Born in Belhaven, North Carolina, she moved to the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York, at a young age. Although some sources claim that her stage name was inspired by a character from the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, she stated in an interview that she was named after her aunt, which prompted her family to call her "Little Eva." As a teenager, she worked as a maid and earned extra money as a babysitter for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. It is often claimed that Goffin and King were amused by Boyd's particular dancing style, so they wrote "The Loco-Motion" for her and had her record it as a demo (the record was intended for Dee Dee Sharp).
However, as King said in an interview with NPR and in her "One to One" concert video, they knew she could sing when they met her, and it would be just a matter of time before they would have her record songs they wrote, the most successful being "The Loco-Motion."
Music producer Don Kirshner of Dimension Records was impressed by the song and Boyd's voice and had it released. The song reached #1 in the United States in 1962. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. After the success of "The Loco-Motion," Boyd was stereotyped as a dance-craze singer and was given limited material.
The same year, Goffin and King wrote "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)" (performed by the Crystals) after discovering that Boyd was being regularly beaten by her boyfriend. When they inquired why she tolerated such treatment, Eva replied without batting an eyelid that her boyfriend's actions were motivated by his love for her.
Phil Spector's arrangement of the song was ominous and ambiguous.
It was a brutal song, as any attempt to justify such violence must be, and Spector's arrangement only amplified its savagery, framing Barbara Alston's lone vocal amid a sea of caustic strings and funereal drums, while the backing vocals almost trilled their own belief that the boy had done nothing wrong. In more ironic hands (and a more understanding age), 'He Hit Me' might have passed at least as satire. But Spector showed no sign of appreciating that, nor did he feel any need to. No less than the song's writers, he was not preaching, he was merely documenting.
Boyd's other single recordings were "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby," "Let's Turkey Trot," and a remake of the Bing Crosby standard "Swinging on a Star," recorded with Big Dee Irwin (though Boyd was not credited on the label). Boyd also recorded the song "Makin' With the Magilla" for an episode of the 1964 Hanna-Barbera cartoon series The Magilla Gorilla Show.
She continued to tour and record throughout the sixties, but her commercial potential plummeted after 1964. She retired from the music industry in 1971. She never owned the rights to her recordings. Although the prevailing rumor in the 1970s was that she had received only $50 for "The Loco-Motion," it seems $50 was actually her weekly salary at the time she made her records (an increase of $15 from what Goffin and King had been paying her as nanny). Penniless, she returned with her three young children to North Carolina, where they lived in obscurity.
Interviewed in 1988 after the success of the Kylie Minogue cover version of "The Loco-Motion", Boyd stated that she did not like the new version; however its then-current popularity allowed her to make a comeback in show business.
She returned to live performing with other artists of her era on the cabaret and oldies circuits. She also occasionally recorded new songs.
The only existing footage of Little Eva performing "Loco-Motion" is a small clip from the ABC sixties live show Shindig! where she sang a short version of the clip along with the famous dance steps. She also sang "Let's Turkey Trot" and the Exciters' song "I Want You to Be My Boy" in the same episode. This TV show was one of her final performances until 1988, when she began performing in concerts with Bobby Vee and other singers. In a 1991 Richard Nader concert, she performed "Loco-Motion" and "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby". The concert was partially documented on videotape, albeit of marginal quality.
She continued performing until she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in October 2001. She died on April 10, 2003 in Kinston, North Carolina, at the age of 59, and is buried in a small cemetery in Belhaven, North Carolina. Her gravesite was sparsely marked until July 2008, when a report by WRAL-TV of Raleigh, North Carolina highlighted deteriorating conditions at the cemetery and efforts by the city of Belhaven to have it restored. A simple white cross had marked the site until a new gravestone was unveiled in November of that year. Her new grey gravestone has the image of a steam locomotive prominently engraved on the front and the epitaph reads: "Singing with the Angels".
He Is the Boy
Little Eva Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes he is, Yes he is
He is the boy, the boy that i love
Yes he is, Yes he is
When they gave out brains they got a headless name
He'll never set eyes on a passing grade
But he is the boy, the boy that I love
yes he is, yes he is.
