After Be-Bop-A-Lula had become a huge hit in 1956 (peaking at #7 and spending 20 weeks in the Billboard Pop Chart), Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (often mis-named as 'the' Blue Caps) were unable to follow it up with the same level of commercial success, but released critically acclaimed songs like Race With The Devil (#96 in Billboard) and Bluejean Bop (#49).
Following a visit to Europe in 1959, Vincent managed to attract a new huge and discerning audience there, especially in England and France. By that time his career had mostly ended in the US. In 1960, while on tour in Britain, Vincent and songwriter Sharon Sheeley were seriously injured in a high-speed traffic accident. Vincent broke his ribs, collarbone, and added further damage to his already weak leg which he had injured in a motorcycle accident in 1955 and refused to have amputated, and Sheeley suffered a broken pelvis. Both Vincent and Sheeley survived, but the accident killed Vincent's tourmate and Sheeley's fiancé, Eddie Cochran.
Vincent subsequently moved to England in 1963. His stage shows became "must see" events and his bands through those years were to spawn some of the most respected players in the world today. It was during his early tours of Britain that he adopted the trademark leather outfit, at the suggestion of British Rock 'n' Roll impressario, Jack Good.
Dance the Bop
Gene Vincent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the cats pick 'em up and lay 'em down
You get your gal, I'll get mine
And we'll get together and we'll have a good time.
We'll dance a little bit to the bop, to the bop
Dance a little bit to the bop
Well dance a little bit to the bop
Yeah now, dance, dance, dance
Well, dance, dance, dance
Yeah now, dance, dance, dance
Well, dance, dance, dance
Well now dance, well dance to the rock 'n' roll. (Now got it, git it)
Well the cats come rockin' in two by two
Some come single like me and you
Dancin' to the bop is their delight
Well when thet get right, they'll dance all night.
They'll dance a little bit to the bop, to the bop
Dance a little bit to the bop
Dance a little bit to the bop
Well now dance to the rock 'n' roll.
Yeah now, dance, dance, dance
Well, dance, dance, dance
Yeah now, dance, dance, dance
Well, dance, dance, dance
Well now dance, well dance to the rock 'n' roll.
(Yeah, now rock it)
Yeah... We'll dance a little bit to the bop, to the bop
Dance a little bit to the bop
Dance a little bit to the bop
Well now dance to the rock 'n' roll.
Yeah now, dance, dance, dance
Well, dance, dance, dance
Now, dance, dance, dance
Well, dance, dance, dance
Well now dance, well now dance to the rock 'n' roll.
The song "Dance the Bop" by Gene Vincent is an upbeat, rhythm-driven song about dancing to the bop and rock 'n' roll. The lyrics describe a small juke joint outside of town where people come to dance, and the singer encourages his listeners to find their gals and have a good time. The chorus repeatedly encourages everyone to "dance a little bit to the bop", which is a reference to a dance style popular in the 1950s that originated from swing dancing. The lyrics are simple but effective, with a focus on repetition and rhythm to get people moving on the dance floor.
The line "Well when they get right, they'll dance all night" suggests that the bop is a dance style that can easily captivate people and keep them on the dance floor for hours. The song celebrates the joy of dance and the community that comes together at small, local dance clubs. There are no deep meanings or metaphorical references in the lyrics, but the song is a fun and catchy celebration of the rock 'n' roll era.
Line by Line Meaning
Well there's a little juke joint on the outside of town
There's a small bar outside of town that plays music.
Where the cats pick 'em up and lay 'em down
Where people dance and have fun.
You get your gal, I'll get mine
Let's each find a partner to dance with.
And we'll get together and we'll have a good time.
We'll all have fun together.
They'll dance a little bit to the bop, to the bop
People will dance to the music.
Yeah now, dance, dance, dance
Encouraging people to dance.
Well the cats come rockin' in two by two
People arrive in pairs to dance.
Dancin' to the bop is their delight
They love dancing to this music style.
Well now dance to the rock 'n' roll.
Let's dance to the rock and roll music.
Yeah... We'll dance a little bit to the bop, to the bop
We will dance to the bop style of music.
Now, dance, dance, dance
Encouraging people to keep dancing.
Well now dance, well now dance to the rock 'n' roll.
Let's dance to the rock and roll music again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FLOYD EDGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tom Smith
Gene's one and only appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. He was one of the big names in the early days of rock and roll, most famously known for his huge hit, "Be Bop a Lula". Some very early split screen special effects here! Thank you for this rare clip!
harvey1954
I think there is another tune, maybe from the same show.
trunky123
He must have been incredibly shy, never looking at the camera once. Visually the blue caps were superb.
60s Man 60s Guitars
Terribly shy. He was usually staring up at the ceiling. My late sister loved the mannerism. We grew up on rock & roll and "Be-Bop-A-Lula" was played at her funeral. Another world famous stage-frightee was Shirley Bassey ("Goldfinger") who used the technique of focusing on one person in the audience and pretending she was singing to only that one person....lucky them!
everlybross
vraiment génial!! un bon moment de Rock'n'Roll!!
Fifties Only
He’s one of the best rockers ever
Maurice Martin
In France a survey dated Dec 63 rated Gene No.1 Foreign singer: (2. Eddie Cochran, 3. Elvis, 4.Vince Taylor & 5.Buddy Holly). Old Rockers were better appreciated in France than in US.
flipflop
Nah.
Vincent L.
did well for someone that had to wear a leg brace...
60s Man 60s Guitars
@Vincent L. On the ill fated 1960 UK tour, it was suggested (by Jack Good I believe) that Gene don the leathers & medallion for the Marlon Brando/"The Wild Ones" look and the gammy legged stance was all a part of the image. It was no doubt that the image worked a whole lot better than slacks and a cardigan, as the rockers of Britain, France & Germany idolised him. Alvin Stardust would do a fey re-working of that menacing image, not long after Gene died. It's an irony that the manager of that 1960 tour, Hal Carter, was the manager of Alvin Stardust.