‘Ah! Leah!’ is a song by Mark Avsec and American rock musician Donnie Iris from the latter's 1980 album Back on the Streets. The song has been described as Iris's signature song, as well the unofficial anthem of the city of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania as a whole. It was released as a single in late 1980 and reached number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100, 22 on the Cash Box Top 100 and 19 on the US Billboard Top Tracks chart, and was most popular in Canada, where it became a Top 10 hit.
During an interview, Iris said, “When Mark and I wrote that together in my basement, around the piano, Mark originally had the idea of an anti-war song. And in the background, we wanted to have a hook, or a chorus, or a tune, that sounded almost like a Gregorian chant. And somehow, Mark came up with 'ah, Leah' as just a chant. It wasn't a chick's name, or a certain person or individual in particular. I said, 'You know what, Mark? That's a chick's name.' So that's how we named it 'Ah, Leah.' It just so happens that there was a girl by the name of Leah who had dated one of the guys in The Jaggerz years ago. She was a very pretty girl, and I had always loved her name. So, instead of an anti-war tune, which we messed around with but couldn't find anything in, it just turned into a love song. Isn't that weird?"
A 2008 report by The Beaver County Times revealed that the Leah in question was Leah Frankford of Chippewa Township, Pennsylvania near Iris's hometown of Ellwood City. Frankford had moved to Florida just before The Jaggerz hit it big, and got confirmation from Iris himself after Iris's girlfriend by chance became friends with Frankford's daughter through Iris's mortgage business. Frankford had moved back to Beaver County by the time the song came out, and always noticed many girls at her two daughters softball games also named Leah.
Label – Midwest National, MCA Records
Songwriter – George Harrison
Producers – George Harrison, Phil Spector
SONG LYRICS
LeahIt's been a long, long time
You're such a sight
You're looking better than a body has a right to
Don't you know we're playing with the fire
But we can stop this burning desire
Leah
Ah! Leah!
Here we go again
Ah! Leah!
Is it ever gonna end?
Ah! Leah!
Here we go again
Ah! Leah!
I see your lips
And I wonder who's been kissing them
I never knew how badly I was missing them
We both know we're never going to make it
But when we touch
We never have to fake it
Leah
Ah! Leah!
Here we go again
Ah! Leah!
Is it ever gonna end?
Ah! Leah!
Here we go again
Ah! Leah!
We ain't learned our lesson yet
Baby, it's no good
We're just asking for trouble
I can touch you
But I don't know how to love you
It ain't no use
We're headed for disaster
Our minds said no
But our hearts were talking faster
Leah
Ah! Leah!
Here we go again
Ah! Leah!
Here we go again
Ah! Leah!
Leah, Leah, Leah
Ah! Leah!
Here we go again
Ah! Leah!
Leah
We're never, ever, ever gonna make it, yeah
Ah! Leah!
Here we go again
Ah! Leah!
We're never gonna make it
Ah! Leah!