Ronnie Self (July 5, 1938 - August 28, 1981) was a rockabilly singer and so… Read Full Bio ↴Ronnie Self (July 5, 1938 - August 28, 1981) was a rockabilly singer and songwriter. His solo career was unsuccessful, despite being signed to contracts with Columbia and then Decca from the late 1950s through the early 1960s, he failed to chart a single song. However, Brenda Lee's cover of his song I'm Sorry became a major pop classic.

His music today is more popular within the rockabilly scene than it ever has been in the past. Many of his recordings can be heard at record hops today and some of his big songs are:

"Ain't I'm A Dog "
"Flame Of Love"
"Bop-A-Lena"
"You're So Right For Me"

Bop-A-Lena
Ronnie Self Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oop-scooby-dooby-lena, go-gal-go
Bop-a-lena, bop-a-lena, she's my gal
Oh, bop-a-lena, bop-a-lena, yeah she's my gal
She's my gal and I love her so
Oop-scooby-dooby-lena, go-gal-go

Well the school bells are ringin', everybody went out
Goin' to the shag, gonna shake it all about

Bop-a-lena lookin' like a rose in the will
Man I dig that freak juvenile
When she gets a-goin' she's a real cool chick
She do the bop like a pogostick

Bop-a-lena, bop-a-lena, she's my gal
Oh bop-a-lena, bop-a-lena, yeah she's my gal
She's my gal and I love her so
Oop-scooby-dooby-lena, go-gal-go

I got my pattern-leather shoes on my hounddog feet
Me and bop-a-lena gonna walk the beat
To the whole jukebox in the be-bop shag
When we get a-goin', gonna ball a jack
Bop-a-lena got two feet that talk
Look at her go on a camelwalk

Bop-a-lena, bop-a-lena, she's my gal
Oh bop-a-lena, bop-a-lena, yeah she's my gal
She's my gal and I love her so
Oop-scooby-dooby-lena, go-gal-go

Bop-a-lena, bop-a-lena, she's my gal
Oh bop-a-lena, bop-a-lena, yeah she's my gal

She's my gal and I love her so
Oop-scooby-dooby-lena, go-gal-go

Overall Meaning

"Bop-a-Lena" by Ronnie Self is a song about a teenage boy's love for his girlfriend, whom he calls "Bop-a-Lena." He describes how they go out dancing to shag music while wearing their best clothes and leather shoes. He marvels at how cool and skillful she looks on the dance floor, doing a variety of popular dances like the camel walk and the pogostick. It is clear that his love for her is intensified by their shared love of music and dance.

The lyrics are full of slang and references to popular dances of the time period, such as the shag and the camel walk. They also include nonsensical phrases like "Oop-scooby-dooby-lena" that add to the fun, playful nature of the song. The repetition of "she's my gal" reinforces the singer's affection for Bop-a-Lena, making it a sweet love song for their generation.

Overall, "Bop-a-Lena" is an upbeat, catchy tune that celebrates the teenage romance and the excitement of social dancing culture in the late 1950s.

Line by Line Meaning

Oop-scooby-dooby-lena, go-gal-go
Encouraging Bop-a-Lena to get going with her dance moves

Bop-a-lena, bop-a-lena, she's my gal
Expressing how Bop-a-Lena is the singer's girlfriend and how he really likes her

Oh bop-a-lena, bop-a-lena, yeah she's my gal
Reiterating how much he loves his girlfriend Bop-a-Lena

She's my gal and I love her so
Clarifying again how much he cares for and is devoted to Bop-a-Lena

Well the school bells are ringin', everybody went out
Describing a scene of students leaving school

Goin' to the shag, gonna shake it all about
Going to dance the shag, a popular dance style of the time

Bop-a-lena lookin' like a rose in the will
Comparing Bop-a-Lena's appearance to a beautiful flower

Man I dig that freak juvenile
Expressing how much the artist likes Bop-a-Lena's youthful and carefree spirit

