The group was founded in the early 1960s in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA by Michael Arnone, Joe Santollo, John Salvato, Tom Bialoglow, and lead singer Joey Canzano (later known as Joey Vann). George Paxton, a former big band leader was impressed by the group's style and signed them to his Coed Records label. Their first single "You Belong to Me" had previously been a hit for Jo Stafford in 1952. The Duprees' version was given a big band backing by Paxton and reached the US top ten in 1962.
The band had more top 40 hits in the next few years. "My Own True Love" was a vocal adaptation of "Tara's Theme" from the soundtrack of Gone with the Wind and became the group's second hit. "Have You Heard" and "Why Don't You Believe Me" also reached the Top 40 charts and, like "You Belong to Me," were originally early '50s female vocal hits (Joni James, in this case). The band became known for mixing doo-wop vocals with big band arrangements. Tom Bialoglow left in 1963. Mike Kelly, who had recorded on the group's original demos for George Paxton, replaced Joey Vann as lead vocalist in 1964.
Despite becoming unfashionable after the Beatles spearheaded the British Invasion in 1964, the Duprees continued to record, turning in a more "pop" direction, and reaching the Top 100 as late as 1975. The group still performs today on the oldies circuit, but with no original members. Joe Santollo died in 1981, Joey Vann died in 1984 and Mike Arnone died in 2005.
Richie Rosato, who sang lead for the Duprees throughout much of the '80s and '90s, left the group in 2002. Michael Kelly sang with The Chaperones for a brief stint in 2006. Tommy Bialoglow has his own group called Twilight Time. John Salvato is a booking agent and no longer performs. The group currently consists of Tommy Petillo (with the group since 2002), Jimmy Spinelli, Phil Granito, and Tony Testa.
It's No Sin
The Duprees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It would surly be a sin
Take the rain from April showers
It's a sin
Take away the violins, dear
From a lovely symphony
And the music deep within
Is it a sin to love you so
To hold you close and know you are leaving
Though you take away my heart dear
Still the beating there within
I'll keep loving you forever
For it's no sin
I'll keep loving you forever
For it's no sin
I'll keep loving you forever
It's no sin
In The Duprees's song "Sin," the lyrics describe how taking away certain things from life would be a sin. It starts with the thought of taking away the breath of flowers, which would be a sin because it's like taking away the essence of life itself. The next line mentions taking away the rain from April showers, which brings the necessary nourishment for the flowers and nature to thrive. It's also a sin since it would deprive the earth of its sustenance.
The following stanza continues with the thought of taking away the violins from a lovely symphony. Violins are the most beautiful and significant part of a symphony, and so it stands to reason that taking it out would mean losing the beauty and depth of the music. The next line says that the music deep within would cease to be, which means the sheer essence of the music and the emotions it conveys would not exist.
The chorus then comes in with the line, "Is it a sin to love you so?" which shows how powerful and overwhelming love can be, making people often question its morality. Even though the person they love may be leaving, they continue to love them, which isn't a sin but rather an expression of the depth of their emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Take away the breath of flowers
Removing the essence of beauty from something pure and delicate like flowers
It would surly be a sin
It is considered morally wrong to do so
Take the rain from April showers
Depriving nature of its seasonal abundance
It's a sin
It goes against natural order
Take away the violins, dear
Analogous to taking an essential component out of a well-structured system
From a lovely symphony
An artistic work crafted to produce a harmonious, pleasing effect
And the music deep within
The soulful expression that arises from combining different elements into a harmonious whole
Would cease to be
The magic is lost and the experience is incomplete without every integral part
Is it a sin to love you so
Questioning the morality of loving someone to such an extent
To hold you close and know you are leaving
Being aware of the imminent departure of the beloved that brings pain but does not diminish the intensity of love
Though you take away my heart dear
Even if the source of one's love is no longer present
Still the beating there within
The heart continues to love unabated and with intensity
I'll keep loving you forever
The strength and permanence of love
For it's no sin
Loving someone deeply is not morally wrong
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chester Shull, George Hoven
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind