The origins of the Nylons date back to 1978 when four experienced Toronto stage actors, Connors, Cooper, Morrison, and Simpson, used to get together in the back of a delicatessen to sing doo-wop together. They took their ensemble to parties and friend's houses and constant comments from people convinced them to take their unique a cappella act into the clubs. An acquaintence met at a party was about to open a new cabaret and invited them to debut there. They played there for six weeks, garnering rave critical and audience reviews. In 1979 Simpson retired from the group and Cole was brought on board. They very quickly established themselves as one of the area's classiest and most original ensembles and caught the attention of Attic Records. Their first album eventually went platinum in Canada (100,000 copies), and there followed four more releases on Attic that all sold at least gold in Canada (50,000 copies). They received the equivalent of a Dutch Grammy award and a gold disc for the One Size Fits All album and the Best Singer Award at 1986's Tokyo Music Festival. In 1987 Disney used their song That Kind Of Man in their feature The Tin Man, and their version of Up The Ladder To The Roof was used in the movie Made In Heaven. They also scored a second appearance on the Taft Broadcasting television show Throb after writing the theme song and a previous appearance on the program. In February 1991 founding member Connors left the group and in March of that year died of viral pneumonia. A new deal in 1991 with Scotti Brothers in the US and BMG in Canada saw the release of three more albums, and constant touring on either side of the border. Over the years various member changes have led to today's lineup of Morrison, Robinson, Mosbaugh, and Cassius. In 1997 they signed with Shoreline Records in the US, a label primarily devoted to vocal groups, and released the Fabric Of Life. Today they continue to tour the world to audience and critical acclaim.
Singles
1982 The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Attic) 1983 Silhouettes (Attic) 1983 That Kind Of Man (Attic) 1984 Take Me To Your Heart (Attic) 1984 Perpetual Emotion (Attic) 1984 Stepping Stone (Attic) 1984 Combat Zone (Attic) 1987 Kiss Him Goodbye (Attic) 1987 Happy Together (Attic) 1987 Chain Gang (Attic) 1989 Wild Fire (Attic) 1989 Drift Away (Attic) 1991 Call My Name (Attic) 1991 One Fine Day (Attic) 1992 Don't Look Any Further (Scotti Brothers)
Albums
1982 The Nylons (Attic) 1982 One Size Fits All (Attic) 1984 Seamless (Attic) 1987 Happy Together (Attic) 1989 Rockapella (Attic) 1991 Four On The Floor (Attic) 1992 Live To Love (BMG) 1993 Illustrious: A Collection Of Classic Hits (Attic) 1994 Harmony - The Christmas Songs (BMG) 1994 Because... (BMG) 1996 Run For Cover (BMG) 1997 Fabric Of Life (Shoreline) 1997 Perfect Fit (Windham Hill) [re-release of 1993's Illustrious]
Marc Connors (baritone; RIP 1991) Paul Cooper (tenor) Claude Morrison (tenor) Dennis Simpson (bass) Ralph Cole (bass; replaced Simpson 1979) Arnold Robinson (bass; replaced Cole 1981) Micah Barnes (tenor; replaced Cooper 1991) Billy Newton-Davis (baritone; replaced Connors 1992) Garth Mosbaugh (tenor; replaced Barnes 1994) Gavin Hope (baritone; replaced Newton-Davis 1994) Mark Cassius (baritone; replaced Hope 1997)
Bop 'Til You Drop
The Nylons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was a whole lotta shakin' goin' on
There was a party next door the people callin' out for more
And they played the boogie all night long
I was raised on a beat that was oh so sweet
Fed on the rhythm and blues
When she sent me on my way I heard my mama say
Son, don't forget your dancin' shoes
Bop 'til you drop
Shake it 'til you break it
Move it 'til you lose it
Dance, dance
(repeat)
When you're down at a party and the music's hot
And you see somebody that you like a lot
Don't fight the feelin' if the feelin's right
Take a chance and dance 'cause tonight's the night
We'll do it right
Bop 'til you drop
Shake it 'til you break it
Move it 'til you lose it
Dance dance
(repeat)
Bop, bop, bop
Shake it, shake it, shake it
Move it 'til you lose it
Dance, dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, da-da-dance
Back in 57 I was just a little boy
And my sister Jenny Sue, she was the queen of the hop
After school she'd be stackin' up her 45's
Practising her shimmy shimmy koko bop
She had to do it right 'cause come on Saturday night
She was the hot girl on the floor
Mama'd catch her in the kitchen but instead of doing dishes
She'd be brushin' up her boogie on the 'frigerator door
Bop 'til you drop
Shake it 'til you break it
Move it 'til you lose it
Dance Dance
(repeat)
Bop, bop, bop
Shake it, shake it, shake it
Move it 'til you lose it
Dance, dance, come on and dance, dance
Da-da-dance, come on and dance, dance
Da-da-dance
Ah when it's come-a come-a doo down down pretty baby
And the music starts movin' and it's drivin' you crazy
Don't get caught just-a hangin' around
'Cause you gotta get up if you wanna get down
Get up, get up, get down down down
Come on and dance, dance
Don't it make you wanna get up and dance
Bop, bop, bop
Shake it, shake it, shake it
Move it 'til you lose it
Dance, dance
Bop 'til you drop
Shake it 'til you break it
Move it 'til you lose it
Dance, dance
Bop, bop, bop
Come on, come on, come on
Shake it, shake it, shake it
Shake it, shake it, shake it
Move it 'til you lose it
Move it 'til you lose it
Move it 'til you lose it
Dance, dance, da-da-dance
Come on and dance, dance, da-da-dance
Come on and dance, dance, da-da-dance
The Nylons's song "Bop 'Til You Drop" is a fun and upbeat tune that encourages people to dance and let loose. The lyrics start with the singer reminiscing about the day he was born and how there was a lot of excitement and dancing going on around him. He was raised on a beat that was sweet and fed on rhythm and blues. Before he left, his mother reminded him not to forget his dancing shoes. The chorus is a repetition of "Bop 'til you drop, shake it 'til you break it, move it 'til you lose it, dance, dance" which emphasizes the song's main message.