When she gets a-goin' she's a real cool chick
Acknowledging Bop-a-Lena's talent and skill on the dance floor

She do the bop like a pogostick
Describing Bop-a-Lena's ability to bounce and move energetically while dancing

I got my pattern-leather shoes on my hounddog feet
Talking about the singer's stylish shoes

Me and bop-a-lena gonna walk the beat
Referring to the artist and Bop-a-Lena going to dance together

To the whole jukebox in the be-bop shag
Going to dance to the music from the entire jukebox, in the be-bop shag style

When we get a-goin', gonna ball a jack
Planning to dance really well together

Bop-a-lena got two feet that talk
Highlighting Bop-a-Lena's dancing skills, particularly with her feet

Look at her go on a camelwalk
Commenting on how well Bop-a-Lena can do a specific dance move called the camelwalk

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MEL TILLIS, WEBB PIERCE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@dmullsr

5y↑4

This was 45 miles east of my hometown of Jefferson I was 5 1/2 was bout time we got a tv also. Don't recall this at all..lol

@mywindowontheworld9963

6y↑9

Love this. Keep Ronnie's music alive.

@michaelgeorge8671

9y↑6

Hi i live in Australia born 1949 and i grew up with r n r on the raido and tv being poor never got to buy a record till 1964 so i got over 600 lp's of pure rock now i can listen to THE MUSIC all day but i like to watch it on you tube cause i can now put a face to the music .Long live Rock n Roll

@jims8714

8y↑6

Great piece of Rock n roll history. Thanks

@bluebeat00

9y↑7

good! I've come to it because Neil Young mentions it. he love it in his beginnings

@henrirousseau9541

5y↑10

THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL, NEVER DIE!

@richardortiz8704

3y↑2

2021

@NiteDriv3r

1y↑1

@poksnee

45w

I remember it well...I grew up in Des Moines.

@bam1760

10y↑7

The saddle oxfords with the buckle on the heel, were called rock n roll shoes. Some of the skirts had an odd fullness to them because there was a one hoop slip/skirt (like the wedding hoops) and then the layered crinolines/petticoats (one or two distinct petticoat slips were worn) were worn on top of the hoop and then the skirt itself over the crinolines/petticoats. Each layer of the crinoline edging had a satin biased edging. Today, little girls wear the crinoline slips as dressy skirts, not underwear. When or if the petticoats were washed, they were stiffly starched with Faultless cooked starch, not a spray starch--it was a drippy messy ordeal.

@fabrinosbaptistas8539

3y↑3

pure rock and roll.

@SlickCrusty

52w

excellent

@josegalindo-herrador5565

3y↑3

Amazing footage 🤗
Thanks for posting it ❤️❤️❤️!

@Savadorason1

9y↑10

They knew how to have good times in the 50s to mid 60s.

@7734Duke

9y↑1

We danced to this song SO MUCH FASTER....and we rarely danced holding the girl...we were ROCKIN to it...

@rolandjohansson2714

4y↑6

So DAMN GOOD. How in the hell couldn't this reach # 1 on Billboard? This is what's rnroll is all about. A riddle to me, exceot the riff raff had no clue.

@karlmay1949

2y↑1

Simple reason, so much excellent music going on at that time, unfortunately not every great song could be no: 1.

@rickroblek7110

11y↑2

this is beyond a doubt the greatest rock-a-billy hit ever

@ArkRed1

7y↑32

Ronnie was a classic. Worked with his sisters Vicki and Dena on many a gig. Got to visit awhile with Ronnie before he passed away. Ronnie wrote "I'm Sorry" Brenda Lee's big hit. He got a gold record for it, and the story goes, he took it out of the frame and played it. It was a German marching band, so he raised hell with Decca records and they gave him a real I'm Sorry gold record.

@MrLethivic

6y↑3

Arkansas Red Ronnie songs and history must be revisited

@tippimail1

6y↑1

Great story-his brother,after Ronnie[Mr.Frantic]died,used to walk around Springfield,Mo.with a briefcase that contained his songs.I fell in love with Ain't I'm a Dog when it came out.Are you Mike Bride[sp] by any chance?

