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".
The Real Nitty Gritty
Shirley Ellis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you know that some folks know about it, some don't
Some will learn to shout it, some won't
But sooner or later baby, here's a ditty
Say you're gonna have to get right down to the real nitty gritty
Now let's get right on down to the nitty gritty
Now one, two nitty gritty
Now yeah, mmm, nitty gritty now
Ooooowee, can you feel it double beatin', I keep repeatin
Get right down to the real nitty gritty
Say it again double beatin'
Get on down, we gotta get right down to the real nitty gritty
Let's get, let's get right on down to the real nitty gritty
It's all right, it's all right
Get on down, get on down
Get right down to the real nitty gritty
Listen to me now
Oooowee, ooowee
Come on and let the good times roll
Let the music sink down in to your soul
Double beatin', keep repeatin'
You gotta get right down to the really nitty gritty
Get on down, get on down
Talkin' about the nitty gritty
Get on down, get on down
In Shirley Ellis's hit song "The Nitty Gritty," the lyrics talk about a dance that's easy to learn but hard to master. The opening lines suggest that some people already know about it and others don't, but either way, you're going to have to get down to the real nitty gritty (the core and essence of something) eventually.
The repeated phrase "double beatin'" encourages listeners to keep up with the fast-paced rhythm and feel the music deep down in their souls. The chorus repeats over and over again like a mantra, urging everyone to get on down and let the good times roll by dancing to the nitty gritty.
The song has an infectious beat that makes it perfect for dancing, and Shirley Ellis's vocal delivery is commanding, playful, and soulful. It's a timeless classic that has become a staple in pop culture, appearing in movies, TV shows, and commercials throughout the years.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, mmm, yeah
This song is about the 'nitty gritty,' and we're just getting started
Do you know that some folks know about it, some don't
Some people already know about the nitty gritty, while others have yet to learn
Some will learn to shout it, some won't
Some people will embrace the nitty gritty and celebrate it, while others may not
But sooner or later baby, here's a ditty
Regardless of whether you know about it or not, this song is here to tell you about the nitty gritty
Say you're gonna have to get right down to the real nitty gritty
To truly understand and appreciate the nitty gritty, you need to get to the heart of it
Now let's get right on down to the nitty gritty
It's time to delve deeper into the nitty gritty and explore what it's all about
Now one, two nitty gritty
Let's count down and get ready to really dive in to the nitty gritty
Now yeah, mmm, nitty gritty now
We're really getting into the thick of it now
Ooooowee, right down to the real nitty gritty
We're going deep into the true essence of the nitty gritty
Ooooowee, can you feel it double beatin', I keep repeatin
The nitty gritty has a certain rhythm to it that keeps repeating and building
Get right down to the real nitty gritty
Once again, it's important to focus and concentrate on the true essence of the nitty gritty
Say it again double beatin'
Repeating once again that the nitty gritty has a unique, double beat rhythm to it
Get on down, we gotta get right down to the real nitty gritty
It's time to really dig deep and explore the nitty gritty to the fullest extent
Let's get, let's get right on down to the real nitty gritty
Repeating once again that it's time to get down to the true heart of the nitty gritty
It's all right, it's all right
Everything is just fine and dandy
Get on down, get on down
Time to start really enjoying the nitty gritty and letting loose
Get right down to the real nitty gritty
Reiterating again that we need to focus on the true essence of the nitty gritty
Listen to me now
Pausing for a moment to really emphasize what's about to be said
Oooowee, ooowee
Just feeling the energy and rhythm of the nitty gritty
Come on and let the good times roll
Time to really start having fun and enjoying ourselves
Let the music sink down in to your soul
Allowing the music and rhythm of the nitty gritty to really resonate with ourselves and our souls
Double beatin', keep repeatin'
Reiterating once again that the nitty gritty has its unique, double beat rhythm to it
You gotta get right down to the really nitty gritty
The core of the nitty gritty is where all the magic happens, so it's important to stay focused and delve deep
Get on down, get on down
Let's keep enjoying and dancing to the beat of the nitty gritty
Talkin' about the nitty gritty
Wrapping up by emphasizing that this whole song has been all about the nitty gritty
Get on down, get on down
One final encouragement to dance and enjoy the nitty gritty to the fullest extent
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LINCOLN CHASE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind