Als we het over de Shangri-Las hebben is Leader of the pack onontkoombaar. Via de zeezenders kwam dit nummer NA dit Engelse lied op gelijkaardig thema op de radio en kreeg het een nooit officieel gehonoreerde hitnotering. De BBC weigerde beide nummers vanwege het zelfmoordmotief. In 1973 mochten de Shangri-Las, toen allang uit elkaar, er alsnog een hit mee hebben in het VK. Twinkle had wel een hit in 1964, ze had goede contacten bij Radio Caroline – wat de BBC uiteraard ook al niet kon waarderen.
Het is niet helemaal duidelijk of Twinkle geïnspireerd was door de Leader of the pack of dat het in de lucht hing, die zelfmoord vanwege verkeringsleed. De Leader was ouder, grote hit in de VS maar dus pas later in het VK.
He said to me he wanted to be near to me
He said he never wanted to be out of my sight
But it’s too late to give this boy my love tonight
Please wait at the gate of heaven for me, Terry.
He said to me he wanted to be close by my side
We had a quarrel, I was untrue on the night he died
And it’s too late to tell this boy how great was
Please wait at the gate of heaven for me, Terry.
He rode into the night, accelerated his motorbike
I cried to him in fright, don’t do it, don’t do it, don.t do it.
He said to me you are the one I want to be with
He said to me you are the one who my love I shall give
One day he’ll know how hard I prayed for him to live
Please wait at the gate of heaven for me, Terry.
He rode into the night, accelerated his motorbike
I cried to him in fright, don’t do it, don’t do it, don.t do it.
He said to me you are the one I want to be with
He said to me you are the one who my love I shall give
One day he’ll know how hard I prayed for him to live
Please wait at the gate of heaven for me, Terry.
Terry
Is she really going out with him?
Well, there she is. Let’s ask her.
Betty, is that Jimmy’s ring you’re wearing?
Mm-hmm
Gee, it must be great riding with him
Is he picking you up after school today?
Uh-uh
By the way, where’d you meet him?
I met him at the candy store
He turned around and smiled at me
You get the picture? (yes, we see)
That’s when I fell for the leader of the pack
My folks were always putting him down (down, down)
They said he came from the wrong side of town
(Whatcha mean when ya say that he came from the wrong side of town?)
They told me he was bad
But I knew he was sad
That’s why I fell for the leader of the pack
One day my dad said, “Find someone new”
I had to tell my Jimmy we’re through
(Whatcha mean when ya say that ya better go find somebody new?)
He stood there and asked me why
But all I could do was cry
I’m sorry I hurt you the leader of the pack
He sort of smiled and kissed me goodbye
The tears were beginning to show
As he drove away on that rainy night
I begged him to go slow
But whether he heard, I’ll never know
Look out! Look out! Look out! Look out!
I felt so helpless, what could I do?
Remembering all the things we’d been through
In school they all stop and stare
I can’t hide the tears, but I don’t care
I’ll never forget him, the leader of the pack
The leader of the pack – now he’s gone
The leader of the pack – now he’s gone
The leader of the pack – now he’s gone
The leader of the pack – now he’s gone
Leader of the pack. Wat een allemachtig lullig filmpje.
– Uitgelichte afbeelding: Door Tollie Records – Billboard, page 17, 26 December, 1964, Publiek domein, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27152186
