Original group members:
Barbara Ann Hawkins (born October 23, 1943)
Joan Marie Johnson (January 15, 1944 – October 5, 2016)
Rosa Lee Hawkins (born September 24, 1944)
The group hit the top of the charts in 1964 with "Chapel of Love," a song that Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich had originally written for The Ronettes. The trio consisted of sisters Barbara Ann and Rosa Lee Hawkins; plus their cousin Joan Marie Johnson, from New Orleans. They first sang together in grade school. Originally they were to be called Little Miss and the Muffets, but were named the Dixie Cups just prior to their first release.
In 1963 the trio decided to pursue a professional career in music and began singing locally as the Meltones. Within a year Joe Jones, a successful singer in his own right with the Top Five 1960 single "You Talk Too Much," became their manager. After working with them for five months, Jones took them to New York, where record producers/songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller signed them to their new Red Bird Records.
The Dixie Cups debut single was the release, "Chapel of Love," which became their biggest hit reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in June 1964. "Chapel of Love" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. In 1987, the song "Chapel of Love" appeared on the Full Metal Jacket soundtrack and in the 1991 film, Father of the Bride. The hit single by The Dixie Cups was ranked #279 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The group also had several other hits including, "People Say" (#12, 1964), "You Should Have Seen the Way He Looked at Me" (#39, 1964), "Little Bell" (#51, 1965), and "Iko Iko" (#20, 1965).
"Iko Iko", a New Orleans traditional song, was recorded in 1964 but later was released as a single early in 1965. Barbara Hawkins had heard her grandmother sing the song, first recorded in 1953 as "Jock-a-Mo" by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford. Barbara Hawkins: "We were just clowning around with it during a session using drumsticks on ashtrays. We didn't realize that Jerry and Mike had the tapes running". Leiber and Stoller overdubbed a bassline and percussion, and released it. It was The Dixie Cups' fifth and last hit.
In 1965, the Dixie Cups moved to the ABC-Paramount record label before a recording hiatus in 1966 temporarily halted their careers. In 1974 the Hawkins sisters moved from New York to New Orleans, where they both began successful modelling careers. The Hawkins also worked as make-up artists. The Dixie Cups continued to tour as a trio with another New Orleans singer, Beverly Brown, replacing Joan Johnson who became a Jehovah's Witness and left her music career. Brown who had recorded two solo discs in the early 1960s stayed as the third member until the early 80s when she became ill and was replaced by Dale Mickle. The Dixie Cups continue to perform and make personal appearances. The current line-up consists of the same Hawkins sisters along with Athelgra Neville, sister of the singing Neville Brothers.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina swept through Louisiana, flooding and flattening most of New Orleans and displacing Barbara and Rosa Hawkins, who subsequently relocated to Florida. Joan Johnson relocated to Texas. Two years later in April 2007, The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame honored The Dixie Cups for their contributions to Louisiana music by inducting them into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
Discography
Singles
"Chapel of Love" b/w "Ain't That Nice" (1964) Red Bird Records / U.S. Chart (Billboard) #1 UK #22 Canada RPM #1
"People Say" b/w "Girls Can Tell" (1964) Red Bird Records/ U.S. Chart (Billboard) #12[8] R&B #7 Canada RPM #7
"You Should Have Seen The Way He Looked At Me" b/w "No True Love" (1964) Red Bird Records/ U.S. Chart (Billboard) #39 Canada RPM #20
"Little Bell" b/w "Another Boy Like Mine" (1964) Red Bird Records/ U.S. Chart (Billboard) #51[8] R&B #21
"Iko Iko" b/w "I'm Gonna Get You Yet" (1965) Red Bird Records/ U.S. Chart (Billboard) #20[8] R&B #20 UK # 23 Canada RPM #26
"Iko Iko" b/w "Gee Baby Gee" (1965) Red Bird Records/ U.S. Chart (Billboard) #20
"Gee The Moon Is Shining Bright" b/w "I'm Gonna Get You Yet" (1965) Red Bird Records/ U.S. Billboard #102
"Two-Way-Poc-A-Way" b/w "That's Where It's At" (1965) ABC-Paramount Records /Written by Harold Fedison
"What Goes Up Must Come Down" b/w "I'm Not The Kind Of Girl (To Marry)" (1965) ABC-Paramount Records
