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".
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Little Eva Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You give your soul so sweetly
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes
But will you love me tomorrow
Is this a lasting treasure
Or just a moment's pleasure
Can I believe the magic in your sighs
Tonight with words unspoken
You say that I'm the only one
But will my heart be broken
When the night meets the morning sun
I'd like to know if your love
Is a love I can be sure of
So tell me now and I won't ask again
Will you still love me tomorrow
Will you still love me tomorrow
Will you still love me tomorrow
The song "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by Little Eva is a ballad that explores the uncertainty and doubt that can exist in a new romantic relationship. The verses of the song describe a moment of passion and connection between two people, but the chorus raises questions about whether this connection will last beyond the immediate moment. The repetition of the titular question highlights the anxiety and insecurity that the singer feels about the future of the relationship.
The first verse sets the scene for a passionate encounter between the two lovers. The second verse, however, introduces doubt and suspicion into the narrative. The singer wonders if the connection they feel is real and lasting, or just a fleeting moment of pleasure. The final verse makes the singer's anxieties explicit, as they ask the object of their affection directly if they can count on their love in the future.
One of the most interesting aspects of the song is its role in the history of popular music. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" was not only a hit for Little Eva, but was also famously covered by The Shirelles, who had a #1 hit with the song in 1961. The song was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, who were a married couple and one of the most successful songwriting teams of the 1960s. King's own version of the song, which she recorded for her iconic album Tapestry in 1971, is also highly regarded.
Line by Line Meaning
Tonight you're mine, completely
I have your attention and affection at this moment.
You give your soul so sweetly
You are deeply passionate about this connection we share.
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes
You are currently filled with feelings of affection and love.
But will you love me tomorrow
I am unsure of whether or not you will still feel this love in the future.
Is this a lasting treasure
I question whether this love will stand the test of time.
Or just a moment's pleasure
Is this passion and affection only temporary?
Can I believe the magic in your sighs
I wonder if your expressions of love and affection are genuine or simply momentary.
And will you still love me tomorrow
This doubt and questioning extends to the future of our relationship.
Tonight with words unspoken
Though there may be a strong connection between us, there are certain thoughts and feelings that remain unexpressed.
You say that I'm the only one
You express love and devotion in the present moment, but I still wonder if this is genuine and lasting.
But will my heart be broken
I fear that I will become invested in our connection and be heartbroken if it does not last.
When the night meets the morning sun
As the darkness of night fades into daylight, I fear that this love will fade as well.
I'd like to know if your love
I want to be sure of your feelings towards me.
Is a love I can be sure of
I desire a lasting, committed love from you.
So tell me now and I won't ask again
I wish to have an honest conversation about our relationship in order to put my doubts to rest.
Will you still love me tomorrow
The uncertainty of our relationship lingers and I long for reassurance of your love and commitment.
Will you still love me tomorrow
The repetition of this question conveys the depth of my concern and doubt towards the future of our relationship.
Will you still love me tomorrow
The repetition of this question conveys the depth of my concern and doubt towards the future of our relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gerry Goffin, Carole King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Davidbeautiful Perez
I love the way little sings this version,perfect for slow dancing.
flatop47
Thanks For Looking
David Walsh
A very gifted little lady.........A brilliant working of this classic track.
Skygazer
Little Eva had a great voice and should have had a successful career
elamite66
never heard this by Little Eva but I love it She's got a unique voice
flatop47
Thanks For Looking
elamite66
flatop47 I see you're from East Sussex I,m from NY and bought my first 45s in 1962 in the Bronx and I used to take the El and the subway to Manhattan and walked by the Brill Building just north of Times Square where most of these records were written and recorded and once I saw Little Eva leaving
flatop47
Yes East Sussex...A Place Called Peacehaven..Right By The Sea....I Would
Love To Have Walked Round Times Square
Backintheday....Cheers, Brian
elamite66
Times Square back then was kind of run down and it got worse with porno shops in the late 1960s although prostitutes had been there at night as long as I can remember It wasn;t until the last 20 years or more that it was really fixed up of course as a kid I was interested in everything
elamite66
flatop47 At one time Times Square had been the "crossroads of the world" Times Square back then 1962 was kind of run down it started in the 1950s and got a lot worse with all the porno being legal in the late 1960s although prostitutes had been there at night as long as I can remember It wasn't until the last 20 years or more that it has become what it is today