Doo Wop Music

Here’s one of the great doo wop group with their golden oldies music. There is so much going on in this song with Maurice Williams’ lead vocal, the pleas of the group, and the compelling beat, that its brevity at a little more than a minute and a half usually isn’t noticed. Williams said that inspiration for the song came from a situation where he tried to convince his date to stay past her curfew, but she didn’t. And so he wrote the song. In 1960, “Stay” went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the R&B Chart.

Maurice Williams was born in Lancaster, South Carolina, growing up with music from his church. Williams formed a gospel group called the Junior Harmonizers, but their interests veered towards rock and roll and doo-wop, and they changed their name to the Royal Charms. In 1957, they changed their name to the Gladiolas and then in 1958 to the Excellos before settling on The Zodiacs. Williams wrote one of doo-wop’s anthems, “Little Darlin'” and recorded it with The Gladiolas. The Canadian group The Diamonds had the big hit with that song, though. If you would like to read about those two versions of “Little Darlin’,” please click here.

Here are the lyrics to “Stay” by Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs:

“Stay
Just a little bit longer

Stay
Please, please, please, please, please
Tell me you’re going to

Now, your daddy don’t mind
And your mommy don’t mind
If we have another dance
Just one more
One more time

Oh, won’t you stay
Just a little bit longer
Please let me hear
You say that you will

(Say you will)

Won’t you press your sweet lips
To mine
Won’t you say you love me
All of the time

Whooo. Stay
Just a little bit longer
Please, please, please, please, please
Tell me you’re going to

Come on, come on
Come on and stay

Come on, come on
Come on and stay”

If you are interested in more music by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, please consider this: Best of Maurice Williams & Zodiacs

There have been numerous covers, including versions by The Four Seasons, Jackson Browne (a much longer version), and The Hollies. “Stay” was also featured in 1978 movie Dirty Dancing, which also increased the song’s popularity.

The version of “Stay” by The Four Seasons is also a great track:

If you are interested in purchasing an album of songs by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, click on the photo below:

For More Golden Oldies Music                

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop, rock and roll, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

Please click here for the Daily Doo Wop YouTube channel, to which you can subscribe. Thank you for stopping by The Daily Doo Wop. Hope you enjoyed “Stay” by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs (as well as by The Four Seasons).