@richardortiz8704

3y↑1

2021

@garymorris9571

Fantastic story about the brilliant Ronnie Self.

@AthelstanEngland

Ha ha brilliant!

1 More Replies...

@stevem1208

9y↑2

I can' t believe that they are really dancing like that to this brilliant wild track

@jussix48

3y↑1

Furious...! 🕵🏼‍♀️😃👍🏿

@vidkunv.spalden5731

5y↑2

great rockabilly vinyl vidkun

@ausfan100

Always loved Ronnie's "Ain't I'm A Dog" from the previous year. It was a top 30 hit in Australia in January '58.

@manoelluizteixeira8073

8y↑1

Bons tempos `aqueles, em que andavamos a procurara de um bom salao para dancarmos, participarmos de concurso de dance rock n` roll, cheguei inclusive a fundar um club de rock., tocavamos Ronnie Self, entre outras feras do r`r, etc., maneco - Porto Alegre-RS - Brasil.

@motorvating

11y↑2

cool. the film great showing youth fashion

@tippimail1

6y↑1

R.I.P. Mr.Frantic.

@kingofthecatnap5780

2y↑1

Thank you! I'll bet parents hated this, lol.

@thierryrichard3153

6y↑3

pure rockabillie

@petercodling5812

46w

Only Rock &Roll never dies great record .

@Insight200801

11y↑1

Great stuff

@user-rs6ev7vr4h

32w

ロックンロール最高💕

@rgjraccoon

12y↑2

their heart was in rockabilly, that's for sure

@dagr.johnsen2164

Love this.
The REAL Wild Man.

@percivalramirez2276

9y↑6

this is dancing unlike todays Ballroom..its rock nroll...yeahhhhh

@louiscardinaux5233

Sans aucun doute l'un des meilleurs chanteurs de Rockabilly.

@bobkrymnashev7631

3y↑1

Супер!

@belisarioguerra1279

9y↑1

Cover: Los Iracundos ( Uruguay ) - Bop-a-lena ( 1966 ).

@wayevy4Jesus630219632002

They're dancing like it's a slow pop song they need to be getting down to this one. This totally rocks and if I do how to dance and I was young back then you bet I'd be a Dancing Fool!... Lol

@mrob75

6y↑1

Russ, thanks for this upload....We love watching these rare glimpses into our musical past. Just one observation if I may....These Iowa kids were less "formal" than the Philly Bandstand kids...In their attire as well as in their dance styles. Personally I think the Philly Bandstand kids really had the "look" and the steps down pat, but that's just my opinion. Still so appreciate this upload.

@karlmay1949

it's the best. wish all this was available in the 80's when I was a teenager lol. Also some great live performances from Johnny Carroll if you haven't seen them. I'm diggin' "Rockin' Mabelle" at the moment.

@sugarlanskee8

12y↑3

They hated the stroll, but were rocking to the jitterbug (probably did some rolling later that night).

@krissgennrich8988

Is this in Iowa or Idaho? The Stroll clip was identified as Idaho in the description. Back wall has the same logo.

@hebneh

10y↑1

I kept expecting the moving camera to actually bang into one of those kids, who in some cases weren't watching where it was moving.

@rgjraccoon

8y↑2

+hebneh Look fast kids, there were SEVEN scene changes in the last thirty seconds! That's almost MTV video style pacing

@qazzell

9y↑1

I think some people have got you tube OCD when they have to dislike when no one else has ahhhhh

@RonShiel

I note that like most TV studio shows ordinary youths with drape jackets (teds) or leather jackets (rockers) were not allowed in. Nearly all the kids were bussed in from church youth clubs..

@bjorborj

can I have the lyrics of this song. I heard this when i'm still young. at 72 i still remember this tune.

@johnthrussell1377

Like the recordlike thedancers

@googleur1965

51w

Wawwwwwww

@karlmay1949

The kid with Ducktails is diggin' the song, some girs boppin too, but most trying to jive lol.
Still a wild, rockabilly song.

