The Shirelles were an influential American girl group in the early 1960s, a… Read Full Bio ↴The Shirelles were an influential American girl group in the early 1960s, and they were the very first girl group to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The members of the quartet were Shirley Owens (who was the lead singer for the most part), Doris Coley, Beverly Lee, and Addie "Micki" Harris. The quartet formed in New Jersey in 1958, and went on to release a string of hits including "Baby It's You", "Mama Said", and the #1 Pop hits "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "Soldier Boy". Their "Sha La La" became an international hit when covered by the British group Manfred Mann, and "Boys" was covered by [artsit]the Beatles (Ringo Starr singing lead).The Beatles also covered "Baby It's You" on their "Please Please Me" album. Although they had no more charting hits after 1967, the Shirelles continued recording for a small but devoted audience well into the 1970s and continued to tour and perform into the early 1980s. In 1968, Coley left the group to remarry and raise her family, and the group continued as a trio. In 1975, she returned only to replace Owens who departed to begin a solo career. On June 10, 1982, after a live concert in Atlanta, Harris succumbed to a heart attack (age 42); she was replaced by Louie Bethune. Shortly, the group went into semi-retirement, though they did accept an invitation to record backup vocals for Dionne Warwick in the late 1980s. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. On February 4, 2000, Coley lost a battle with breast cancer (age 58). The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.

Stop The Music
The Shirelles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lyrics

Who does she think she is, coming to my party,
Then trying to dance every dance with my guy?
While the lights are still dim
Shes making time with him
And I dont like the look that I see in her eyes.
Im gonna go over there and

When this record ends
Im gonna stop the music if they dance again.

Its kinda quiet now
The last song has ended and another song is starting,
Starting to play.
Shes walking across the floor
Straight into his arms once more.
Im gonna put a stop to this thing right away.
Im gonna go over there and
I cant take it no more
So turn on the lights,
The partys over for tonight

You hear what I say, now?
So turn on the lights, the partys over

Overall Meaning

The Shirelles' song "Stop the Music" is a story about a girl who is annoyed with a fellow party-goer who is trying to dance with her guy. The girl has been keeping an eye on the other girl since the start of the party and is uncomfortable with the way she is making a move on her guy. The girl has had enough of the dance competition, and she decides to confront the other girl. The lyrics depict her frustrations with the situation; she dislikes the look in the other girl's eyes and making time with her guy. She decides to take a drastic step and stop the music if they dance again.

The song's tone changes after the first verse, and it becomes more intense with a sense of urgency. The last song has ended, and the lights are low; then, the other girl moves toward the girl's guy again. This time, the girl cannot take it anymore and is no longer willing to watch from the sidelines. She makes a decision to head over to her guy and the other girl, but this time she will not dance away her frustration. Instead, she is putting a stop to it straight away. She orders to turn on the lights and stop the party because she has had enough. The repetitive refrain “turn on the lights, the party's over” adds to the sense of finality at the end of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Who does she think she is, coming to my party,
I feel disrespected by her presence at my party.

Then trying to dance every dance with my guy?
She's showing interest in my significant other by dancing with him constantly.

While the lights are still dim
This behavior is happening in a low-key environment.

Shes making time with him
She's actively flirting with him.

And I dont like the look that I see in her eyes.
Her facial expression suggests that she's attracted to my guy.

Im gonna go over there and
I'm going to confront her about her behavior.

When this record ends
I'm waiting for an opportunity to stop their dancing.

Im gonna stop the music if they dance again.
I will stop their dancing by turning off the music.

Its kinda quiet now
The party is now calm since the last song ended.

The last song has ended and another song is starting,
The music has transitioned to another song.

Starting to play.
The new song has begun.