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 ↴
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
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
"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