Because They're Young

Album: Shazam (1960)
Charted: 2 4
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was the title song of the movie starring James Darren and Tuesday Weld. Dick Clark played the part of a high school teacher.
  • Duane and his band, The Rebels, put in a cameo appearance in the movie to play the song. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for above 2

Comments: 9

  • Jerry from Dunreith, Inin the 8th grade when this came out....
  • Jennifur Sun from RamonaThumbs up if you know this song has lyrics.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 4, 1960, "Because They're Young" By Duane Eddy peaked at #2 on the United Kingdom's Singles chart, as a result the top two records on the Singles chart were both instrumentals...
    At #1 was "Apache" by the Shadows, it was in it's third of five weeks in the #1 position...
    Also in the Top 20 at the time there were two versions of the instrumental "Walk Don't Run", the Ventures were at #17 and the John Barry* Seven's version was at #24...
    * This was the same John Barry, who between 1966 and 1990 would win five Academy Awards, two for "Born Free", and one each for "The Lion in Winter", "Dances with Wolves", and "Out of Africa".
  • Jennifur Sun from RamonaKristin you are right, but the ad song was from the Magnificent Seven.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 12th, 1960, Duane Eddy performing "Because They're Young" on the Dick Clark ABC-TV network weekday-afternoon program 'American Bandstand'...
    Eleven days later on May 23rd the song entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #85; six weeks later it would peak at #4 {for 2 weeks} and it spent 15 weeks on the Top 100...
    The movie "Because They're Young" was playing across the U.S. at the time; Duane Eddy didn't play the song in the movie, he performed "Shazam, it peaked at #45 on the Top 100 earlier in 1960...
    Between 1958 and 1963 he had twenty-seven records make the Top 100; with three reaching the Top 10, "Because They're Young" would be his biggest hit...
    His other two Top 10 records were "Rebel-'Rouser" {#6 in 1958} and "Forty Miles of Bad Road" {#9 in 1959}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyTeen idol James Darren recorded a vocal version of this song. Duane Eddy performed "Shazam" in the movie. During the opening credits of the movie the song was played by an orchestra not Duane Eddy...
  • Kristin from Bessemer, Alreminds me of an old Marlboro commercial, back in the days when cigarette ads were shown on TV-
  • Pierre from Chelsea, Quebec, CanadaThis piece was the first instrumental 45 RPM I bought in 1960, in La Tuque, Quebec. I must have been playing it a thousand times ". Great melody.
  • Mark from Lancaster, OhThis is one of my absolute favorites, and it was the only record I bought when I was a kid. I'd never heard an electric guitar scored with strings before. It is playing in the background (Wal-mart has it for download) as I write this.

    The reverse side is 'Rebel Walk,' which is also good.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

John Parr

John ParrSongwriter Interviews

John tells the "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" story and explains why he disappeared for so long.

Daryl Hall

Daryl HallSongwriter Interviews

Daryl Hall's TV show is a hit, and he's been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - only one of these developments excites him.

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet SprocketSongwriter Interviews

The "All I Want" singer went through a long depression, playing some shows when he didn't want to be alive.