The Nylons are an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Can… Read Full Bio ↴The Nylons are an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, best known for their covers of The Turtles' "Happy Together", Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", and The Tokens' version of the traditional "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".

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)

Poison Ivy
The Nylons Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She comes on like a rose
But everybody knows
She'll get you in dutch
You can look but you better not touch

Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy
Late at night while you're sleepin'

Poison Ivy comes a creepin' around
She's round

She's pretty as a daisy
But look out man she's crazy
She'll really do you in
If you let her get under your skin

[Chorus]
Measles make you bumpy
And mumps'll make you lumpy
And chicken pox'll make youjump and twitch
A common cold'll fool ya
And whoopin' cough can cool ya
But poison ivy Lord'll make you itch

You're gonna need an ocean
Of calamine lotion
You'll be scratchin' like a hound
The minute you start to mess around

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The Nylons's song Poison Ivy is a cautionary tale about a woman who is both beautiful and dangerous. The song opens with the line "She comes on like a rose, but everybody knows, she'll get you in dutch." This immediately sets the tone for the rest of the song, warning listeners that appearances can be deceiving. The chorus then introduces the titular character, Poison Ivy, who creeps around at night and has the power to make people itch like crazy if they come into contact with her.

The second verse continues to warn listeners of Poison Ivy's potential harm, comparing her to a common cold and whooping cough. The chorus reiterates the severity of her effects, warning that you'll need an ocean of calamine lotion if you're unlucky enough to get caught by her. Overall, the lyrics of the song remind listeners to be cautious of those who may seem alluring but may bring harm in the end.

Line by Line Meaning

She comes on like a rose
She appears to be gentle and beautiful like a rose

But everybody knows
But people are aware

She'll get you in dutch
She'll get you in trouble

You can look but you better not touch
You can admire, but it's not safe to touch

Poison Ivy
A woman who is dangerous and can cause harm

Late at night while you're sleepin'
She sneaks in when you are asleep

Poison Ivy comes a creepin' around
Poison Ivy comes crawling around

She's round
She is spherical in shape

She's pretty as a daisy
She looks beautiful, like a flower

But look out man she's crazy
But be cautious, she is unpredictable

She'll really do you in
She can seriously harm you