Jennie Lee
Jan and Arnie Lyrics

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Bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
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Many a girl I met or knew
Oh, all my life I'd try for you
A name so sweet as Jennie Lee

Her heart is true and just for me
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)

Bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop

I met her just a year ago
My love for her will grow and grow
Her bright eyes make a fire in me
Now I cannot live without Jennie Lee
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)

Bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop

Now If I were only seventeen
There'd be no one left to bother me
I'm gonna marry just wait and see
To a sweet little girl named Jennie Lee
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)

Bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop

Jennie Lee

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jan and Arnie's song "Jennie Lee" are a simple ode to a girl named Jennie Lee. The song opens with a repetitive, catchy beat that carries throughout the entire track. The lyrics then explain how the singer has been searching for someone like Jennie Lee his entire life, stating that her heart is true and just for him. As the song progresses, the singer reveals that he met Jennie Lee just a year ago and that his love for her continues to grow. He cannot live without her, and he even hints at the possibility of marriage in the future. The lyrics end with a repetition of the chorus and the name "Jennie Lee."

While the lyrics to "Jennie Lee" may seem simplistic and repetitive, they capture the essence of young love and infatuation. The song was released in 1958 and quickly climbed the charts, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. It was written by Jan Berry and Arnie Ginsburg, who were both still in high school at the time. The song became a classic of the surf rock genre and helped to establish Jan and Arnie as rising stars in the music industry.

Line by Line Meaning

Bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
An upbeat instrumentals used to set the tone of the song

Many a girl I met or knew
I've met and knew many girls in my life

Oh, all my life I'd try for you
I've spent my entire life looking for someone like you

A name so sweet as Jennie Lee
Your name is so sweet and lovely, Jennie Lee

Her heart is true and just for me
You have a loyal and honest heart that is devoted to me

Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)
Oh, Jennie (Jennie Lee)

I met her just a year ago
I met you only a year ago

My love for her will grow and grow
My love for you will continue to grow stronger every day

Her bright eyes make a fire in me
Your bright eyes ignite a passion in me

Now I cannot live without Jennie Lee
I can't imagine living without you, Jennie Lee

Now If I were only seventeen
If only I were younger and carefree

There'd be no one left to bother me
I wouldn't have any worries or responsibilities at that age

I'm gonna marry just wait and see
I know I'm going to marry you, just wait and see

To a sweet little girl named Jennie Lee
I'm going to marry a sweet girl named Jennie Lee

Jennie Lee
Jennie Lee

Bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbop
An upbeat instrumental to end the song

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ARNIE GINSBURG, JAN BERRY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Jeffrey Snow

2y↑18

It's amazing that back in 1958 you could record a song in your garage and have a # 8 Hit !!!

cindykrista

3y↑20

This is one of those songs that I never knew the title of. When you try to sing it to someone to show them how it starts, they just look at you like you are insane! Thank you! I'm NOT insane?

THE FAT BAT

1y↑2

Never knew the title? What else could be called other than "Jennie Lee"? 😂

cindykrista

1y↑1

@THE FAT BAT Don't you know about only having a piece of a song in your head? All I remembered is the bah, bah, bah, bah bah, bah. Try looking that up!

THE FAT BAT

1y↑1

@cindykrista Oh I see.

darrenleaguecity

51w

The title Jenny Lee is the only thing you can understand in it besides the bop bop bop lol

cindykrista

51w

@darrenleaguecity Only we sang, "Paw, paw, paw, paw paw". So I thought the tile would be something about paw paws!

2 More Replies...

RBAILEY57

3y↑11

Love it! RIP, Jan Berry.

Zowie Productions

2y↑8

I can't understand any words of this song- except "Jennie Lee"!
Which is what helps make it so great!

Robert Orick

2y↑14

Inspired by a real life strip dancer that Jan, Arnie, Dean, and Sandy Nelson would all see at a night club. Jennie reportedly had a pair of nice ones, according to Jan. The Arwin label was owned by Marty Melcher, husband of Doris Day, the music was arranged by the "big sound" of Don Ralke (famous for his "77 Sunset Strip" theme) and the piano overdub was reportedly by Ernie Freeman.

Al Andrews

1y↑1

My sister and I met Jan and Dean at the record bar in Greenville north Carolina I think in 1978 or 1979 they were promoting there recently released double album anthology both Jan and Dean signed it on front of album to me my sister and mother I was 8 years old I cherish that album and memories of meeting them to this day

THE FAT BAT

3y↑6

Just curious, does anyone know the Billboard & Cash Box peak chart positions for this record?

The45Prof

3y↑8

Billboard peak #8 for Jan & Arnie and #55 for the Billy Ward version. But back then both Cash Box and Music Vendor combined all different recordings of a song into one chart position rather than ranking each track individually, so "Jennie Lee" (all versions) reached the higher #3 in CB and #6 in MV.

THE FAT BAT

3y↑6

@The45Prof Thank you! Wow, it's so weird that Cash Box did that! Seems like an odd way to rank records. Thanks for the info.

CombatResearch

3y↑6

Rip Arnie!

Douglas Allen

2y↑2

Perhaps you confused this Arnie Ginsburg with radio DJ Arnie “Woo Woo” Ginsburg…. trust me, I did the same thing at first myself!

THE FAT BAT

2y↑1

Also #3 on Cash Box 📦

The45Prof

2y↑1

That #3 peak was a total from combining the strength of both the Jan & Arnie and Billy Ward versions together into one chart position. Until well into the 1960s when there were multiple charted recordings of the same song, Cash Box (and Music Vendor/Record World) listed them together, usually resulting in higher peaks than in Billboard because they weren't calculated from the activity of only that one single.

THE FAT BAT

@The45Prof Really? That's strange! So would it be safe to say that the Billboard Hot 100 was the most accurate because it showed how each indivual record was doing rather than lumping different versions together as if it was just one release? 🤔

The45Prof

2y↑2

I wouldn't generalize about the accuracy or research credibility of one publication over another (each had its own unique methodology), but when it comes to this particular issue, the inflated multi-version chart peaks are often not representative of a record's individual achievement, which is why I do not choose to include them in my videos' descriptions.

THE FAT BAT

2y↑4

@The45Prof Yeah, I understand what you mean. But I love the music of Jan & Arnie so I wanted to mention the #3 position on Cash Box just to make them look even more impressive. 😆