi Graf
Elfi Graf is an Austrian Schlagersinger.-Biography:Graf was born in Dornbirn and grew up there with her two siblings. She studied classical music, but did not complete the course...
. A version with newly written English lyrics was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
called "Don't Stay Away Too Long" by the British duo Peters and Lee
Peters and Lee
Peters and Lee were a successful British folk/pop duo of the 1970s, comprising Lennie Peters and Dianne Lee .-Background:...
earlier in 1974. Peters and Lee's version of the song failed to chart in the US but reached number three on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Vinton's lyrics use a refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
that switches
Code-switching
In linguistics, code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals—people who speak more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other...
between English and Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
:
Means that I love you so.
Moja droga, ja cię kocham,
More than you'll ever know.
Kocham ciebie całym sercem,
Love you with all my heart.
"My Melody of Love" was Vinton's highest charting US pop hit since "Mr. Lonely
Mr. Lonely
"Mr. Lonely" is a song co-written and recorded by Bobby Vinton. The song originally appeared on Vinton's album Roses Are Red in 1962. Later that year, Buddy Greco recorded a version of the song using a very similar musical arrangement as Vinton's version. Greco's single release reached #64 on the...
" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in 1964, nearly ten years before. "My Melody of Love" spent two weeks at number three on the Hot 100 chart in November 1974 and was certified a Gold Record by the RIAA. In addition, it spent one week at number one on the Billboard easy listening chart, the singer's fourth song to top this chart. Its success led to Vinton's nickname "the Polish Prince".