"A-B-C Song" b/w "That's What The Kids Said" (1965) ABC-Paramount Records
"Love Ain't So Bad (After All)" b/w "Daddy Said No" (1966) ABC Records
Albums
Chapel of Love (1964) Red Bird Records/ Billboard 200 #112
Iko Iko (1965) Red Bird Records (re-packaged album that is the same as their debut with a different album cover under the title Iko Iko)
Riding High (1965) ABC-Paramount Records
Doing It Our Way (2011) Iri Records
Compilations
Teen Anguish Volume One (1979) Charly Records
The Best Of The Dixie Cups (1985) Back-Trac Records
The Dixie Cups Meet The Shangri-Las (1986) Charly Records
The Very Best Of The Dixie Cups: Chapel Of Love (1998) Collectables Records
The Complete Red Bird Recordings (2002) Varèse Sarabande Records
Wrong Direction
The Dixie Cups Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you there
walking down the street cute as you can be
I say hey there
you there
won't you stop and talk with me
but you're walking in the wrong direction
I have another nice suggestion
stop and turn around
my heart's going up and down
baby please won't you come and go with me
I say hey there
you there
do you believe in love at first sight
I say hey there
you there
if you do then come and let me hold you tight
I'd love to put my arms around you
I'd love to know that you desire me too
stop and turn around
my heart's going up and down
baby please won't you come and go with me
my oh my
how I cry
when I look into your eyes I'm almost hypnotised
why why
do I sigh cause baby does hey (?) maybe you can do it if you try
stop and turn around
my heart's going up and down
baby please won't you come and go with me (x4)
The Dixie Cups' song "Wrong Direction" is a plea from the singer to a stranger walking down the street. The singer is smitten with the person and asks them to stop and talk, but they are walking in the wrong direction. The singer suggests that they turn around and come with her. She believes in love at first sight and wants to hold the person tight. The singer is almost hypnotized by looking into the stranger's eyes, and she begs him to come with her. The song is a simple and sweet declaration of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey there
The singer greets the person they see walking down the street.
you there
The singer is addressing the person directly.
walking down the street cute as you can be
The singer comments on the person's appearance and how attractive they look.
I say hey there
The artist repeats their greeting, trying to get the person's attention.
won't you stop and talk with me
The artist asks the person to engage in conversation with them.
but you're walking in the wrong direction
The singer indicates that the person is heading the opposite way of where the singer would like them to go.
I have another nice suggestion
The singer is proposing an alternative course of action for the person to take that would suit the singer better.
stop and turn around
The artist wants the person to change their direction of walking and come towards them.
my heart's going up and down
The artist is feeling emotions of excitement and nervousness due to their attraction towards the person.
baby please won't you come and go with me
The artist is inviting the person to go with them, suggesting a romantic relationship or date.
do you believe in love at first sight
The singer is asking the person if they subscribe to the idea of falling in love instantly upon seeing someone.
if you do then come and let me hold you tight
The artist is expressing their desire to physically hold and be close to the person.
I'd love to put my arms around you
The singer is emphasizing their desire to be physically intimate with the person.
I'd love to know that you desire me too
The singer is expressing their hope that the person reciprocates their feelings of attraction and desire.
my oh my
The singer's exclamation denotes their awe and admiration towards the person.
how I cry
The artist is expressing their emotional reaction to the person's presence.
when I look into your eyes I'm almost hypnotised
The artist is mesmerized by the person's eyes and their hold over the artist's attention.
why why
The singer continues to express their emotions of attraction and confusion towards the person.
baby does hey (?) maybe you can do it if you try
The singer is suggesting that the person reciprocate their feelings, implying that it may not be difficult to do so.
Contributed by Evelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kia
on Chapel Of Love
Is this song about new love or old love?