"Then He Kissed Me" is a song written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. The song was released as a single in September 1963 by The Crystals. It is a narrative of a young woman's encounter, romance, and eventual marriage with a fellow youth. The single is one of The Crystals' most remembered songs. The lead vocal was sung by Dolores "LaLa" Brooks. In the United States the single peaked at number six and in the United Kingdom the single peaked at number two. The song featured production by Phil Spector. The single was The Crystals' third single to chart in the top ten in the United States and their second to reach the top ten in the United Kingdom. In 2004, this song was #493 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Pitchfork Media placed it at number 18 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".
Then I Kissed Her
The Beach Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She looked awful nice and so I hoped she might take a chance
When we danced I held her tight
Then I walked her home that night
And all the stars were shining bright
And then I kissed her
I wanted to let her know that I was more than a friend
I didn't know just what to do
And so I whispered I love you
And she said that she loved me too
And then I kissed her
I kissed her in a way that I'd never kissed a girl before
I kissed her in a way that I hope she liked for evermore
I knew that she was mine so I gave her all the love that I had
Then one day she'll take me home to meet her mom and her dad
Then I asked her to be my bride
And always be right by my side
I felt so happy that I almost cried
And then I kissed her
And then I kissed her
And then I kissed her
The Beach Boys' song "Then I Kissed Her" is a classic love ballad that tells the story of a boy who falls in love with a girl and eventually gets the courage to express his feelings for her. As the lyrics unfold, the listener is taken through the progression of the boy's feelings, from his initial hesitation to ask her to dance, to his eventual proposal and the happy tears that followed.
The song begins with the boy summoning the courage to ask the girl to dance, even though he is unsure if she will say yes. He is struck by her beauty and is hopeful that she will take a chance and dance with him. The lyrics then shift to their first walk together, with the stars shining bright above them. The boy is filled with a sense of wonder and awe, and he soon realizes that he wants to express his love to her.
From here, the boy's feelings grow stronger with each meeting. He is enamored by her, and is determined to let her know that he is more than just a friend. Finally, he makes his move, whispering "I love you" into her ear. To his great relief and delight, she returns the sentiment, and the two share their first kiss. From that point forward, the boy is sure that she is the one for him, and he asks her to be his bride.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I walked up to her and I asked her if she wanted to dance
I approached her and politely asked if she'd like to dance with me
She looked awful nice and so I hoped she might take a chance
I found her very attractive and hoped she would give me a chance to connect with her
When we danced I held her tight
While we danced, I held her in a close embrace
Then I walked her home that night
After dancing and spending the evening together, I escorted her back to her home
And all the stars were shining bright
The night was clear and the stars were shining brightly
And then I kissed her
At that moment, I leaned in and kissed her
Each time I saw her I couldn't wait to see her again
I was always eager to see her again every time I caught a glimpse of her
I wanted to let her know that I was more than a friend
I had romantic feelings for her and wanted her to know that I saw her as more than a friend
I didn't know just what to do
I was unsure of how to proceed with expressing my feelings to her
And so I whispered I love you
I quietly expressed my love for her
And she said that she loved me too
She reciprocated my feelings, telling me that she loved me too
And then I kissed her
In the moment of her affirming her love for me, I kissed her again
I kissed her in a way that I'd never kissed a girl before
My expression of love for her in that moment was unlike anything I had felt or shown for any other girl
I kissed her in a way that I hope she liked for evermore
My hope was that my soft and tender kiss was something she would cherish for the rest of her life
I knew that she was mine so I gave her all the love that I had
I felt a strong sense of ownership over the relationship and was willing to give her all of my love and devotion
Then one day she'll take me home to meet her mom and her dad
I envisioned a future where I would meet her family as her partner
Then I asked her to be my bride
At some point, I proposed to her and asked for her hand in marriage
And always be right by my side
I promised to always be there for her and vowed to be her lifelong partner
I felt so happy that I almost cried
I was so overwhelmed with happiness and emotion that I was close to tears
And then I kissed her
In that moment of joyful commitment and love, I kissed her once again
And then I kissed her
As a refrain and reminder of the significance of that kiss, I repeated that phrase
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEFF BARRY, ELLIE GREENWICH, PHILLIP SPECTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dr O'Boogie
Wow! What an unexpected pleasure to stumble onto this terrific cover. As only great bands can do, the Beach Boys took the Crystals classic, owned it and totally breathed new life into it.
I now have a new favorite Beach Boys tune to add to the others.
The cherry on top of all this greatness- what a genius idea to match it up to give tribute to Marilyn in this manner. Seeing what a fresh-faced beauty she was before Hollywood and yes, the Kennedys, chewed her up and spat her out is truly eye-opening and heart breaking.
Time now to bookend this by bookending this tribute with Elton John's touching tribute "Goodbye Norma Jean".
R.I.P. Marilyn
John Smith
The Harmonies from this time period are unmatched. Not sure why artists don't try to make music like this today. Pure simple and beautiful .
Dick Carlsson
They can´t!!!!
1994g0
This is a Phil Spector song.Phil was a genius .......great inspiration to the Beach Boys.
raynolan1
This is also one of the best production jobs ever. Everything is crystal clear. Truly a feelgood song.
Jonathan Black
It would require talent and not being able to rely on Autotune.
Ice Cream Man
IQ goes down yearly and with it the ability to create great melodies.
Hughie Cairns
No other group can match the beach boys their harmonizing is fantastic
Anthony Labella
I love the Beach Boyz.I guess you never Heard of The Association.
Roger McKay
I’ve been a huge fan of the Beach Boys for almost 40 years. One of my biggest regrets in life is never getting to watch them live. Their unique music will never be matched.
Gunter Netzer
@Ed L A stunning part of the Beach Boys canon. Along with the Hollies they must have been the best vocalists of the rock era.