Originally a blues-based band noted for their signature "rave-up" instrumental breaks, the Yardbirds broadened their range into pop, pioneering psychedelic rock and early hard rock; and contributed to many electric guitar innovations of the mid-1960s. Some rock critics and historians also cite their influence on the later punk rock, progressive rock and heavy metal trends. Following the band's split in 1968, Relf and McCarty formed Renaissance and guitarist Jimmy Page formed Led Zeppelin - the latter of which was initially intended as a direct successor to the Yardbirds.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. They were included at number 89 in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and ranked number 37 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.
The Yardbirds re-formed in the 1990s, featuring drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja as the only original members. Dreja left the band in 2012, leaving McCarty as the sole original member of the band in the present lineup.
The band formed in the south-west London suburbs in 1963. Relf and Samwell-Smith were originally in a band named the Metropolitan Blues Quartet. After being joined by Dreja, McCarty and Top Topham, they performed at Kingston Art School in late May 1963 as a backup band for Cyril Davies. Following a couple of gigs in September 1963 as the Blue-Sounds, they changed their name to the Yardbirds. McCarty claims that Relf was the first to use the name; he may have got it from Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road, where it referred to rail yard hobos. He adds that Topham identified it as a nickname for jazz saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker.
The quintet achieved notice on the burgeoning British rhythm and blues scene when they took over as the house band at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, succeeding the Rolling Stones. Their repertoire drew from the Chicago blues of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James, including "Smokestack Lightning", "Good Morning Little School Girl", "Boom Boom", "I Wish You Would", "Rollin' and Tumblin'", "Got Love if You Want It" and "I'm a Man".
Original lead guitarist Topham left and was replaced by Eric Clapton in October 1963. Crawdaddy Club impresario Giorgio Gomelsky became the Yardbirds manager and first record producer. Under Gomelsky's guidance the Yardbirds toured Britain as the back-up band for blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson II in December 1963 and early 1964, recording live tracks on 8 December and other dates. The recordings would be released two years later during the height of the Yardbirds popularity on the album Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds.
After the tours with Williamson, the Yardbirds signed to EMI's Columbia label in February 1964, and recorded more live tracks on 20 March at the legendary Marquee Club in London. The resulting album of mostly American blues and R&B covers, Five Live Yardbirds, was released by Columbia nine months later, and it failed to enter the UK Albums Chart. Over time, Five Live gained stature as one of the few high-quality live recordings of the era and as a historical document of both the British rock and roll boom of the 1960s and Clapton's time in the band.
Along with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds were part of the British blues scene of the 1960s. As the blues rock genre developed, some acts like Chicken Shack were playing a louder and more aggressive style, while the Yardbirds emphasized instrumental textures and extended instrumental improvisations. They covered blues classics like Howlin' Wolf's Smokestack Lightning (1956) and Bo Diddley's I'm a Man (1955) which had a repetitive structure where instrumental solos were brief breaks between repetition of verses. The Yardbirds often extended these instrumental sections into "heavy jams".
Good Morning Little School Girl
The Yardbirds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Can I go home with you?
Won't you let me go home with you,
So I can hug, hug, squeeze, squeeze?
If you let me I can tease you baby.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey hey hey hey. Hey, yeah.
Let's dance, little schoolgirl.
Won't you let me take you to the hop, hop,
Have a party at the soda shop
So we can do the twist, do the stroll
To the music of the rock 'n' roll.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey hey hey hey. Hey, yeah.
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Can I go home with you?
Won't you let me go home with you,
So I can hug, hug, squeeze, squeeze?
If you let me I can tease you baby.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey hey hey hey. Hey, yeah.
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Can I go home with you?
Won't you let me go home with you?
Tell your mama and your papa that I love you.
Tell your sisters and your brother that I love you.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey, hey hey hey.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey, hey hey hey.
"Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" is a song by The Yardbirds that was originally recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson II in the 1930s. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Van Morrison and Jonny Lang. The lyrics of the song are relatively simple and revolve around a man trying to impress a young schoolgirl so that she'll let him accompany her home. The man is very forward in his approach, suggesting that they hug and squeeze, and teasing her with the possibility of his affection.
The lyrics of the song have been widely interpreted, with some people seeing it as a straightforward ode to young love, and others interpreting it as a more sinister commentary on the predatory behavior of some men towards young women. The line "If you let me I can tease you baby" has been especially controversial, with some seeing it as a playful expression of flirtation, and others seeing it as a thinly veiled suggestion of sexual coercion.
