The group began singing as part of the longstanding Columbia University a cappella group "Kingsmen", but the ensemble changed their name due to the popularity of the Pacific Northwest rock band of the same name (see: "The Kingsmen"). Conceived by George Leonard, then a graduate student in Humanities, Sha Na Na began performing in 1969, at the height of the hippie counterculture. The guys achieved national fame after playing at the Woodstock Festival, where they preceded Jimi Hendrix. In fact, the ever friendly and genial Hendrix stuck out his neck for the group, insisting the band be allowed to take the stage even after festival’s promoters wanted to cut them from the bill at the last minute, and Sha Na Na members have since credited him for 'saving' them from obscurity almost single-handed.
Their ninety-second appearance in the popular Woodstock concert film brought the group national attention, and they were a part of the 50s nostalgia craze of the era. Similar artists both in the Americas and in the U.K. appeared (examples being Alvin Stardust and Gary Glitter). The Broadway musical 'Grease' and the TV show 'Happy Days' both also displayed the same ethos as Sha Na Na.
The degree to which their act was truly nostalgic, as opposed to the degree to which it was "invented nostalgia" for joking purposes has been called into question. Still, the group appeared in the movie 'Grease' (based off of the musical of the same name) as "Johnny Casino & The Gamblers", gaining them even more attention. Sha Na Na was also successful with the hit syndicated television show of the same name that the guys did from 1977 to 1982. The program featured guests with much 70s fame such as soul and funk star James Brown and the popular punk band Ramones; musicians from rock & roll's golden era such as Little Richard and Chubby Checker also appeared.
The original band line-up featured twelve performers: Alan Cooper (bass vocals), Rob Leonard (vocals), Frederick 'Denny' Greene (vocals), Henry Gross (guitar), John 'Jocko' Marcellino (drums), Joe Witkin (piano), Scott Powell aka Captain Outrageous aka Tony Santini (vocals), Donald 'Donny' York (vocals), Elliot Cahn aka 'Gino', (rhythm guitar), Rich Joffe (vocals), Dave Garrett (vocals) and Bruce 'Bruno' Clarke. The act has often involved three "up front" dancers/singers in gold lamé and the other nine in "greaser attire", such as rolled up t-shirt sleeves, leather jackets, tank tops, et cetera. During their long-running career, the ensemble has gone through multiple line-up changes. Most recently, co-founder John 'Jocko' Marcellino has served as the group's central frontman. Their latest release is 2013's 'Sha Na Na Greaser High School Hop', with them still touring even decades upon decades after their foundation.
Also that year, Sha Na Na was notably a part of the "Grease Sing-A-Long" event, which is held annually at the Hollywood Bowl. During the 35th anniversary of the beloved movie, they performed several of their tracks from the work's famous soundtrack. "This has become a family event," Marcellino remarked, "They all come dressed up greased with their Pink Lady outfits on, their T-Birds leather jackets, and it’s fabulous that a fourth generation is learning these songs and loving these songs."
Examples of former members:
Vinnie Taylor (1949 - 1974) (real name Chris Donald), who replaced Henry Gross as the lead guitarist in 1970, died from a heroin overdose on April 17, 1974, after a concert at University Hall at the University of Virginia.[citation needed] He was found in a Holiday Inn hotel room in Charlottesville, Virginia.[citation needed]
Former Sha Na Na bass player, from their television show lineup, Dave "Chico" Ryan, died in 1998.
Former Sha Na Na guitarist, from their television show lineup, Danny "Dirty Dan" McBride, died in 2009.
Founding member of the band Robert Leonard is a professor of linguistics at Hofstra University, and had an appearance as a qualified expert in linguistics for the murder case of Charlene Hummert in the episode "A Tight Leash" of the TV medical detectives series Forensic Files in 2004.[citation needed]
The group's first guitarist, Henry Gross, went on to become a solo performer, and had a hit single with "Shannon" in 1976. Another founding member, Alan Cooper, the lead singer in the group's performance of "At the Hop" in the Woodstock film, also went on to an academic career. He taught religious studies for ten years at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, was a professor of Bible studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, and now serves as the Elaine Ravich Professor of Jewish Studies and provost at the Jewish Theological Seminary.[citation needed]
Long time member Jon "Bowzer" Bauman replaced Alan Cooper and became a recognizable member of the group as he taunted audiences while he flexed his muscles, burped and spat in the direction of the bass player. For two years in 1983 and 1984 he served as the host of the game show Hollywood Squares between the retirement of longtime host Peter Marshall and the last host John Davidson. Today, Bowzer continues to tour under his own banner.
Elliot Cahn, the group's original rhythm guitar player and musical arranger, later became the first manager of Green Day. "Screaming" Scott Simon replaced Joe Witkin, the original keyboard player (and singer of Teenager in Love on their first album). Today, Witkin is an emergency room physician living with his family in San Diego, California and playing with a band called "The Corvettes"[3] doing an oldies revue. Witkin's son, Brian Witkin, went on to become the founder of Pacific Records.
Joe Witkin left the band in 1970 to finish medical school, and subsequently moved to San Diego in 1975 to do his internship and residency at the University of California in San Diego. He worked at Scripps Hospital East County from 1978 to 2000 as an ER physician, and currently holds the same position at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa.
Scott Powell today is a specialist in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine.[4] He performed on the TV show under the stage name "Santini" (which he changed from his previous alias, "Captain Outrageous"). Powell left the band in 1980 and returned to Columbia to take pre-medical courses.[citation needed] He is a member of the medical staff of U.S. national soccer teams, and is the team physician for the Federation Women’s National Team and an associate clinical professor at USC.[citation needed] While Powell was with Sha Na Na, he sang the bulk of the Elvis revival songs.
Frederick "Denny" Greene left the group to pursue studies in law.[citation needed] After graduating from Yale Law School, he became the vice president of production and features at Columbia Pictures.[citation needed] He is currently a professor at the University of Dayton. Greene was known for his skilled dancing, and sang the lead in "Tears on My Pillow", "Duke of Earl" and others.
Bruce "Bruno" Clarke is now a professor of English at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
Motor Man
Sha Na Na Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a hangin' the curve,
Try to pass me, man,
If you've got the nerve.
I'll see you in my rearview,
As I'm a takin' the hill,
Is that all you got?
I say zoom, zoom,
You'd better give me some room,
Zoom, zoom,
I'm about to lower the boom,
Zoom, zoom,
I'll be passing you soon,
Zoom, zoom,
Like a rocket to the moon.
I'll see you at the finish,
Don't you understand?
You don't stand a chance,
Against the motor man.
Open it up, daddy,
Give your best shot,
Look out now,
'Cause you're about to be caught.
A full-open throttle,
Kickin' it in gear,
Adios baby,
You know I'm outta' here.
I say zoom, zoom,
You'd better give me some room,
Zoom, zoom,
I'm about to lower the boom,
Zoom, zoom,
Well I'll be passing you soon,
Zoom, zoom,
Like a rocket to the moon.
See you at the finish,
Don't you understand?
You don't stand a chance,
Against the motor man.
[Instrumental]
(Let it ride Rocky! Let it ride! )
I've got the engine,
Under the hood,
You'll never catch me, man,
I'm running good.
I've got the power,
Yeah, I've got the thrust,
Sorry there buddy,
But you'll be eatin' my dust.
I say zoom, zoom,
You'd better give me some room,
Zoom, zoom,
I'm about to lower the boom,
Zoom, zoom,
Well I'll be passing you soon,
Zoom, zoom,
Like a rocket to the moon.
I'll see you at the finish,
Don't you understand?
You don't stand a chance,
Against the motor man.
I say zoom, zoom,
You'd better give me some room,
Zoom, zoom,
I'm about to lower the boom,
Zoom, zoom,
I'll be passing you soon,
Zoom, zoom,
Like a rocket to the moon.
I'll see you at the finish,
Don't you understand?
You don't stand a chance,
Against the motor man.
I said, zoom, zoom,
Zoom, zoom,
Zoom, zoom, yeah,
Motor, motor, motor man.
I'm a motor, motor, motor man.
I'm a motor, motor, motor man.
Zoom, zoom,
Motor man.
