Girls
The B 52´s Lyrics
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Madge and Mabel
Biddie, see them on the beach
Or in New
York City, Tina Louise
And there's Hazel and Mavis
Can you name, name, name
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
Wanda and Janet
And Ronnie and Reba, oh, oh, oh
These are the girls of the U.S.A.
The principal girls of the U.S.A.
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
Oh, oh, oh
Kate
Kate and Cindy
And Crystal and Candy
Mercedes and Joan, Betty and Brenda
Suzie and Anita
And Pheobe and Jack, Jackie-O
These are the girls of the U.S.A.
The principal girls of the U.S.A.
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
Can you name, name, name?
The lyrics of The B-52's song "Girls" celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of American women, listing a series of female names that represent different cultural and social backgrounds. The song starts with the names Effie, Madge, Mabel, Biddie, and Tina Louise, who is a famous actress from the TV show "Gilligan's Island." The song then proceeds with a rapid-fire of more names, including Hazel, Mavis, Wanda, Janet, Ronnie, Reba, Crystal, Candy, Mercedes, Joan, Betty, Brenda, Suzie, Anita, and Phoebe. The lyrics invite the listener to "name 'em today" and recognize these women's contribution to the sensuality, beauty, and vibrancy of the American pop culture.
Interestingly, the song "Girls" was written by The B-52's frontman Fred Schneider, who intended to create a tribute to the female singers that influenced the band's sound and style. In interviews, Schneider stated that he wanted to celebrate women's empowerment and individuality, creating a song that could resist the standardizing and conformist nature of mainstream culture. The lyrics' repetition and catchy melody give a sense of joyful and playful energy, encouraging the listener to dance and sing along.
Line by Line Meaning
Effie
We start by naming the first girl -- Effie.
Madge and Mabel
There are more girls to name, and now we add Madge and Mabel.
Biddie, see them on the beach
We continue naming girls with Biddie, who can be found on the beach.
Or in New York City, Tina Louise
Some girls can be found in New York City, like Tina Louise.
And there's Hazel and Mavis
We finish the first verse by adding Hazel and Mavis to the list of girls.
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
The refrain asks if you can name all these girls today.
Wanda and Janet
And Ronnie and Reba, oh, oh, oh
The second verse lists even more girls, including Wanda, Janet, Ronnie, and Reba.
These are the girls of the U.S.A.
The principal girls of the U.S.A.
The chorus reminds us that all these girls are from the United States, and are the main girls of the country.
Kate
Kate and Cindy
And Crystal and Candy
The third verse adds more girls with Kate, Cindy, Crystal, and Candy.
Mercedes and Joan, Betty and Brenda
Suzie and Anita
And Pheobe and Jack, Jackie-O
Finally, the last part of the song gives us a lot of names in rapid succession, including Mercedes, Joan, Betty, Brenda, Suzie, Anita, Phoebe, and Jackie-O.
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
The song ends by repeating the refrain, asking if you can name these girls today.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHARLES J. AYERS, CINDY WILSON, FRED SCHNEIDER, KATE PIERSON, KEITH STRICKLAND, RICKY WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Asha
Effie
Madge and Mabel
Biddie, see them on the beach
Or in New
York City, Tina Louise
And there's Hazel and Mavis
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
Wanda and Janet
And Ronnie and Reba, oh, oh, oh
These are the girls of the U.S.A.
The principal girls of the U.S.A.
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
Oh, oh, oh
Kate
Kate and Cindy
And Crystal and Candy
Mercedes and Joan, Betty and Brenda
Suzie and Anita
And Pheobe and Jack, Jackie-O
These are the girls of the U.S.A.
The principal girls of the U.S.A.
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
Can you name, name, name
Name 'em today?
Can you name, name, name?
78deathface
One of the greatest bands who ever walked this earth.
Adam Groves
@78deathface I could name 25 better bands easy but yeah they are good. And I'd love to have mosrite
78deathface
@Reid van Renesse correction duly noted and appreciated.
78deathface
@Adam Groves I stand by that statement.
Adam Groves
That's a bold statement. They are good though
Tom Rye
and Planet Claire
ian Christopher
it seems that no one realizes how awesome the 52's are
harmony, surf rock, silly lyrics, great dancing... that is perfect!
Rick Lucey
They are very awesome especially LIVE!!!
Major Tom
Awesome yes. 2019
Austin Lucas
Kind of sad they lost their original sound so early. They had it in the first 2 albums but as soon as they got famous they were told "Move to New York, nobody could work in Athens" so they did and both Keith and either Fred or Cindy have since said "That was terrible advice." Why? Their whole sound was BASED in Athens! As soon as they left, there came Mesopotamia (which wasn't half bad) and Whammy (which, let's face it, isn't the original sound at all though it has elements.) Bouncing Off The Satellites is OK but the original sound is nearly completely dead at that point; Ricky was dying of AIDS while he was recording it. Ricky was integral to the band's original sound, he and Keith played music for years before the formation of The B-52s. You know what else? Ricky may have not died in 1985 if they hadn't moved to New York. I somehow feel as though he didn't catch AIDS until 1979-1980 or 1981.