This all got started when the girls met at James Monroe High School in the Bronx, New York. Lead singer Judy Craig was a mere 14-year-old while Patricia Bennett and Barbara Lee were both only 13, all of them facing a lot of challenges if they wanted to be stars. Yet they felt enough determination to hook up with writer/manager Ronnie Mack and sign with Big Deal Records. Though still an embryonic group, their version of "Tonight's the Night" went up to #76 in September 1960, showing the group's potential. Soon their trademark tight harmonies, coupled with their high-stepping confidence and the production duo Gerry Goffin and Carole King writing for them, earned the Chiffons had popular success in song after song.
Made up of the aforementioned Judy Craig, Patricia Bennett, and Barbara Lee at first, Sylvia Peterson of Little Jimmie And The Tops came into the group in 1963. That year, their song "He's So Fine" was the #1 record on both the Billboard Pop and R&B charts. The Chiffons' seemed to have completely 'made it', appearing on programs such as 'American Bandstand'.
British singer-songwriter George Harrison's 1971 song "My Sweet Lord" was musically almost identical, prompting a copyright infringement claim. A judge later found that the ex-Beatle had unintentionally plagiarized the earlier song. The Chiffons went on to record a competing version of "My Sweet Lord" in 1975. The case is often cited as one of the most famous and influential legal cases in the music industry.
The Chiffons' initial run at success was followed by other notable tunes such as the aforementioned "One Fine Day" as well as the songs "Sweet Talkin' Guy", "A Love So Fine", and "I Have a Boyfriend". Although many of their recordings were derivative of the period, fans appreciated their take on the contemporary pop sound. Their Top 40 single "I Have A Boyfriend" was notably playing on Dallas station KLIF on November 22, 1963 and was interrupted by the first radio bulletins of the JFK assassination.
The group also released material under the title 'The Four Pennies' that explored different musical styles. Though finding some fans, the phantom artist failed to break through commercially. The Chiffons themselves faced changing musical tides with the British invasion and the rise of many different trends, and their run of popular success appeared to have pretty much come to an end when the 70s began.
Though Craig left the Chiffons, they continued on as a trio. As the years passed, the group toured in the 'oldies circuit'. In 1992, Lee died from a heart attack the day before her 45th birthday. While that seemed to have put an end to the group, Craig decided to return. Peterson retired shortly thereafter and was replaced by Connie Harvey. Harvey has since left to pursue a solo career with Bennett also retiring. Craig continued on with replacement backup singers. After the turn of the millennium, Craig has still been touring as the Chiffons with her daughter and her niece by her side, performing at select shows throughout the U.S. and internationally.
Nobody Knows What's Goin' On
The Chiffons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody knows what's
Going on in my mind but me
Nobody knows what's
Going on in my mind but me
Nobody knows what's
Going on in my mind but me
Going on in my mind but me
And I love him (whoa whoa...)
And I love him (whoa whoa...)
Everybody says I'm too young
But what do they know, know, know...
[Repeat CHORUS 2x]
And he loves me (whoa whoa...)
And he loves me (whoa whoa...)
Everybody says that he's no good
But what do they know
Nobody knows what's
Going on in my mind but me
Nobody knows what's
Going on in my mind
And he lets her know
(Lets me know)
Each and every night
(Each and every night)
When he holds her close to him
(Close to him)
When he holds her tight
(Holds me tight)
Everybody says that I'm wrong
But what do they know, know, know...
And I love him (whoa whoa...)
And I love him (whoa whoa...)
Everybody says give it up
But what do they know, know, know...
[Repeat CHORUS 2x to fade]
The Chiffons' song, "Nobody Knows What's Goin' On," is a song about love and the complications that come with it. The chorus repeats the phrase "Nobody knows what's going on in my mind but me," indicating that the singer's thoughts and emotions are private and not for the judgment of others. The first verse starts with the singer stating that she loves someone, but everyone says she's too young to understand what love is. The second verse tells how the person she loves is involved with someone else but still loves her. The song ends with the chorus repeating, emphasizing the singer's feelings of defying societal norms for love and maintaining that no one else can understand the complexity of her thoughts.
The song's lyrics portray the struggle of being in love with someone who society deems unacceptable, as well as the challenges of navigating love's complexities at a young age. The chorus reiterates the message of keeping private thoughts and emotions to oneself because no one else can understand them, which could be interpreted as a form of protection against judgment.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody knows what's
No one else understands
Going on in my mind but me
What I think and feel is mine alone
And I love him (whoa whoa...)
I have strong feelings for him
Everybody says I'm too young
Many people think I'm not mature enough
But what do they know, know, know...
But their opinion is irrelevant
And he loves me (whoa whoa...)
He has strong feelings for me
Everybody says that he's no good
Many people think he is a bad person
Nobody knows what's
Going on in my mind but me
No one else can understand my thoughts and feelings
And he lets her know
(Lets me know)
Each and every night
(Each and every night)
He communicates with someone else every evening
When he holds her close to him
(Close to him)
When he holds her tight
(Holds me tight)
He is physically intimate with someone else
Everybody says that I'm wrong
Many people believe that my choices are misguided
But what do they know, know, know...
But their opinion is unimportant
And I love him (whoa whoa...)
Despite what others say, I care about him
Everybody says give it up
Many people want me to end this relationship
Repeat CHORUS 2x to fade
Sing the chorus again until the song ends
Writer(s): Brute Force
Contributed by Connor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
slant40
Lovely set of chord changes; and that descending scale on the minor third is the definition of a killer hook.
Elizabeth Hann
I LOVE THIS SONG! This is the most mysterious and beautiful thing the Chiffons ever did; it's quite a change from their usual sound. There's something genuinely ghostly about it.
luis grant
Lead vocal by secondary vocalize of the Chiffons Silvia Peterson
Elizabeth Hann
Good to know! Thanks for telling me.
Donald Hartsfield
Love this song! Surprised it wasn’t a huge hit!!
bobbymoya
Many experts consider this the first psychodelic pop song, with its atmospheric mind echos and sudden tempo/melody changes.
fntime
How about Walking In the Sand - Shangria las?
Egbert Souce
Nah........this is much better, IMHO.
Mike Ward
@Egbert Souce LOL....how many peeps gets this.
Egbert Souce
Mike Ward.......No idea how many peeps get this?? All I know is that I always hated the Shangri-Las and everything they did........but The CHIFFONS are another story, altogether--a great girl group !!! 7-22-19