"Runaround Sue" is a pop song, originally a US #1 hit for
the singer Dion during 1961. The song ranked #342 on
Rolling Stonemagazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs
of All Time.
The song was written by Ernie Maresca and Dion DiMucci. It
was recorded in 1961 by Dion, backed by vocal group The
Del-Satins. Released on Laurie Records, it topped the Billboard
Hot 100 for one week in October of that year, and also reached
number 11 in the UK charts.
It is a song about a man whose ex-girlfriend had commitment
trouble and "ran around" (hence the name of the song) with
other people in the city. The song caught on with millions for
its catchy hook "Hey, hey, hum-ba-diddy-diddy".
In the liner notes of Dion's box set
King Of The New York Streets, he writes:
Co-writer Ernie Maresca said:
The song's melody is very similar to "Quarter to Three", a
song released by Gary U.S. Bonds a few months prior to the
release of "Runaround Sue."