The song has endured despite these controversies, partly due to the catchy melody and upbeat guitar riffs that characterize The Yardbirds' version of the tune. The song has been used in a number of films and television shows over the years, including 1991's "The Commitments" and the television series "The Sopranos." The song is a classic example of the blues-rock genre that The Yardbirds helped to define, and remains a beloved tune for many music fans to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
The singer greets a young woman who is still in school.
Can I go home with you?
The singer asks if he can accompany her back to her house.
Won't you let me go home with you,
The singer repeats his request, hoping the young woman will agree.
So I can hug, hug, squeeze, squeeze?
The artist hints at his desire for physical intimacy with the young woman.
If you let me I can tease you baby.
The artist suggests that he can seduce the young woman if she allows him to come home with her.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey hey hey hey. Hey, yeah.
A repeated refrain that adds energy to the song.
Let's dance, little schoolgirl.
The singer invites the young woman to dance with him.
Won't you let me take you to the hop, hop,
The artist suggests they go to a dance party or event.
Have a party at the soda shop
The artist proposes they celebrate at a place where they can get refreshments.
So we can do the twist, do the stroll
The artist intends to dance with the young woman to popular music styles of the time.
To the music of the rock 'n' roll.
The singer specifies that the music they will dance to is a popular genre of the time.
Tell your mama and your papa that I love you.
The artist professes his love to the young woman and wants her to inform her parents.
Tell your sisters and your brother that I love you.
The singer wants her siblings to know that he has feelings for their sister.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey, hey hey hey. Hey, hey hey hey. Hey, hey hey hey.
The repeated refrain continues to add energy to the song until it ends.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: LOVE LEVEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gilgamess
There is a lot of talk about this, so let me clarify a few things.
1. There are two songs called "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl". John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson recorded his song in 1937. The other song, first recorded by Don (Level) and Bob (Love) on Argo in 1961 shares a couple of lines with the SBW song, but it's a different song.
2. The Don and Bob song exists in two different versions: one has echo on the vocals, the other doesn't.
3. The Yardbirds seemed to have heard the "echo version", hence, "hug-hug", "squeeze-squeeze".
4. The versions of "Five Live Yardbirds" I've heard over the years had the studio version of GMLS. The Repertoire and Fuel 2000 reissues, so I've read, reassemble the concert at the Crawdaddy Club, which includes the live version; this, is the studio version.
For another great version of the Don and Bob song, Rod Stewart's is nice. He's backed by Jimmy Powell and the Five Dimensions.
@captainwalker4911
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Can I go home with you?
Won't you let me go home with you,
So I can hug, hug, squeeze, squeeze?
If you let me I can tease you baby.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey hey hey hey. Hey, yeah.
Let's dance, little schoolgirl.
Let's dance, little schoolgirl.
Won't you let me take you to the hop, hop,
Have a party at the soda shop
So we can do the twist, do the stroll
To the music of the rock 'n' roll.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey hey hey hey. Hey, yeah.
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Can I go home with you?
Won't you let me go home with you,
So I can hug, hug, squeeze, squeeze?
If you let me I can tease you baby.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey hey hey hey. Hey, yeah.
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Can I go home with you?
Won't you let me go home with you?
Tell your mama and your papa that I love you.
Tell your sisters and your brother that I love you.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey, hey hey hey.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey, hey hey hey.
@Susie196921
I can barely deal with today's music! Thank God for these classics!
@MrBGB2012
Eric Clapton at his absolute rockin' best! On one of his earliest recordings with THE YARDBIRDS,in 1964! He is indeed a true guitar legend!
@faisalmamy9326
Bryan Briggs bb
@markjones1337
It's a catchy song, shame modern music is so base. Anyways, I read a great book couple of months back. Musical Truths ( I think there 2 or 3 volumes). But the first volume I read, wow, had a lot of the inside info on the 60s bands, stuff youdobt hear.
@davecooper5951
I think EC was only 19 when he played that solo. I'm still trying to get the right feel of those bends 57 yrs later !
@PlanetBabylon
Happy and unpretentious songs should become a trend again
@leonmydarling6648
A teeny bopper classic - but Clapton's guitar solo is sublime.
@LordKenebutch
Actually a cover of a old blues song done by many of the greats.
@owenevans4532
​@John Kenebutch No your thinking of a very different song. This is a Don & Bob song originally.
@LordKenebutch
@Owen Evans Don & Bob? is it a British song?