@manoelteixeira4936

THERE IS VIDEO OF RONNIE SELF SINGING LIVE OR GIVING INTERVIEW, ETC. ? maneco - Brasil.

@rgjraccoon

11y↑1

For the most part, the quality review board here (my daughter) disagrees, saying video and audio are in sync. Still, there might be a bit of a disconnect towards the end. I had to restore the song audio as ISU Special Collections dropped it from their YouTube post of the raw kinescope film. There was a splice about 2/3rds in that threw it off. Try The Chantels clip on my channel...took a while to get audio digitally synced to video to match a girl lip-syncing. Not perfect but I said goodenuf

@Mark-lq3sb

4y↑2

Jelly Roll spotted at 0:22 Cool Daddy!

@elescondrijodelostuertos4779

7y↑1

punk rock roots !!!

@jgc4818

Jordan aides on backing vocals?

@wilburnwalker8971

6y↑1

Boy when I hear this song makes me want to shake a booty

@HobbyOrganist

Looks like about 10 too many teens in that little room, can hardly move!

@sergiolacerda8215

7y↑1

Jorge Ben e Tim Maia, os babulinas do anos 50.

@edwardianlinersdead7864

Apparently my GF is his great granddaughter, she got me to listen to this lol

@user-ut1wc4xl1w

Это что такое кадриль

@Wdroster

11y

There's more oil in there hair than in Kuwait. lol

@einarvargtass1047

5y↑3

This is not Rockabilly, its rock n roll. Rockabilly = hillbilly rock, like Elvis on SUN.

@nextphase7675

40w

what kids actually danced

@motorvating

11y↑1

Love the music, love the dancing, but they don't match i.e. they are dancing to a different beat compared to this song.

@resipsaloquitur1857

Great rocker but that intro guy is no Dick Clark and just the opposite of the singer's wild excitement.

@nandofigueira2005

5y↑2

Today's young people don't dance like that, I am a generation of the 80s and I recognize that these young people of the 50s if they had real fun, innocently and without drugs, the youth of these days is boring and with meaningless music.

@SimirJohnson

3y↑1

They should be a church reading the bible.

@NathanThePrezPretlow

What no black kid's !

@nickjervis8123

9y↑4

Hi

If you look at the comments on the stroll you tube entry you will see that I have said my aunt was at this tv event. You say there are no black kids here but what you are missing is this was filmed in Iowa in 1958....there were hardly any black Americans in Iowa. Most of my Aunt's friends were in Detroit which is where she bought Joe Turner and Ivory Joe Hunter records as well as the fabulous Jackie Wilson and Billy Ward and Clyde Mcphatter. Sadly Yvette (my aunt) was killed in an auto accident in 1966. The guy who posted this film did not say that participants in the show could ask for a free recording and tickets for Jamboree featuring Little Richard. People these days get a hang up about race but back then this was only an issue in the south. Aunt was born in Waukegan in 1939 and as my Grandfather was a car dealer we had many trips to Buick City in Detroit. Most of the workforce were black American and fiercely proud of those two tone chrome laden cars. The families left behind still are justifiably proud. I was in England when Martin Luther began to revolutionise the south and it was long overdue. Shame that 50 years on we have Detroit bankrupt and in ruins no steel industry no coal industry foreign cars and most of central America wrecked. How long has it been since hurricane Katrina? New Orleans is still a wreck. Yep....things have sure improved!

Nic

@markriley5784

7y↑1

This was in Ames, Iowa. Back then, only 26,000 people. Even today, with a population of nearly 60,000, only 3.4% black, LOL! Asians comprise 8.8% today, and if you noticed, there was an Asian girl in this vid.

@MusicandDancing4Ever

No blacks hardly in Iowa back then and to this day and even if there were they wouldn’t be allowed on. Segregation was still the rule of the day. They could play black music, dance to black music but no blacks and whites dancing together.

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