Davis was born as Betty Mabry in Durham, North Carolina, USA. Mabry's debut was as a songwriter, with The Chambers Brothers's Uptown (1967, Columbia). When Betty turned sixteen, she moved to New York and met several musicians including Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. She met Miles Davis in 1967 and married him in 1968. As he stated in his autobiography, in addition to creating turmoil in his personal life, his wife helped him to explore music by introducing him to psychedelic rock guitarist Hendrix and funk innovator Stone. There is plenty of circumstantial evidence, though seemingly no credible documentation, to support the idea that Miles Davis named his masterpiece jazz-fusion album Bitches Brew after Betty.
After the breakup of her marriage, Davis moved to London to pursue her modelling career. She wrote music - a passion since childhood - while in the U.K. and returned to the U.S. with the intention of recording songs with Santana and The Commodores. When those projects didn't work out, she organised a group of talented West Coast funk musicians and recorded the songs under her own name.
Her first album, Betty Davis, was released in 1973 and her band included members of Sly and the Family Stone, Graham Central Station, The Pointer Sisters, Tower of Power, and Neil Schon who came from Santana, but went on to form Journey. Davis released two more studio albums: They Say I'm Different (1974) and Nasty Gal (1975). Her backing band, Funkhouse,consisted of her cousin, Larry Johnson on bass, Fred Mills on keyboards, double-platinum artist Carlton Morales on guitar, and Nikki Neal on drums. None of the three albums was a commercial success, and Davis's 1976 album Is It Love or Desire remained unreleased until 2009.
Davis remained a cult figure as a singer, due in part to her open sexual attitude, which was controversial for the time and remains so thirty years later. Some of her shows were boycotted and her songs not played on the radio due to pressure by religious groups. With the passage of time her records have become highly regarded by collectors of soul and funk music. Davis eventually stopped making music and returned to the city where she had attended high school, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She continues to live there as a recluse from the music industry.
Material from a 1979 recording session,which was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, where Kevan Tynes attended, and Alfonse Mouson was the drummer, with Carlton Morales on guitar, and Davis's 1979 material was eventually used for two further albums: Hangin' Out in Hollywood (1995) and Crashin' from Passion (1996). A greatest hits album, Anti Love: the Best of Betty Davis, was released in 2000.
Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him
Betty Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Ain’t he fine?)
Lord knows, he sure is fine
(Ain’t he fine?)
Gals, I can’t help myself
(She’s gonna do it)
(She’s gonna do it)
And when my goose gets loose
She's gonna know
I'm still be getting it on
With him around, now
(Move it, move it)
I’m gonna move it slow like a mule
(Go on and move it, gal)
I’m gonna love him funky free and foolish
I’m gonna do my best
And try hard to get him
(Ain’t he fine)
Just take a look at that child
(Ain’t he fine)
He’s enough to drive a poor gal wild
(Ain’t he fine)
Take him in, check him out
I’m gonna!
(She’s gonna love him)
(She’s gonna love him)
I’m gonna shoo-b-doop all night
(Go on and love him, gal. Go on and love him, gal)
I’m gonna try him out until the sunrise
And when clock strikes twelve
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
(Ain’t he fine?)
Gals, He’s a fine fine thang
(Ain’t he fine?)
Lord knows, he sure is fine
(Ain’t he fine?)
Gals, I can’t help myself
(She’s gonna do it)
(She’s gonna do it)
(She’s gonna do it)
(She’s gonna do it)
Yes, I’m gonna do it
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
I’m gonna do it till the cows come home
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
I’m gonna do it till the chicken croaks
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
I’m gonna move it slow like a mule
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
I’m gonna do it yes I’m gonna do it
(Do it, do it!)
(Move it, move it!)
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
Gals, he’s a fine fine thang
Lord knows, lord knows,
That’s boy he’s sure enough fine
The lyrics to Betty Davis’s “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him” are a display of unapologetic desire for a fine, handsome man. The song is a testament to the female sexual desire that was often overlooked and, at times, frowned upon in the primarily male-dominated industry of music in the 1970s.
The opening lines of the song, “Gals, he’s a fine fine thang,” immediately set the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The repetition of “ain’t he fine?” emphasizes the singer’s infatuation with this man. The line “I’m gonna move it slow like a mule” suggests a desire to take things slowly and thoroughly savor the experience. Davis also highlights her willingness to experiment with her lover and explores a new level of intimacy, “I’m gonna love him funky free and foolish.”