Zoom, zoom, yeah,
Zoom, zoom, yeah,
I'm your motor man.
Zoom, zoom,
Zoom, zoom, baby,
I'm your motor man.
Zoom, zoom,
Zoom, zoom,
Motor man.
[Fade out.]
The lyrics to Sha Na Na's song "Motor Man" are all about speed and power, with the singer boasting about his engine and ability to leave other drivers in the dust. He begins by stating that he's coming on fast and that other drivers shouldn't even attempt to pass him unless they have the nerve. From there, he talks about how he'll leave others in his rearview mirror and how they'll look like they're standing still compared to him.
The chorus features the lyrics "zoom, zoom," repeated frequently, and the singer warns those around him to give him some room or he'll lower the boom. He talks about passing other drivers like a rocket to the moon and how they'll never stand a chance against the motor man. The instrumental section of the song features guitar riffs, further emphasizing the power and speed theme.
Overall, the lyrics to "Motor Man" are all about speed, power, and the thrill of driving. The singer portrays himself as someone who can't be beaten and who dominates the road, making him a force to be reckoned with.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a comin' on fast,
I am driving really fast towards the finish line.
I'm a hangin' the curve,
I am maneuvering the car to the curve to overtake my rivals.
Try to pass me, man,
If you think you can pass me, just give it a try.
If you've got the nerve.
Only if you are brave enough to challenge me.
I'll see you in my rearview,
I'll look back at you from my car's mirror.
As I'm a takin' the hill,
I'm accelerating my car to climb the hill.
Is that all you got?
Is that the best you can do?
It's like you're standin' still.
You are too slow compared to me.
I say zoom, zoom,
I am making the car roar by pressing the accelerator hard.
You'd better give me some room,
You'd better make way for me to go ahead.
Zoom, zoom,
Again, I am pressing the accelerator hard to go fast.
I'm about to lower the boom,
I am about to leave you far behind me.
I'll be passing you soon,
I'll be overtaking you any time now.
Like a rocket to the moon.
I am driving as fast as possible, like a rocket to the moon.
I'll see you at the finish,
I'll see you when I reach the finish line.
Don't you understand?
A rhetorical question about my opponent's inability to keep up with my speed.
You don't stand a chance,
You don't have any hope of winning against me.
Against the motor man.
Against me, who is the master of the car's motor and speed.
Open it up, daddy,
Show me what your car got, daddy.
Give your best shot,
Try your best to defeat me.
Look out now,
Be careful now because I am about to leave you behind.
'Cause you're about to be caught.
Because I am about to overtake you soon.
A full-open throttle,
I am fully pressing the gas pedal to accelerate the car to its maximum speed.
Kickin' it in gear,
I am shifting the gear to increase the car's speed.
Adios baby,
Goodbye, as I am leaving.
You know I'm outta' here.
You know that I am leaving this place since I can't wait to overtake you.
I've got the engine,
I have control over the car's engine.
Under the hood,
I am controlling the car's engine from under the hood.
You'll never catch me, man,
I am too fast for you, and you will never be able to catch up.
I'm running good.
The car is working perfectly fine, helping me win the race.
I've got the power,
I have enough power to win the race.
Yeah, I've got the thrust,
I have the force propelling me forward at high speed.
Sorry there buddy,
Sorry, but I am going to win this race.
But you'll be eatin' my dust.
You'll be left behind by me, eating the dust raised by my car's wheels.
Motor, motor, motor man.
I am the man behind the motor and driving the car.
I'm a motor, motor, motor man.
I am the man behind the motor, driving the car like a boss.
Zoom, zoom,
I'm pressing the accelerator to go faster.
Motor man.
I am the man who can control the car like no one else.
Zoom, zoom, yeah,
I'm now going super fast and leaving you behind.
Zoom, zoom, yeah,
I'm pressing the pedal even harder to go even faster.
I'm your motor man.
I am in control of your motorcar.
Zoom, zoom,
Again, I am accelerating hard to go faster.
Zoom, zoom, baby,
I'm accelerating like crazy, baby.
Zoom, zoom, Motor man.
Again, I'm pressing the accelerator and making the car go faster.
Contributed by Grace M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.