Born Eugene Booker McDaniels, a name he used in later life, in Kansas City … Read Full Bio ↴Born Eugene Booker McDaniels, a name he used in later life, in Kansas City on February 12, 1935, Gene was a former gospel singer, signed to Liberty Records in the early 1960's where he scored American hits with original version of "Tower Of Strength" (covered successfully in the UK by Frankie Vaughan) and "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay", a UK hit for Craig Douglas. However, his influence on UK copyists brought him on a nationwide cinema tour with Gary U.S. Bonds and Johnny Burnette as well as an appearance in "It's Trad Dad", one of a series of pop-based movies of the time. His classy voice should have served him a lifetime of success, and songs like the above mentioned, plus "Point Of No Return", "Chip Chip" and "Another Tear Falls" stand the test of time. He re-emerged in the 1970's with a rock/funk album, "Outlaw", on Atlantic as Eugene McDaniels, and moved to record production. He died on July 29, 2011, but it was not national news till four days later.

Chip Chip
Gene McDaniels Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

From a one little kiss and a lotta lovin' you build a big mansion of love
High on a hill of happiness with some-a-one that you've been dreamin' of
You build a wall around with a lotta lovin', all around your mansion of love
Then one day you hear a strange little sound tryin' to tear your mansion down

Whoa oh oh oh chip, chip you tell a little lie
Chip, chip, you make your baby cry
Chip, chip, you cheat a little bit

Chip, chip, you quarrel over it
Oh oh oh one day you're gonna discover
One little wrong leads to another
Chip, chip, a-chippin' away, chippin' at your mansion of love

Ah one little spark when it start to glowin' can warm a big mansion of love
One little wrong brings on the gloom, puts a chill in-a every room

Whoa oh oh oh chip, chip you tell a little lie
Chip, chip, you make your baby cry
Chip, chip, you cheat a little bit
Chip, chip, you quarrel over it
Oh oh oh one day you're gonna discover
One little wrong leads to another
Chip, chip, a-chippin' away, chippin' at your mansion of love

Chip, chip, a-chippin' away, chippin' at your mansion of love
Chip, chip, a-chippin' away

[To Fade:]
Chippin' at your mansion of love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Chip Chip" by Gene McDaniels speak of the fragility of love and relationships. The first two lines describe how love can start with a small gesture, such as a kiss, but can quickly grow into something bigger, like a mansion built on a hill of happiness. Love is beautiful at the beginning, and you can feel invincible, creating a wall of love around you and your significant other. However, the lyrics take a darker turn as they talk about how one little wrong decision can cause the entire mansion to come crashing down. The chorus emphasizes that telling a lie, cheating, or quarreling over something trivial can lead to the destruction of the beautiful home that was built on love and happiness.

The verse about one little spark symbolizes that one small positive action can ignite love, but it works the other way too. One little wrong can cause everything to come crumbling down. The word "chip" is repeated four times in each chorus, and it refers to the little mistakes that people make. Small mistakes can build up to become significant problems, and when you start to chip away at the foundation of the mansion, it won't be long before the whole thing falls apart. The song is a warning that one must be careful when it comes to love, and even the smallest of mistakes can have devastating consequences.

Line by Line Meaning

From a one little kiss and a lotta lovin' you build a big mansion of love
Starting from a small expression of affection, you gradually construct a large and impressive foundation of love

High on a hill of happiness with some-a-one that you've been dreamin' of
You reach a state of great joy and contentment with the person you have long desired, as if you were perched on a hill overlooking it all

You build a wall around with a lotta lovin', all around your mansion of love
You create a barrier of love around your flourishing romantic relationship

Then one day you hear a strange little sound tryin' to tear your mansion down
Suddenly, you become aware of a subtle disturbance that threatens to damage the solidity of your relationship

Whoa oh oh oh chip, chip you tell a little lie
Small and seemingly harmless fibs that you utter

Chip, chip, you make your baby cry
Your untruths harm your partner and make them emotional

Chip, chip, you cheat a little bit
You engage in minor acts of infidelity

Chip, chip, you quarrel over it
Your actions cause disagreements and fights between you and your partner

Oh oh oh one day you're gonna discover
Eventually, you will come to understand

One little wrong leads to another
Every small act of betrayal or dishonesty breeds more of the same

Chip, chip, a-chippin' away, chippin' at your mansion of love
These actions may seem small and insignificant, but they slowly and steadily chip away at the stability of your relationship

Ah one little spark when it start to glowin' can warm a big mansion of love
A mere spark of love can ignite a flame that warms even the largest and grandest of relationships

One little wrong brings on the gloom, puts a chill in-a every room
In the same way, a minor wrongdoing can cast a shadow of sadness over everything and create a sense of coldness in the relationship

Chippin' at your mansion of love
Overall, these small negative actions are eroding the foundation of your love

Chip, chip, a-chippin' away, chippin' at your mansion of love
As the song concludes, it reiterates the message that these small damaging behaviors are slowly but surely tearing down your relationship

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR RESNICK, CLIFTON T. CROFFORD, JEFF BARRY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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