Uptown
The Crystals
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He gets up each morning And he goes downtown Where everyone's his boss And he's lost in an angry land He's a little man But then he comes uptown Each ev'nin' to my tenement Uptown where folks don't have To pay much rent And when he's there with me He can see that he's everything Then he's tall, he don't crawl He's a king Downtown he's just one of a million guys He don't get no breaks And he takes all they got to give 'Cause he's got to live But then he comes uptown Where he can hold his head up high Uptown he knows that I am standing by And when I take his hand There's no man who could put him down The world is sweet It's at his feet when he's uptown Whoa oh oh oh, oh oh oh Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah Let me tell ya now Uptown where he can hold his head up high Uptown he knows that I am standing by And when I take his hand There's no man who could put him down The world is sweet, it's at his feet When he's uptown Whoa oh oh oh, oh oh oh Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah Let me tell ya now, uptown
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Written by: BARRY MANN, CYNTHIA WEIL
Lyrics © DYAD Music Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
21 facts about this song
Origin"Uptown" is a pop song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil that was first recorded by the American girl group The Crystals. It was released as a single in 1962 by Philles Records.
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ProductionThis song was produced by the legendary Phil Spector, who is celebrated for his "Wall of Sound" production formula, characterized by a dense, layered, and reverberant sound that came across well on AM radio and jukeboxes of the period.
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Success"Uptown" was a success for The Crystals. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was top ten on Cashbox.
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BackgroundThe song reflects the life story of 'uptown' guys, who overcome poverty and social struggles in their rough neighborhood and become successful.
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Motown Influence"Uptown" was an early example of Spector's interest in the music produced at Motown, a major player in the development of American soul music.
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LyricsThe song's lyrics describe how the 'uptown' guys would "laugh" at the people who put them down and how they looked great in "new pressed sharkskin suits", indicating their rise from hard circumstances.
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InfluenceThe song "Uptown" helped spark a trend in pop and rock music, wherein the urban landscape was not only a source of subject matter but also a forge for distinct musical styles.
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Early R&BThe song is thought to be among the first 'uptown' records, a sub-genre that showed the blend of R&B with pop songwriting.
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Thematic Representation"Uptown" shows Spector's thematic inclination toward youthful innocence and vulnerability with a peculiar emphasis on the dramatic feature of teenage life.
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Unique StyleThe song is notably different from the usual girl group themes of the era, which mostly revolved around love and relationships. Instead, it provides social commentary on growing from adversity.
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Group's IdentityThe track "Uptown" was instrumental in developing The Crystals' image as not just a teen pop girl group, but as artists who could lend their voices to a range of material, contemporary as well as classic.
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Historical Context"Uptown" is a song by the American girl group The Crystals. The song was released in 1962 as a part of their debut album "Twist Uptown."
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Songwriter and ProducerFamed songwriter and producer Phil Spector wrote "Uptown" along with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. These songwriters are renowned for creating many pop hits during the 1960s.
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Musical Style"Uptown" is characterized by Phil Spector's Wall of Sound production method. This technique involved layering multiple instruments to create a dense and echo-heavy sound, which became a defining feature of the group's records.
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Recording TechniqueUnlike many of their contemporaries, The Crystals did not record live. Instead, individual parts of the song were recorded separately and then expertly pieced together to produce the final track.
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ThemeThe song examines class differences in American society, focusing on a man who works in the downtrodden downtown area but lives in the more prosperous uptown.
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Other CoversThe song has been notably covered by other groups and singers. For instance, the British rock band, The Zombies, covered "Uptown" on their 1965 album "Begin Here."
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Chart PerformanceDespite its recognizable sound and poignant lyrics, "Uptown" did not break into the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It peaked at number 13.
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The Crystals LineupAt the time of recording "Uptown," The Crystals consisted of members Barbara Alston, Mary Thomas, Dolores "Dee Dee" Kenniebrew, Myrna Girard, and Patricia "Patsy" Wright.
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Live PerformanceInterestingly, "Uptown" was never performed live by the original line-up of The Crystals as the girls were still attending high school when the song was released. The Ronettes, another girl group from the Philles Records label, often performed the song on their behalf.
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LegacyDespite not being one of The Crystals' biggest chart hits, "Uptown" helped establish the group's sound and laid the groundwork for future hits such as "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me."
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Citation
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"Uptown Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric-lf/721576/The+Crystals/Uptown>.
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