The Wanderer
by Dion

Album: King of the New York Streets (1961)
Charted: 10 2
Play Video
  • Oh well I'm the type of guy who will never settle down
    Where pretty girls are well, you know that I'm around
    I kiss 'em and I love 'em 'cause to me they're all the same
    I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em they don't even know my name
    They call me the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
    I roam around around around

    Oh well there's Flo on my left and there's Mary on my right
    And Janie is the girl with that I'll be with tonight
    And when she asks me which one I love the best
    I tear open my shirt I got Rosie on my chest
    'Cause I'm the wanderer yeah the wanderer
    I roam around around around

    Oh well I roam from town to town
    I go through life without a care
    'Til I'm as happy as a clown
    With my two fists of iron and I'm going nowhere

    I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around
    I'm never in one place I roam from town to town
    And when I find myself a-fallin' for some girl, yeah
    I hop right into that car of mine and ride around the world
    Yeah I'm the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
    I roam around around around, let's go

    Oh yeah I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around
    I'm never in one place I roam from town to town
    And when I find myself a-fallin' for some girl
    I hop right into that car of mine and ride around the world
    'Cause I'm a wanderer, yeah a wanderer
    I roam around around around, around, around
    'Cause I'm a wanderer, yeah a wanderer
    I roam around around around, aroundm around Writer/s: Ernie Maresca
    Publisher: ERNEST MARESCA AND PAULA SIMON MARESCA MARITAL TRUST, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 11

  • Roselooney from Albany NeedsGet the wanderer on broadway we want to see the story of a great legend ur really upsetting up
  • Antonio from FlIf pimps had a theme song, this would be it.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyPer: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm {07-17-2017}
    Dion DiMucci filed suit on July 2nd, 2017 against the makers of the video game "Fallout 4" for using his tune "The Wanderer" in ads in violation of their agreement to allow him right of refusal. Dion called the ads "repugnant and morally indefensible" and is seeking that his music be removed and he be awarded one million dollars...
    Dion Francis DiMucci will celebrate his 78th birthday tomorrow on July 18th, 2017.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyPer: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm
    Songwriter and performer Ernie Maresca passed away Saturday (July 11th, 2015) at the age of 76 at his home in South Florida...
    The Bronx native started out singing baritone in the Regents (before they recorded "Barbara Ann") and came to the attention of Dion DiMucci, who recorded his composition, "No One Knows" (#19-1958) with the Belmonts...
    Dion had heard Ernie's demo of the tune on a local pool room jukebox...
    Ernie continued to write for Dion's solo career, including such hits as "Runaround Sue" (#1-1961-- composed with Dion), "The Wanderer" (#2-1961 though Ernie's original lyrics read "with my two fists of iron and my bottle of beer"), "Lovers Who Wander" (#3-1962) and "Donna The Prima Donna" (#6-1963)... In 1962, Ernie himself was signed to Seville Records, where his composition, "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)" reached #6-- his only appearance as a performer on the charts...
    He also composed Bernadette Carroll's "Party Girl" (#47-1964) and Reparata & the Delron's "Whenever A Teenager Cries" (#60-1965). He later handled publishing for Laurie Records and eventually negotiated the sale of the company to Capitol Records...
    May he R.I.P.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 4th, 1961 "The Wanderer" by Dion entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on February 18th, 1962 it peaked at #2 (for 1 week) and stayed on the Top 100 for 18 weeks...
    It was kept out of the top spot by "The Duke of Earl" by Gene Chandler...
    On March 31st, 1962 it reached #1 (for 1 week) on the Australian Kent Music Report chart and hit #10 in the United Kingdom...
    Was composed by Ernie Maresca, and in 1962 he also had a Top 10 hit with "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)", it reached #6 on May 13th, 1962...
    Dion, born Dion Francis DiMucci, will celebrate his 75th birthday come next July 18th, 2014.
  • Elmer H from Westville, Ok"The Wanderer" was such a big hit in spring 1962 & I still love it. Dion was & still is an incredible star & musician who influenced many other later rock artists by his career. When this hit topped the charts, I was in grade school, but I loved rock & roll and R&B in the early Sixties. Now, I've got one of Dion's hits compilation CDs that shows his incredible talents. Oh yes, I've gotta agree with Bubbles K about Dion's hit "Ruby Baby." It was such a significant hit that SongFacts.com should post a site for it as well. Wasn't it originally an old Drifter's song from The Fifties? It and "The Wanderer" share the same brassy and earthy "attitude."
  • Bubblesk from Memphis, TnI always thought this song was cool and tough back in 1962 when I was in high school. I know it was a big hit for Dion that year. Dion was very big in those times. But I preferred Dion's hit from '63, "Ruby Baby" over all of his hits because it just had a gutsy feeling & arrangement to it. "The Wanderer" was "in your face." Like an anthem for the teens of that time. Then "Ruby Baby" came along & was even more popular. "Ruby Baby" should've been listed in Dion's hits by Song Facts.
  • Dan from Brisbane, AustraliaStatus Quo do a great cover of The Wanderer (Whatever You Want: The Very Best Of Status Quo).
  • Alan from Sault Ste. Marie, OnI believe this song was written by Ernie Maresca. He also recored a great party tune called Shout! Shout! Knock Yourself Out in '61 or '62.
  • Pierre from Chelsea, Quebec, CanadaGreat stuff by an imperishable artist. One of the best, and maybe the last one from his generation.
    Un grand bonhomme, un performer extraordnaire. Je suis encore tout triste d'avoir manqué son spectacle en 1969, à Ottawa, dans une boîte appelée LE HIBOU...
  • Cyberpope from Richmond, CanadaI just rewrote this song as a poker parody, called the Laundereer -- of a guy who's always folding. . .

    Now to find someone with a small band. . .

see more comments

Editor's Picks

Mike Love of The Beach Boys

Mike Love of The Beach BoysSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist of The Beach Boys talks about coming up with the words for "Good Vibrations," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Kokomo" and other classic songs.

Real or Spinal Tap

Real or Spinal TapMusic Quiz

They sang about pink torpedoes and rocking you tonight tonight, but some real lyrics are just as ridiculous. See if you can tell which lyrics are real and which are Spinal Tap in this lyrics quiz.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.