Shirley Ellis (Shirley Marie O'Garra, 19 January 1929 – 5 October 2005) was… Read Full Bio ↴Shirley Ellis (Shirley Marie O'Garra, 19 January 1929 – 5 October 2005) was an American soul music singer and songwriter of Carribean origin. She is best known for her novelty hits "The Nitty Gritty" (1963) (US no. 8), "The Name Game" (1964) (US no. 3) and "The Clapping Song" (1965) (US no. 8 and UK no. 6). "The Clapping Song" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

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".

Shy One
Shirley Ellis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My silent love,
She says to me
Silent any longer,
Since you said to me

Shy one,
Bring your heart to me,
Shy one.

You need have no fear,
Shy one,
I won't hurt you, dear.

I know that you care for me.
I can see it in your eyes.
You can't hide your love for me.
I can hear it when you sigh,
Shy one.
Please, please don't turn away,
Shy one.
Anything you say, shy one,
I won't laugh at you, shy one.

Just say three words to me,
And claim this love I have
Waiting here to give to you,
Shy one.

You are my one and only love,

My love, My Shy One.
So take me...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Shirley Ellis's song Shy One are about a person addressing their silent lover. The person begs their lover to speak up and tell them what they feel, rather than keeping quiet. They reassure the lover that they need to have no fear or worry, as they won't hurt them. The person also confirms that they can see the love in the lover's eyes and hear it in their sighs, even if they remain silent. They urge the lover to speak three words and claim their love. The song ends with a declaration of love and an invitation to take the person as their one and only love.

The emotions of love and fear seem to be the main themes of the song. The lover's fear is what is restraining them from expressing their love, and the person hopes to convince them that the fear is unfounded. The song is essentially an appeal to take a chance, to risk revealing one's feelings and allowing oneself to be vulnerable in order to experience a deeper, more meaningful love.

Line by Line Meaning

My silent love,
I have love for you, but I have not expressed it aloud.

She says to me
I will now speak openly to you about my love.

Silent any longer,
I can't keep my feelings hidden anymore.

Since you said to me
Your words have given me the courage to speak.

Shy one,
I am addressing someone who is timid or reticent.

Bring your heart to me,
Express your feelings to me openly and honestly.

You need have no fear,
You don't have to be afraid to express your feelings to me.

I won't hurt you, dear.
I will not cause you any harm or emotional pain.

I know that you care for me.
I am aware that you have feelings for me.

I can see it in your eyes.
I can tell from your facial expressions and body language.

You can't hide your love for me.
It is obvious that you have strong feelings for me.