He is the laziest person I know
Yes he is, yes he is.
He is the laziest person I know
Yes he is, yes he is.
He's so lazy gonna hurt himself
He ain't got ambition to get out of bed.
But he is the boy, the boy that I love
Yes he is, yes he is.
Mama says that I'm crazy,
Tell me that I lost my mind.
But he's equipped with the kind of kisses
That you can't hardly find
He is the boy, the boy that i love
Yes he is, Yes he is
He is the boy, the boy that i love
Yes he is, Yes he is
Mama says he's a no-good guy
But I'm gonna keep him till the day I die
Cause he's the boy,
The boy that I love
Yes he is, yes he is
Little Eva's song "He is the Boy" is a classic tale of being in love with someone who has flaws but is still lovable. The song starts with the repetition of the phrase "He is the boy, the boy that I love" which emphasizes the singer's admiration of the person she is singing about. However, the next few lines present contradictory statements about the boy's abilities. The lyrics "When they gave out brains they got a headless name he'll never set eyes on a passing grade" sarcastically suggests that the boy lacks intelligence and is not good in studies.
Furthermore, the next lines describe the boy as being lazy and lacking ambition, which are not the most desirable qualities in a partner. However, the singer still loves him for who he is, and she is not listening to her mother's advice to leave him. The song's chorus reinforces Little Eva's love for the boy, even though he may not have the same qualities that many other people would look for in a partner. What makes him special is his kisses, which are unique and unmatchable.
In conclusion, "He is the Boy" is a catchy, upbeat love song that reminds us that we can fall in love with people who are not perfect but still have admirable qualities. The song celebrates the power of love to see beyond someone's flaws and the ability to embrace them for who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
He is the boy, the boy that i love
She is talking about a boy she is in love with
Yes he is, Yes he is
She is confirming her love for him
When they gave out brains they got a headless name
He is not very smart
He'll never set eyes on a passing grade
He will never pass his exams
He is the laziest person I know
He is incredibly lazy
He's so lazy gonna hurt himself
His laziness might cause him harm
He ain't got ambition to get out of bed.
He lacks the motivation to get up in the morning
Mama says that I'm crazy,
Her mother thinks she's crazy for loving him
Tell me that I lost my mind.
Her mother thinks she's insane
But he's equipped with the kind of kisses
He's a good kisser
That you can't hardly find
His kissing ability is rare and special
Mama says he's a no-good guy
Her mother doesn't like him
But I'm gonna keep him till the day I die
She wants to be with him forever
Cause he's the boy, The boy that I love
She reaffirms her love for him
Yes he is, yes he is.
She confirms her love for him again
Contributed by Evelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jamesbrent2504
Heard this watching "Hit & Run" for the first time. Best song on the soundtrack.
@bennyjazzful
WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a mad keen 75yo Aussie fan.
GOD--What a great voice & that wonderful backing.
@larainehutchinson610
Another great song written by the songwriting team of Gerry Goffin & Carole King
@michaelpatrickfox
Gerry Goffin wrote the words, but the music was written by Dee Ervin (aka Dee Erwin); not Carole king.
@myfaithfulvengance
Yup hit and run! Excellent movie and I the scene with this song was pretty fantastic. Which is why I had to know who sang it!
@boriskornev1917
2.02. 20 Listen since 60s, Outstandig!
@SzZsoel1
SZANDI!!!
@henryquenin6580
This was on the flipside of Locomotion and I ended up playing this "b" side more often (I bought the 45 record when it came out in the 60s). The lyrics about her brainless, lazy boyfriend are amusing and I wish I could find the full lyrics online. Can anyone make out the words near the start when she sings "when they gave out brains they got a (xxxx) (xxxx) (xxx), he'll never set eyes on a passing grade"? I can understand all the rest of the lyrics except for those three words.
@rockradstone
"When they gave out brains they got his mislaid."
@Harrylechat01
Belgian radio Classic 21 brought me here; they play this and other great 60s music back to back every night 17-19h GMT