Allan Sherman was a pioneer of the comedy-rock scene. Although not much to… Read Full Bio ↴Allan Sherman was a pioneer of the comedy-rock scene. Although not much to look at, the overweight, balding, short, Jewish man gained popularity and became quite the star because of his witty infusion of satirical comedy into very well orchestrated renditions of classic tunes and songs. A song would usually have a lyric, perhaps a name or phrase, that has very little to do with what the original song was about, but the words would sound similar. His albums had nothing to hide, either, as each one was recorded live, and all the laughter, and occasionally a lack thereof, could be heard.

Sherman was just a television producer, most famous for the quiz show "I've Got a Secret," not at all known as a comedian or performer, and it shocked everyone in the know when songs from his album My Son, The Folk Singer became popular. In fact, president John F. Kennedy was heard singing the song Sarah Jackman. Sherman's overnight popularity suddenly ended when the nation's attention focused on Kennedy's assassination, and the nation was too sad for such up-beat musical offerings.

Sherman then slipped back into his longtime depression, and died, quietly, at the young age of 48.

Harvey and Sheila
Allan Sherman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila,
Oh, the day they met.
Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila,
No one will forget.

Harvey's a CPA.
He works for IBM.
He went to MIT and got his PhD.

Sheila's a girl I know,

At B.B.D.& O.
She works the PBX,
And makes out the checks.

Then came one great day when
Harvey took the elevator,
Sheila got in two floors later,
Soon they both felt they were falling,

Everyone heard Sheila calling,
"Ring the bell,"
But they fell.
Harv and Sheila fell in love.

Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila,
Chose a wedding ring.
Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila,
Married in the spring.

She shopped at A & P.
He bought a used MG.
They sat and watched TV
On their RCA.

Borrowed from HFC,
Bought some AT&T,
And on election day, worked for JFK.

Then they went and got a
Charge-A-Plate from R.H. Macy,
Bought a layette, pink and lacy,
Then they had twin baby girls,

Both with dimples, both with curls,
One named Bea,
One named Kay,
Soon they joined the PTA.

Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila,
Moved to West LA.
Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila,
Flew TWA.

They bought a house one day,
Financed by FHA.
It had a swimming pool, full of H2O.

Traded their used MG
For a new XKE.
Switched to the GOP,
That's the way things go.

Oh that Harvey he was
Really smart, he used his noodle.
Sheila bought a white French poodle,
Went to Europe with a visa,

Harvey's rich, they say that he's a
VIP!

This could be,
Only in the USA!

Overall Meaning

The song "Harvey and Sheila" by Allan Sherman is a humorous story of the romance, marriage, and life of Harvey and Sheila, two individuals from different backgrounds who fell in love. The song describes their professional lives, their courtship, and their eventual marriage. Harvey is a Certified Public Accountant who works for IBM, and Sheila is a telephone operator at a company called B.B.D.& O. Harvey went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned his Ph.D. while Sheila learned her job on the job. However, the two met on an elevator, and that encounter leads to a life of love and shared happiness.

The lyrics go on to describe how the couple married, settled down, bought a house with a pool, had children, and generally lived the American Dream. They shopped for groceries at A&P, made purchases on Charge-a-Plate at R.H. Macy's, and worked for their favorite political candidate, JFK. They even traded in their old car and bought a new XKE after Harvey became successful. By the end of the song, Sheila has a French poodle and Harvey is considered a VIP because of his wealth.

The song pokes fun at the culture of consumerism and materialism that dominated American society in the 1960s while presenting a humorous and engaging story. It captures a moment in history and is still popular today because of its catchy tune as well as its witty lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Oh, the day they met.
Introducing the two main characters; Harvey and Sheila. The song talks about the day they both met each other.

Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, No one will forget.
A reminder that the story of Harvey and Sheila will always be remembered.

Harvey's a CPA.
Harvey's profession is that of a Certified Public Accountant, i.e. a financial expert.

He works for IBM.
Harvey is an employee of IBM, a multinational technology company.

He went to MIT and got his PhD.
Harvey pursued his education from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and holds a Doctorate degree in his field of study.

Sheila's a girl I know, At B.B.D.& O.
Sheila is an acquaintance of the song's narrator and is employed at Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn (BBD&O), an advertising agency.

She works the PBX, And makes out the checks.
Sheila handles the PBX (Private Branch eXchange) system and also processes payments made to the company.

Then came one great day when Harvey took the elevator, Sheila got in two floors later, Soon they both felt they were falling, Everyone heard Sheila calling, "Ring the bell," But they fell.
The day when Harvey and Sheila's paths crossed again, they both get stuck in the elevator, where they started to feel an instant connection; something that they had never felt before. They didn't realize when the elevator came back to the ground floor and they kept standing inside. Sheila had to ring the bell to get out - but they both felt an irresistible attraction towards each other.

Harv and Sheila fell in love.
Harvey and Sheila's attraction towards each other turned into love.

Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Chose a wedding ring.
Harvey and Sheila decided to get married and picked out a ring for the ceremony.

Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Married in the spring.
Harvey and Sheila got married in spring.

She shopped at A & P. He bought a used MG. They sat and watched TV On their RCA.
Sheila got groceries from A&P; Harvey bought a used car, an MG. They watched television together on their RCA brand TV.

Borrowed from HFC, Bought some AT&T, And on election day, worked for JFK.
The couple took a loan from Household Finance Corporation (HFC). They bought shares in AT&T. They also worked on the campaign for President John F. Kennedy on election day.

Then they went and got a Charge-A-Plate from R.H. Macy, Bought a layette, pink and lacy, Then they had twin baby girls, Both with dimples, both with curls, One named Bea, One named Kay, Soon they joined the PTA.
Harvey and Sheila opened a Charge-A-Plate account with R.H. Macy, bought baby clothes, and had twin baby girls named Bea and Kay. With the time, they involved themselves with their daughters' education and became members of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).

Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Moved to West LA.
Harvey and Sheila relocated to Western Los Angeles for their new beginning.

Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Harvey and Sheila, Flew TWA.
Harvey and Sheila chose to fly with Trans World Airlines (TWA) for their travel needs.

They bought a house one day, Financed by FHA. It had a swimming pool, full of H2O.
Harvey and Sheila purchased a house with the help of Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Their house included a swimming pool, filled with water (H2O).

Traded their used MG For a new XKE. Switched to the GOP, That's the way things go.
Harvey and Sheila sold their used MG to buy a new sports car, a Jaguar XKE. They also made a political switch to GOP, which stands for Republican Party (Grand Old Party) in the USA, to follow their own beliefs.

Oh that Harvey he was Really smart, he used his noodle. Sheila bought a white French poodle, Went to Europe with a visa, Harvey's rich, they say that he's a VIP!
Harvey was known to be very intelligent and made smart business decisions (used his noodle). Sheila bought a white-colored French poodle and went to Europe with a visa (traveling document). At this point, Harvey had become wealthy and was considered a Very Important Person (VIP).

This could be, Only in the USA!
This journey and success story of Harvey and Sheila could only happen in the USA!

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SHERMAN BUSCH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS