By 1954 she had written two songs which were recorded by The Chords. Ellis was originally in the group The Metronomes and she went on to marry the lead singer, Alphonso Elliston. All her solo hits were written by her and her manager, record producer, and songwriting partner, Lincoln Chase.
Ellis had recording contracts with the Kapp Records subsidiary Congress and later Columbia and Bell, but retired from the music industry in 1968.
Shirley O'Garra was born to William H. and Petra (Smith) O'Garra on 19 January 1929 (though her Social Security card shows 20 January 1927). Her father was a native of Montserrat and her mother was born in the Bahamas. Shirley had three full siblings; Joyce, Bertram and William H Jr and four half siblings Reginald, Suzanne, Joycelyn and Berbian. O'Garra married her husband, Arnold Alphonso Elliston (21 Oct 1929 - 23 Aug 2009; professional name: Alphonso Elliston) on 3 August 1949 in Florida. It is not known if she had children.
Cover versions of her hits have been recorded by Madeline Bell, The Belle Stars, Laura Branigan, Aaron Carter, Gary Glitter, Ricardo Ray, Pia Zadora, Southern Culture on the Skids, Gladys Knight and the Pips (a version of "The Nitty Gritty", produced by Norman Whitfield) as well as a 1980s high energy dance version of The Name Game by actor and personality "Divine" aka. Harris Glenn Milstead. In addition, her song "Soul Time" was sampled by the UK band, The Go! Team for their single "Bottle Rocket".
Name Game
Shirley Ellis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Interesting Facts ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bo-ber-ley, bo-na-na fanna
Fo-fer-ley. fee fi mo-mer-ley, Shirley!
Lincoln! Lincoln, Lincoln. bo-bin-coln
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fin-coln
Fee fi mo-min-coln, Lincoln!
I betcha I can make a rhyme out of anybody's name
The first letter of the name
I treat it like it wasn't there
But a "B" or an "F" or an "M" will appear
And then I say "Bo" add a "B" then I say the name
Then "Bo-na-na fanna" and "fo"
And then I say the name again with an ""f" very plain
Then "fee fi" and a "mo"
And then I say the name again with an "M" this time
And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme
Arnold! Arnold, Arnold bo-bar-nold
Bo-na-na, fanna fo-far-nold
Fee fi m-mar-mold. Arnold!
But if the first two letters are ever the same
Crop them both, then say the name
Like Bob, Bob, drop the "B's", Bo-ob
Or Fred, Fred, drop the "F's", Fo-red
Or Mary, Mary, drop the "M's", Mo-ary
That's the only rule that is contrary
And then I say "Bo" add a "B" then I say the name
Then "Bo-na-na fanna" and "fo"
And then I say the name again with an ""f" very plain
Then "fee fi" and a "mo"
And then I say the name again with an "M" this time
And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme
Say Tony, Tony, bo-bo-ney
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fo-ney
Fee fi mo-mo-ney, Tony!
Let's do Billy!
Billy, Billy, bo-gil-ly, bo-na-na
Fanna, fo-fil-ly,
Fee fi mo-mil-ly, Billy!
Let's do Marsha!
Marsha, Marsha, bo-bar-sha
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-far-sha
Fee fi mo-ar-sha, Marsha!
Little trick with Nick!
Nick, Nick, bo-bick, bo-na-na
Fanna fo fick, fee fi mo-mick. Nick!
The name game
The Name Game is a popular song written and performed by Shirley Ellis, released in 1964. The song gained great popularity due to its catchy tune and clever wordplay. The lyrics of the song talk about a game where the singer can make a rhyme out of anybody's name by adding different sounds and syllables to it.
The song starts with the singer picking a name, in this case, Shirley, and then adding the sounds 'bo-ber-ley, bo-na-na fanna, fo-fer-ley, fee fi mo-mer-ley' to it. The singer then repeats this process with various other names, such as Lincoln, Arnold, Tony, Billy, and Marsha. The song also includes a little trick where the singer crops the first two letters of a name if they are the same, such as Bob and Fred.
The Name Game is a fun and playful song that encourages listeners to participate in the game of making rhymes out of names. The song has become a classic and has been covered by many artists over the years. It is also widely used in pop culture, including movies, TV shows, and commercials. Some interesting facts about the song include:
Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.
Line by Line Meaning
The name game. Shirley! Shirley, Shirley
The song is called 'The Name Game' and the singer is addressing someone named Shirley in a playful manner.
Bo-ber-ley, bo-na-na fanna Fo-fer-ley, fee fi mo-mer-ley, Shirley!
The singer is giving an example of how the name 'Shirley' can be turned into a fun rhyme using the 'name game' rules.
Lincoln! Lincoln, Lincoln. bo-bin-coln Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fin-coln Fee fi mo-min-coln, Lincoln!
The singer is giving an example of how the name 'Lincoln' can be turned into a fun rhyme using the 'name game' rules.
Come on ev'rybody, I say now let's play a game I betcha I can make a rhyme out of anybody's name
The singer is inviting everyone to play the 'name game' and is confident that they can make a rhyme out of anyone's name by following the rules.
The first letter of the name I treat it like it wasn't there But a 'B' or an 'F' or an 'M' will appear
The first letter of the name is ignored for rhyme purposes, but if the second letter starts with a 'B', 'F', or 'M', it is used to make the rhyme more fun.
And then I say 'Bo' add a 'B', then I say the name Then 'Bo-na-na fanna' and 'fo' And then I say the name again with an 'F' very plain Then 'fee fi' and a 'mo' And then I say the name again with an 'M' this time And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme
The singer explains the 'name game' rules in detail, which involves adding funny syllables and sounds to the names that rhyme with 'Bo', 'fo', 'fee fi', and 'mo' to create new, silly names based on the original name.
Arnold! Arnold, Arnold bo-bar-nold Bo-na-na, fanna fo-far-nold Fee fi m-mar-mold. Arnold!
The singer gives an example of how the name 'Arnold' can be turned into a fun rhyme using the 'name game' rules.
But if the first two letters are ever the same Crop them both, then say the name Like Bob, Bob, drop the 'B's', Bo-ob Or Fred, Fred, drop the 'F's', Fo-red Or Mary, Mary, drop the 'M's', Mo-ary That's the only rule that is contrary
If the first two letters of a name are the same, they need to be cropped, and the name is pronounced as if the double letter is only a single letter. This rule is the only exception and is contrary to the other rules.
Say Tony, Tony, bo-bo-ney Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fo-ney Fee fi mo-mo-ney, Tony!
The singer gives an example of how the name 'Tony' can be turned into a fun rhyme using the 'name game' rules.
Let's do Billy! Billy, Billy, bo-gil-ly, bo-na-na Fanna, fo-fil-ly, Fee fi mo-mil-ly, Billy!
The singer suggests using the name 'Billy' for the 'name game' and demonstrates how to transform it into silly words using the rules.
Let's do Marsha! Marsha, Marsha, bo-bar-sha Bo-na-na fanna, fo-far-sha Fee fi mo-ar-sha, Marsha!
The singer suggests using the name 'Marsha' for the 'name game' and demonstrates how to transform it into silly words using the rules.
Little trick with Nick! Nick, Nick, bo-bick, bo-na-na Fanna fo fick, fee fi mo-mick. Nick!
The singer suggests using the name 'Nick' for the 'name game' and demonstrates how to transform it into silly words using the rules, putting emphasis on 'fick' to show how more difficult names can also be transformed into fun rhymes.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: LINCOLN CHASE, SHIRLEY ELLISTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Angel Samolis
The name game. Shirley! Shirley, Shirley
Bo-ber-ley, bo-na-na fanna
Fo-fer-ley. fee fi mo-mer-ley, Shirley!
Lincoln! Lincoln, Lincoln. bo-bin-coln
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fin-coln
Fee fi mo-min-coln, Lincoln!
Come on ev'rybody, I say now let's play a game
I betcha I can make a rhyme out of anybody's name
The first letter of the name
I treat it like it wasn't there
But a "B" or an "F" or an "M" will appear
And then I say "Bo" add a "B" then I say the name
Then "Bo-na-na fanna" and "fo"
And then I say the name again with an ""f" very plain
Then "fee fi" and a "mo"
And then I say the name again with an "M" this time
And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme
Arnold! Arnold, Arnold bo-bar-nold
Bo-na-na, fanna fo-far-nold
Fee fi m-mar-mold. Arnold!
But if the first two letters are ever the same
Crop them both, then say the name
Like Bob, Bob, drop the "B's", Bo-ob
Or Fred, Fred, drop the "F's", Fo-red
Or Mary, Mary, drop the "M's", Mo-ary
That's the only rule that is contrary
And then I say "Bo" add a "B" then I say the name
Then "Bo-na-na fanna" and "fo"
And then I say the name again with an ""f" very plain
Then "fee fi" and a "mo"
And then I say the name again with an "M" this time
And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme
Say Tony, Tony, bo-bo-ney
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fo-ney
Fee fi mo-mo-ney, Tony!
Let's do Billy!
Billy, Billy, bo-gil-ly, bo-na-na
Fanna, fo-fil-ly,
Fee fi mo-mil-ly, Billy!
Let's do Marsha!
Marsha, Marsha, bo-bar-sha
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-far-sha
Fee fi mo-ar-sha, Marsha!
Little trick with Nick!
Nick, Nick, bo-bick, bo-na-na
Fanna fo fick, fee fi mo-mick. Nick!
The name game
gabe.hadder.wonderland.original1998
Jude did a great job singing this-best episode of the season without a doubt
rcaive08
My mother loves this song, my dad absolutely hates it. How they stayed married for 54 years I'll never know.
Robert Brown
That was what made their marriage work. You would not want to yourself. Their difference is what they loved.
ASSANE NDJAYE
Lol
Mark Chittom
Hahaha there's something beautiful about that. I'm on your mom's team btw 😂
sha11235
Boy, were you lucky. Just count your blessings.
Revolution of The Classics
This is Fire Shout out to the Community of Black Artist that brought us so many Soul Full songs!
Seventies Memories
this is one of the first songs I remember as a kid. Great in stereo. The brass is clear, and the counterpoint to the melody is amazing.
Seventies Memories
OMG I remember the girl who used to sing this on the school bus! She'd lead us in singing it, and then say "Let's do Chuck", and we'd all scream.
SAYAJIN GIRL
8 anos procurando essa música... FINALMENTE ENCONTREI ME SINTO REALIZADA MEU DEUUUS! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