The Wanderer ( Dion song ) - wikipedia The Wanderer ( Dion song ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2015 ) `` The Wanderer '' US single cover Single by Dion from the album Runaround Sue A-side `` The Majestic '' Released November 1961 ( 1961 - 11 ) Format 7 '' single Genre Rhythm and blues pop rock and roll Length 2 : 51 Label Laurie Songwriter ( s ) Ernie Maresca Producer ( s ) Gene Schwartz Dion singles chronology `` Runaround Sue '' ( 1961 ) `` The Wanderer '' ( 1961 ) `` Lovers Who Wander '' ( 1962 ) `` Runaround Sue '' ( 1961 ) `` The Wanderer '' ( 1961 ) `` Lovers Who Wander '' ( 1962 ) `` The Wanderer '' is a song written by Ernie Maresca and originally recorded by Dion. The song, with a 12 - bar blues - base verse and an eight - bar bridge, tells the story of a travelling man and his many loves. The song is ranked number 243 on the Rolling Stone magazine 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Contents 1 History 2 Cover versions 3 In popular culture 4 Charts 4.1 Dion version 4.2 Status Quo version 4.3 Eddie Rabbitt version 5 See also 6 References 7 External links History Maresca had co-written Dion 's previous number - one hit, `` Runaround Sue '', but originally intended `` The Wanderer '' to be recorded by another group, Nino and the Ebb Tides. They passed on it in favor of another Maresca song, so Dion was given it as the B - side of his follow - up single, `` The Majestic '', a song which his record company had chosen for him. The record was turned over by radio DJs who preferred `` The Wanderer '', which duly entered the US charts in December 1961 and rose to number 2 in early 1962 ( behind `` Duke of Earl '' by Gene Chandler ). It also reached number 10 in the UK and number one in Australia. The song was recorded with an uncredited background vocal group, the Del - Satins, in a rockier style than Dion 's earlier hits with the Belmonts. The Del - Satins were an established doo - wop group led by Stan Ziska ( later known as Stan Sommers ), who at the time were also contracted to Laurie Records, and who later formed the core of Johnny Maestro & the Brooklyn Bridge. Musicians on the original recording included Bobby Gregg, Bucky Pizarelli and Johnny Falbo on guitars, Jerome Richardson on alto sax, Buddy Lucas on tenor sax, and Panama Francis and Sticks Evans on drums. Dion said of `` The Wanderer '' : At its roots, it 's more than meets the eye. `` The Wanderer '' is black music filtered through an Italian neighborhood that comes out with an attitude. It 's my perception of a lot of songs like `` I 'm A Man '' by Bo Diddley or `` Hoochie Coochie Man '' by Muddy Waters. But you know, `` The Wanderer '' is really a sad song. A lot of guys do n't understand that. Bruce Springsteen was the only guy who accurately expressed what that song was about. It 's `` I roam from town to town and go through life without a care, I 'm as happy as a clown with my two fists of iron, but I 'm going nowhere. '' In the Fifties, you did n't get that dark. It sounds like a lot of fun but it 's about going nowhere. However, on Maresca 's original demo of the song, the lyrics were `` with my two fists of iron and my bottle of beer '', and the change to `` with my two fists of iron but I 'm going nowhere '' in fact seems to have been at the record company 's insistence. The song has been categorized as rock and roll, rhythm and blues and pop. Cover versions `` The Wanderer '' Single by Eddie Rabbitt from the album I Wanna Dance with You B - side `` Workin ' Out '' Released April 1988 Format 7 '' Recorded December 1987 Genre Country Length 3 : 22 Label RCA Songwriter ( s ) Ernie Maresca Producer ( s ) Richard Landis Eddie Rabbitt singles chronology `` I Wanna Dance with You '' ( 1988 ) `` The Wanderer '' ( 1988 ) `` We Must Be Doin ' Somethin ' Right '' ( 1988 ) `` I Wanna Dance with You '' ( 1988 ) `` The Wanderer '' ( 1988 ) `` We Must Be Doin ' Somethin ' Right '' ( 1988 ) `` The Wanderer '' Single by Status Quo B - side `` Ca n't Be Done '' Released October 1984 Format 7 '' Length 3 : 28 Label Vertigo Records Songwriter ( s ) Ernie Maresca Status Quo singles chronology `` Going Down Town Tonight '' ( 1984 ) `` The Wanderer '' ( 1984 ) `` Rollin ' Home '' ( 1986 ) `` Going Down Town Tonight '' ( 1984 ) `` The Wanderer '' ( 1984 ) `` Rollin ' Home '' ( 1986 ) `` The Wanderer '' has been covered by many other popular singers and bands, including Bad Company, Status Quo, Dee Snider, Gary Glitter, The Beach Boys, Leif Garrett ( US number 49 in 1978 ), Alvin and the Chipmunks, Arthur Alexander, Bruce Springsteen, Delbert McClinton, Ted Chippington, Dave Edmunds, The Alley Cats, Avenue