The second verse of the song promotes taking a chance and dancing with someone you like when you're at a party with hot music. It encourages you to not fight the feeling if it's right and to just dance the night away. The bridge of the song tells the story of the singer's sister who was the queen of the hop in their town. She would stack up her 45's after school and practice her shimmy until she got it right. The singer's mother would catch her practicing in the kitchen instead of doing her chores.
Overall, the song is a celebration of the joy that dancing can bring and encourages listeners to let go and just dance. The lyrics are catchy and easy to remember, making it a popular song for dancing and singing along.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama said on the day I was born
My mother told me on the day I was born
There was a whole lotta shakin' goin' on
That people were dancing energetically
There was a party next door the people callin' out for more
There was a party next door, and people were asking for more music
And they played the boogie all night long
And the music was playing all night long
I was raised on a beat that was oh so sweet
I grew up listening to music that had a great rhythm
Fed on the rhythm and blues
I was exposed to and enjoyed rhythm and blues music
When she sent me on my way I heard my mama say
As I was leaving, my mother told me
Son, don't forget your dancin' shoes
Son, make sure you bring your shoes for dancing
When you're down at a party and the music's hot
When you are at a party and the music is good
And you see somebody that you like a lot
And you find someone that you like a lot
Don't fight the feelin' if the feelin's right
Do not resist the feeling if it feels right
Take a chance and dance 'cause tonight's the night
Take a risk and dance because this is the night
We'll do it right
We will do it well
Back in 57 I was just a little boy
When it was 1957, I was a young boy
And my sister Jenny Sue, she was the queen of the hop
My sister Jenny Sue was a great dancer
After school she'd be stackin' up her 45's
After school, she would organize her 45s, a type of record
Practising her shimmy shimmy koko bop
Practicing her dance called the 'shimmy shimmy koko bop'
She had to do it right 'cause come on Saturday night
She had to do it well because it was Saturday night
She was the hot girl on the floor
She was the popular girl dancing on the floor
Mama'd catch her in the kitchen but instead of doing dishes
Our mother would catch her in the kitchen not doing chores
She'd be brushin' up her boogie on the 'frigerator door
In reality, she was practicing her dance moves on the refrigerator door
Ah when it's come-a come-a doo down down pretty baby
When things are heating up, my dear
And the music starts movin' and it's drivin' you crazy
And the music starts making you feel wild and out of control
Don't get caught just-a hangin' around
Do not get caught just standing there
'Cause you gotta get up if you wanna get down
Because if you want to dance, you have to get up and dance
Get up, get up, get down down down
Get up, get up, start dancing
Come on and dance, dance
Come on and dance
Don't it make you wanna get up and dance
Doesn't it make you want to stand up and dance?
Bop, bop, bop
Bop, bop, bop
Shake it, shake it, shake it
Shake it, shake it, shake it
Move it 'til you lose it
Dance until you are exhausted
Dance, dance
Dance, dance
Come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on
Da-da-dance, come on and dance, dance
Dance, come on and dance
Contributed by Jeremiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MrLexxBomb
Got serenaded as a baby 30 years ago at a concert in Canberra (Australia) and I still think they are one of the best acts ever... every one should have one of their albums.
@TheXantheL
The best acapella group I've ever seen in my life, live and recorded!
@jackmandu
Xanthe L - I’ve loved the Nylons since high school in the 80s. Now I’m hooked on Home Free for some incredible acapella. You should check them out.
@christopherl6527
best accapella song ever!!
@HM2SGT
Been listening to them since the mid-80s but never saw them before. Took me a second to figure out what was hanging from their microphones! LOL
@MartinSmith
Billy Sargent. Nylons**what else ??
@jimfishkin4039
Any song with Marc Conners rocks. His voice is golden. Paul keeps the basics going here.
@optimisticcynic4733
THANK YOU
@deederousseau2949
Get up and dance!!!
@TheXantheL
The album version is way better than this, BTW!