The hook of the song, “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him,” is a call to action for the singer to claim her man. The phrase “Shoo-B-Doop” is a playful reference to scat singing and adds a hint of whimsy to the lyrics. The repetition of the phrase “I’m gonna do it” reinforces the singer’s determination to claim her lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Gals, He’s a fine fine thang
The man Betty is interested in is incredibly attractive.
(Ain’t he fine?)
Betty is asking for agreement from her friends that her love interest is attractive.
Lord knows, he sure is fine
Betty is expressing her own agreement that the man is attractive.
Gals, I can’t help myself
Betty is telling her friends that she is going to pursue the man she is interested in despite any difficulties.
(She’s gonna do it)
Betty is expressing her determination to pursue the man despite any obstacles in the way.
I'm going to do it until the cows come home
Betty is saying that she is going to pursue the man for as long as it takes, without getting tired or bored.
And when my goose gets loose
Betty is saying that when she is feeling free and unencumbered she will pursue the man even more.
She's gonna know
Betty is declaring that the man will be aware of her intentions and interest.
I'm still be getting it on
Betty is saying that she will be intimate with the man despite any challenges.
With him around, now
Betty is emphasizing that she will be pursuing the man regardless of what other people think.
(Move it, move it)
Betty is encouraging her friends to support her pursuit of the man.
I’m gonna move it slow like a mule
Betty is saying that she will progress slowly with the man, enjoying each step of the way.
(Go on and move it, gal)
Betty is encouraging herself to continue with her plans to pursue the man.
I’m gonna love him funky free and foolish
Betty is saying that she will love the man in a unique and carefree way, disregarding social norms.
I’m gonna do my best
Betty is expressing her determination to give her all to pursuing the man.
And try hard to get him
Betty is emphasizing that she will not give up pursuing the man despite any challenges.
(Ain’t he fine)
Betty is once again asking for agreement from her friends that her love interest is attractive.
Just take a look at that child
Betty is pointing out the man to her friends and emphasizing his attractiveness.
(Ain’t he fine)
Betty is repeating her statement and once again asking for agreement from her friends that her love interest is attractive.
He’s enough to drive a poor gal wild
Betty is saying that the man is so attractive that he could drive a woman mad with desire for him.
Take him in, check him out
Betty is encouraging her friends to observe the man and his qualities, and to take him into consideration.
I’m gonna! (She’s gonna love him)
Betty is again stating her intentions to pursue the man, and emphasizing that she will love him.
I’m gonna shoo-b-doop all night
Betty is saying that she will pursue the man all night, until the morning comes.
(Go on and love him, gal. Go on and love him, gal)
Betty is once again encouraging herself to pursue the man and love him despite any obstacles.
I’m gonna try him out until the sunrise
Betty is stating that she will experiment with the man until the morning, before coming to a final decision about him.
And when clock strikes twelve
Betty is emphasizing a specific time frame when she will make a decision about the man.
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
Betty is repeating her determination to pursue the man despite any challenges.
(Ain’t he fine?)
Betty is once again emphasizing the man's physical attractiveness.
Yes, I’m gonna do it
Betty is firmly stating that she will go through with pursuing the man.
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
Betty is repeating her determination and her intention to pursue the man.
I’m gonna do it till the cows come home
Betty is emphasizing that she will continue to pursue the man for as long as is necessary.
I’m gonna do it till the chicken croaks
Betty is emphasizing that she will continue to pursue the man for as long as possible, even until the chicken dies.
I’m gonna move it slow like a mule
Betty is once again emphasizing that she will take her time putting her plan to pursue the man in place.
(Do it, do it!)
Betty is encouraging herself to take action on her plan to pursue the man.
(Move it, move it!)
Betty is once again encouraging herself to take action on her plan to pursue the man.
(Shoo-b-doop and cop him)
Betty is repeating her intention to pursue the man to the end, despite any challenges.
Gals, he’s a fine fine thang
Betty is restating that the man she is interested in is physically attractive.
Lord knows, lord knows, That’s boy he’s sure enough fine
Betty is once again emphasizing the man's good looks.
Contributed by Mateo S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mistamowgli513
OMG I've heard this groove all my life and at 48, just found out what it is!! And I was born the year it came out!
@Se7en9ine
Once upon a time in the projects, yo... I damn near had to wreck a h03
@epiphoney
Who is this, the female Shaft??