The 10 Best Tony Orlando Songs of All-Time
Tony Orlando is an American pop singer whose career spanned over 60 years. He is best known for his songs with the pop band Tony Orlando and Dawn. The band was popular in the 1970s and released signature hits like Candida, He Don’t Love You and Knock Three Times. Tony took a break from the band due to some personal issues. According to New Jersey 101.5, he had been battling obesity and depression. Due to his conditions, he had to be institutionalized. After he received treatment, he came back as a solo artist. Thankfully, he did not lose his mojo and still released hit songs. With that out of the way, it is time to commemorate Tony’s best works by identifying his best songs. Here are the ten best Tony Orlando songs of all time below.
10. Bless You (1961)
The song begins with a man suffering from a lack of love. His inability to find love makes him cry. According to Seasons in Malibu, prolonged lack of love can lead to depression and other mental health problems. Fortunately, his agony is over when a woman passes by. The woman smiles at him and takes him by his hand. His confidence is restored, and he no longer feels dejected. This song is a classic example of following the trope, “happily ever after.”
9. Cupid (1976)
Let’s face it; it takes significant effort to convince a person to love you back. Tony’s character seems to have trouble convincing a woman to like him. Instead, he asks Cupid to shoot his arrow at the woman he likes. Besides Tony convincing Cupid to intervene, he promises to love the woman for eternity. Tony’s conversation with Cupid plays out like a Christian praying to God for certain favors.
8. He Don’t Love You (1975)
In this song, a man tries to woo a certain woman. Unfortunately, the woman has a boyfriend. The man tells the woman that he is a better lover than him. He claims that the man is pretending to love her by saying common love declarations. Also, in the first verse, we learn that the woman’s boyfriend had broken her heart. It is unclear why she stays with him.
7. Look in My Eyes Pretty Woman (1974)
The song is about a man who acknowledges how cold the world can get. These worldly problems pain him so much. However, when he is close to his lover, he becomes overjoyed and forgets about the world’s cruelty. According to Time, the man’s euphoria is due to the dopamine hormone secreted when in love. He urges the woman to stand by him, which means you cannot completely forget your problems when in love. However, you become confident facing any challenge once you have a partner.
6. Candida (1970)
Candida is a song about a man who professes his love for a certain woman. He admits that he is an ordinary guy trying to win the prize. Basically, he is admitting the woman is out of his league, but he doesn’t let that deter him from pursuing her. Also, the man aggressively pursues this woman because he claims that a gypsy told him they would end up together. However, it is likely that the man is being hyperbolic like men do when in love. It is akin to claiming that you cannot eat because you are in love.
5. Knock Three Times (1970)
This song will remind you of quaint ways people would pursue the one they love. It begins with a man noticing that a woman frequently dances alone in her house. The woman leaves a floor below him. The man approaches a woman for a date. He asks her to knock three times on her ceiling if she is interested. If disinterested, she should tap twice on the ceiling. The song doesn’t tell us whether the woman agrees to date him, so that is left to our imagination.
4. Say Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose (1973)
The song is about a woman who abruptly leaves her husband. To make things worse, she already had a family. Understandably, the man is upset and desperately seeks answers. The man is forced to look for her everywhere. This song serves as a painful reminder of how marriages can abruptly end. Sometimes, you will not even know why your partner decided to leave.
3. Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree (1973)
This song introduces us to a man who has been released from prison after serving his time. Before his release, he had written a letter to his lover to find out whether she still loved him. He asks her to tie a certain oak tree with a yellow ribbon to signify she still loves him. On the other hand, if she doesn’t, she shouldn’t tie the oak tree. The song is heartwarming because the man does not encounter a tree with a yellow ribbon. Instead, he finds the oak tree tied with one hundred yellow ribbons.
2. Lazy Susan (1972)
In this song, Susan is a woman some men may be reluctant to date. She dresses in dirty rags and doesn’t know right from wrong. Fortunately, there is a man who likes her. The man vows to marry her and promises to change her attire from rags to silk. As the song continues, it becomes clear why she is the way she is. Her father passed on, leaving her mother to work very hard to provide for their needs.
1. To Wait for Love (1964)
Typically, we are always taught the importance of waiting for love. Tony takes this concept and flips it on its head. His character urges the woman he loves not to wait for too long to make love. He claims waiting for love is a way of wasting your life away. The takeaway from this song is that there is a limit to waiting for love.