Kongos, Come With Me Now | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the 33rd edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2025), we highlight “Come With Me Now” performed by the South African American band, Kongos.

It only takes ONE hit to solidify a musical legacy 💯! On 1 Hit WONDERful, we highlight songs that were the SOLE hit by a given musician.  It is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, that ONE hit earned them recognition. So, in the 33^rd edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2025), we dive into “Come With Me Now”, the one-hit wonder by Kongos.

“Whoa, come with me now / I’m gonna take you down / Whoa, come with me now / I’m gonna show you how.” Woo! South African, Texas-based rock band Kongos, made up of brothers Dylan, Johnny, Jesse, and Daniel Kongos, earned a surefire hit with their single, “Come With Me Now”. “Come With Me Now” appears on the band’s sophomore album, Lunatic, released in 2012. It peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It marks their sole entry on the pop charts, making Kongos a one-hit wonder.  “Come” was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2015.

“Come With Me Now” lacks no energy.  That shit is turned up! Instrumentally, the sounds are colorful, including accordion, claps, guitar, prominent bass, and of course, the drum groove that anchors.  Dylan Kongos commands with his vocals, most notably in the exuberant, come-with-me-seeking chorus. Still, he drops memorable lyrics in the verses, too.  “I was born without this fear / Now only this seems clear,” he sings in the first verse, and continues, “I need to move, I need to fight / I need to lose myself tonight.” Noted, brother! By the end of the second verse, Dylan informs us, “I tried to sell my soul last night (🫢) / Funny, he wouldn’t even take a bite.” The devil didn’t want him? Does that mean Dylan is too bad for hell 😈, or is he far too good 😇?  The bridge, a treat, follows the second verse, differentiating itself from everything else on “Come With Me Now.” The kinder, gentler sound is sweet, and certainly NOT devilish (“Far away, I heard him [😈] say (Come with me now) / Don’t delay, I heard him say (Come with me now)”). There is a raucous guitar solo, which follows the infectious chorus post-bridge.  The accordion also gets some time to shine before the return of the first verse.  A fun, unforgettable earworm, Kongos struck gold (technically, double platinum) with “Come With Me Now”.  Replicating such a successful song is an arduous task, which sadly, the band of brothers were unable to do.