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".
The Loco-Motion
Little Eva Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
I know you'll get to like it if you give it a chance now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
My little baby sister can do it with me
It's easier than learning your A-B-C's
So come on, come on, do the Loco-motion with me
You gotta swing your hips, now
Come on, baby
Jump up
Jump back
Well, now, I think you've got the knack
Wow, wow
Now that you can do it, let's make a chain, now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
A chug-a chug-a motion like a railroad train, now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
Do it nice and easy, now, don't lose control
A little bit of rhythm and a lot of soul
Come on, come on
Do the Loco-motion with me
Ye-ye-ye-yeah
Move around the floor in a Loco-motion
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
Do it holding hands if you get the notion
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
There's never been a dance that's so easy to do
It even makes you happy when you're feeling blue
So come on, come on, do the Loco-motion with me
(Come on)
You gotta swing your hips, now
(Come on)
That's right (do the Loco-motion)
You're doing fine!
(Come on, do the Loco-motion)
Come on, babe
(Come on, do the Loco-motion)
Hm-hm-hm, jump up
(Come one)
Jump back (do the Loco-motion)
You're looking good
(Come on, do the Loco-motion)
Hm-hm-hm, jump up
(Come on)
Jump back (do the Loco-motion), yeah yeah yeah
The Locomotion by Little Eva is a lively and rhythmic dance song that encourages listeners to get up and move their bodies. The chorus repeating "come on baby, do the loco-motion" is an invitation to dance and enjoy the music. The song explains how easy it is to do the dance, as even the singer's little sister can do it with her. The lyrics instruct the listener to swing their hips and make a chug-a chug-a motion, imitating a railroad train. The song encourages dancers to do the locomotion with someone else, either holding hands or making a chain.
The funky, upbeat music and repetitive lyrics make this song a perfect dance hit that is easy to follow and enjoy. Little Eva's playful voice and enthusiasm also contribute to the song's popularity. The Locomotion was a massive hit in the 1960s, and it turned Little Eva into a star. The song's widespread popularity led to many cover versions and adaptations over the years. In fact, the song has been re-recorded multiple times, and its influence can be heard in other dance hits like The Twist and The Hippy Hippy Shake.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's doing a brand-new dance, now
The singer is introducing a new dance that is gaining popularity
I know you'll get to like it if you give it a chance now
The singer is confident that people will enjoy the new dance if they try it
My little baby sister can do it with me
The dance is so easy that even a child can do it
It's easier than learning your a-b-c's
The dance is even easier than learning the alphabet
So come on, come on, do the loco-motion with me
The singer is encouraging the listener to join in and do the dance with her
You gotta swing your hips, now
The dance requires the person to move their hips in a swinging motion
Jump up, jump back
The singer is instructing the listener to jump up and then back in the dance
Well, now, I think you've got the knack
The singer believes that the listener has learned the dance and can now do it well
Now that you can do it, let's make a chain, now
The singer is suggesting that the people join hands and do the dance in a chain
A chug-a chug-a motion like a railroad train, now
The suggested chain dance is like the motion of a moving train
Do it nice and easy, now, don't lose control
The singer advises the listeners to do the dance smoothly and carefully without losing control
A little bit of rhythm and a lot of soul
The dance requires some rhythm and energy to perform well
Move around the floor in a loco-motion
The singer advises the listeners to move around while doing the dance
Do it holding hands if you get the notion
The singer suggests that people can also do the dance while holding hands
There's never been a dance that's so easy to do
The singer is highlighting the fact that the dance is easy to do
It even makes you happy when you're feeling blue
The singer is claiming that the dance has the therapeutic effect of lifting one's mood
Come on, come on, do the loco-motion with me
The singer reiterates her invitation to the listeners to do the dance with her
You're doing fine
The singer is complimenting the listener on their performance
You're looking good
The singer is admiring the listener's appearance while they're doing the dance
Hm-hm-hm yeah yeah yeah
The singer is expressing her enthusiasm and excitement for the dance
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole King, Gerry Goffin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
robert glenn
What a great series of high quality music. Thanks so much, MusicMike...you often make my day with this needful return to better times and sounds!
Enrique R
un clásico de siempre, muy bien cantado, Enrique, valencia, España, 26/4/2016
Vicki Wisswell
I love it!!!!
Kuki Koko
OOOUUUHHHHHCHHH MEEENNN!!! I have been looking for this song in everywhere !!!!!!!! the front of that disc remembers me a lot of moments with my Mom!!!! Thanks Idol you are amazing!!!
badboyblue4u
Mike Absolutley Love this!! Thank you for Sharing!!
nickums69
WOW! Brings back alot of good memories... :)
Brian Bingham
Was this version produced in 1962 or years later as a type of dance hit? It does sound awesome. It reminds me of the cover version by Grand Funk. Funky!
peter pkman
great twist to this version. 1962 Im was 10 but started listening to the AM Dial on my brand new trans. radio!
Philippe Zilliox
Mike your remix is gorgeous ! Please can you do it also with the Bee Gees' I O I O ? PLEASE ! PLEASE ! PLEASE ! Thanks sooo much !
badboyblue4u
I love this remix, infact manage to buy this copy on ebay!! Thanks for sharing mike!!