D, by My Morning Jacket at Madison Square Garden on 31 December 2008 and more recently by Laurence Collyer / The Diamond Family Archive. Status Quo covered the song twice, once as a complete version, and once again as part of their Anniversary Waltz, Pt. 1. Status Quo 's version was a number seven hit in the UK and a number three hit in Ireland in 1984 ; it was later included on the 2006 reissue of Back to Back. Eddie Rabbitt 's version was a number one hit on Billboard 's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in mid-1988. Mel Gibson sings a version in the animated movie Chicken Run. The Portuguese version by Renato e Seus Blue Caps & Erasmo Carlos was a huge hit in Brazil in the 1960s, changing the title to `` O Lobo Mau '' ( which translates as `` The Big Bad Wolf '' ). The `` Big Bad Wolf '' in the Portuguese lyrics is somewhat like the wanderer, riding in his car and getting all the girls. Another cover version can be found on Kidsongs video and DVD, `` A Day with the Animals ''. The French version `` Le Vagabond '' ( which tells the same story as the original ) was a hit in French - speaking countries by Richard Anthony. In popular culture This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( June 2016 ) `` The Wanderer '' is played before all Bolton Wanderers and Western Sydney Wanderers home matches. `` The Wanderer '' is sung by Rocky the rooster in Chicken Run. `` The Wanderer, '' sung by Dion, appears in the 1961 film Twist Around the Clock. Featured prominently in the 1979 film The Wanderers. NYC Rockabilly band The Stray Cats have used `` The Wanderer '' as their live intro music since their initial run in the early 1980s. It is the song usually played loudly over the house PA as the lights dim just before the band appears onstage and begins to play. In Brian Azzarello 's Watchmen prequel comic Comedian, the song is featured twice, in small but pivotal scenes. The song was used in a 1995 ad for Black And Decker 's `` Snake Light ''. Actor Ray Sharkey sings part of `` The Wanderer '' in the 1993 movie Cop and a Half. In the Canadian Showcase series Lost Girl, the song is featured prominently and repeatedly in seasons 3 and 4 as a callout to a character referred to by the same name, including an arrangement performed by Merry - Go - Round Instrumentation. The TV show The West Wing uses the song in Season 4, Episode 2 `` 20 Hours in America : Part 2 ''. In the movie Behind Enemy Lines the song was also used. The song is featured very prominently in the 2015 Bethesda video game Fallout 4. It is used in the revelatory trailer and is included in the game as part of the Diamond City Radio station, accessed through the Pip - Boy. The trailer is the subject of a federal lawsuit filed by DiMucci. Charts Dion version Chart ( 1961 ) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 Status Quo version Chart ( 1984 ) Peak position Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 9 Ireland ( IRMA ) Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 6 Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 10 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 7 Eddie Rabbitt version Chart ( 1988 ) Peak position U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles Canadian RPM Country Tracks See also Travelin ' Man References Jump up ^ `` Dion, ' The Wanderer ' ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 26, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Dion DiMucci '', The Pop History Dig. Retrieved 13 July 2015 Jump up ^ `` The Original Wanderer : Ernie Maresca '', Ace Records. Retrieved 13 July 2015 Jump up ^ Unterberger, Richie. Dion - The Wanderer at AllMusic. Retrieved September 26, 2015. Jump up ^ David Hatch ; Stephen Millward ( 1 January 1987 ). From Blues to Rock : An Analytical History of Pop Music. Manchester University Press. p. 94. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7190 - 1489 - 5. Jump up ^ Brock Helander ( 1999 ). Rocking Sixties. Schirmer Books. p. 103. ISBN 978 - 0 - 02 - 864873 - 6. Jump up ^ `` Leif Garrett, `` The Wanderer '' Chart Position ``. Retrieved December 10, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Fallout 4 - The Wanderer Trailer ''. YouTube. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 24. Jump up ^ `` ' Fallout 4 ' Makers Sued for $1 Million Over Use of ' The Wanderer ' in ' Repugnant ' Ads ''. The Wrap. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 07. Jump up ^ `` Dion Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Status Quo -- The Wanderer '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 26 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- The Wanderer ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- week 50, 1984 '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 26 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Status Quo -- The Wanderer '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved 26 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Status Quo -- The Wanderer ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 March 2018. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits : 1944 - 2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 279. External links Chords and lyrics Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Dion DiMucci Albums Born to Be with You Streetheart Singles `` Lonely Teenager '' `` Runaround Sue '' `` The Wanderer '' `` Lovers Who Wander '' `` Little Diane '' `` Love Came to Me '' `` Ruby Baby '' `` Sandy '' `` Come Go with Me '' `` Donna the Prima Donna '' `` Drip Drop '' `` I 'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man '' `` Shout '' `` Johnny B. Goode '' `` Abraham, Martin and John '' `` Purple Haze '' `` And the Night Stood Still '' `` Sea Cruise '' Book : Dion DiMucci Eddie Rabbitt Studio albums Eddie Rabbitt Rocky Mountain Music Rabbitt Variations Loveline Horizon Step by Step Radio Romance The Best Year of My Life Rabbitt Trax I Wanna Dance with You Jersey Boy Ten Rounds Beatin ' the Odds Songs from Rabbittland Notable singles `` Drinkin ' My Baby ( Off My Mind ) '' `` Rocky Mountain Music '' `` Two Dollars in the Jukebox '' `` I Ca n't Help Myself '' `` We Ca n't Go On Living Like This '' `` Hearts on Fire '' `` You Do n't Love Me Anymore '' `` I Just Want to Love You '' `` Every Which Way But Loose '' `` Suspicions '' `` Pour Me Another Tequila '' `` Gone Too Far '' `` Drivin ' My Life Away '' `` I Love a Rainy Night '' `` Step by Step '' `` Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight '' `` I Do n't Know Where to Start '' `` You and I '' ( with Crystal Gayle ) `` You Ca n't Run from Love '' `` You Put the Beat in My Heart '' `` Nothing Like Falling in Love '' `` B-B-B - Burnin ' Up with Love '' `` The Best Year of My Life '' `` Warning Sign '' `` She 's Comin ' Back to Say Goodbye '' `` A World Without Love '' `` Repetitive Regret '' `` Both to Each Other ( Friends and Lovers ) '' ( with Juice Newton ) `` Gotta Have You '' `` I Wanna Dance with You '' `` The Wanderer '' `` We Must Be Doin ' Somethin ' Right '' `` That 's Why I Fell in Love with You '' `` On Second Thought '' `` Runnin ' with the Wind '' `` It 's Lonely Out Tonite '' `` American Boy '' Related articles Discography `` Kentucky Rain '' `` Pure Love '' Leif Garrett Albums Leif Garrett Feel the Need The Leif Garrett Collection Singles `` Come Back When You Grow Up '' `` Surfin ' U.S.A. '' `` Runaround Sue '' `` Put Your Head on My Shoulder '' `` The Wanderer '' `` I Was Made for Dancin ' '' `` Sheila '' `` Feel the Need '' `` When I Think of You '' Dave Edmunds Studio albums Rockpile Subtle as a Flying Mallet Get It Tracks on Wax 4 Repeat When Necessary Twangin... D.E. 7th Information Riff Raff Closer to the Flame Plugged In Live albums I Hear You Rockin ' Singles `` I Hear You Knocking '' `` Blue Monday '' `` Promised Land '' `` Baby, I Love You '' `` Born to Be with You '' `` Where or When '' `` I Knew the Bride '' `` Girls Talk '' `` Queen of Hearts '' `` Singing the Blues '' `` Almost Saturday Night '' `` The Race Is On '' with Stray Cats `` Slipping Away '' `` Do You Want to Dance '' `` The Wanderer '' Related articles Love Sculpture Nick Lowe Rockpile `` And the Night Stood Still '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Wanderer_(Dion_song)&oldid=866176556 '' Categories : 1961 songs 1961 singles 1978 singles Songs written by Ernie Maresca Dion DiMucci songs Leif Garrett songs Eddie Rabbitt songs The Beach Boys songs Status Quo ( band ) songs Song recordings produced by Richard Landis Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles RPM Country Tracks number - one singles RCA Records singles Laurie Records singles Atlantic Records singles Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from July 2015 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May 2014 Articles needing additional references from June 2016 Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart called without artist Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for Switzerland Singlechart usages for UK Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Italiano Norsk Norsk nynorsk Русский Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 28 October 2018, at 19 : 33 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who sings the song i'm a wanderer
Answer: Dion