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)
Love Potion
The Nylons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
She's got a shop down on 34th and Vine
Sellin' little bottles of Love Potion number nine
I took my troubles down to Madame Ruth
You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
She's got a shop down on 34th and VineSellin' little bottles of Love Potion number nine
I told her that I was a flop with chicks
I'd been this way since 1956
She stretched out her palm and she made a magic sign
She said 'What you need boy is Love Potion number nine'
She bent down, she turned around she gave me a wink
She said 'I'm gonna mix it up right here in the sink'
It smelled like turpentine and looked like Indian Ink
I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink
I didn't know if it was day or night
I started kissin' everything in sight
But when I kissed a cop down on 34th and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion number nine
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you
She bent down, she turned around, she gave me a wink
She said 'I'm gonna mix it up right here in the sink'
It smelled like turpentine and looked like Indian Ink
I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink
I didn't know if it was day or nightI started kissin' everything in sight
But when I kissed a cop down on 34th and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion number nine
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you
The Nylons's song Love Potion number nine is a fun and lighthearted tune about a man who is seeking help from a gypsy named Madame Ruth. The singer tells Madame Ruth that he has been unsuccessful with women since 1956, and she suggests he try Love Potion number nine. Despite the strange smell and appearance of the potion, he drinks it, and his experiences become wild, surreal, and beyond his control. The song has a catchy chorus that hints that love can be unpredictable and crazy, especially when dealing with someone like the singer's lover, whom the singer calls a "spooky little girl."
The song's verses offer an interesting commentary on social hierarchy and authority. In this instance, the singer's misadventures begin when he kisses a police officer. While the singer might view the police officer as a threatening authority figure, the officer sees the singer as someone who is "spooky" precisely because of his erratic behavior while under the influence of Love Potion Number Nine. Thus, the lyrics underscore how subjective and interpretive our notions of "spooky" and even "love" can be, depending on the context.
Line by Line Meaning
I took my troubles down to Madame Ruth
The singer had some problems with finding love, and so decided to visit Madame Ruth
You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
Madame Ruth is a well-known gypsy with a gold-capped tooth
She's got a shop down on 34th and Vine
Madame Ruth's shop is located on 34th and Vine
Sellin' little bottles of Love Potion number nine
Madame Ruth sells small bottles containing Love Potion number nine
I told her that I was a flop with chicks
The artist confessed to Madame Ruth that he had been unsuccessful with getting girls
I'd been this way since 1956
The singer had been unsuccessful with girls since 1956
She stretched out her palm and she made a magic sign
Madame Ruth gestured towards the singer with her palm and made a magic sign
She said 'What you need boy is Love Potion number nine'
Madame Ruth prescribed Love Potion number nine to the artist
She bent down, she turned around she gave me a wink
Madame Ruth slyly gave the artist a wink and then proceeded to mix the Love Potion
She said 'I'm gonna mix it up right here in the sink'
Madame Ruth mixed the Love Potion right there in front of the artist, in a sink
It smelled like turpentine and looked like Indian Ink
The Love Potion had an unpleasant smell and appearance, resembling turpentine and Indian ink
I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink
The artist was hesitant about drinking the Love Potion but eventually did so anyway
I didn't know if it was day or night
After drinking the Love Potion, the singer lost perception of time
I started kissin' everything in sight
As a result of drinking the Love Potion, the singer began to kiss everything he saw
But when I kissed a cop down on 34th and Vine
The singer accidentally kissed a police officer on 34th and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion number nine
The police officer accidentally broke the Love Potion bottle
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you
The artist believes that love can be unpredictable and crazy when it involves a mysterious girl like the one he is interacting with
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind