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 Schoolgirl
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 blues song that dates back to the 1930s but found fame in the 1960s when The Yardbirds covered it. The song's lyrics are suggestive and aim to pick up a young female student. The song opens with a greeting to the subject and a request to go home with her. The singer wants to hug and squeeze her and even teases her if he gets permission. He goes further to suggest they go to the dance and have a party at the soda shop where they can do the twist and stroll to the rock 'n' roll music. Lastly, he pleads with her to let her go home with her and inform her parents and siblings that he loves her.
The song is a classic example of the blues genre, which often features suggestive lyrics that talk about the difficulties of romance, love lost or found, sex, and poverty. The Yardbirds' version was a hit, thanks to the band's powerful delivery, James Beck's guitar-playing, and Keith Relf's vocals. Musically, the song is an energetic rock 'n' roll number that has become synonymous with the band. The lyrics may not have been appropriate, particularly now, but they have become part of the Yardbirds' legacy.
Line by Line Meaning
Good morning, little schoolgirl.
Greeting the young girl, expressing admiration and desire for her.
Can I go home with you?
Requesting permission to accompany the girl to her home.
Won't you let me go home with you,
Asking again for permission to go to the girl's home, indicating a strong desire.
So I can hug, hug, squeeze, squeeze?
Expressing the physical intimacy that the artist wants to have with the girl.
If you let me I can tease you baby.
Offering to entertain and play with the girl.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey hey hey hey. Hey, yeah.
Repeating the refrain, expressing enthusiasm and excitement.
Let's dance, little schoolgirl.
Proposing to dance with the girl.
Won't you let me take you to the hop, hop,
Asking to take the girl to a dance, indicating a desire to spend more time with her.
Have a party at the soda shop
Suggesting a fun and social hangout spot for the girl and the artist.
So we can do the twist, do the stroll
Describing the specific dances that the artist wants to do with the girl, indicating a shared joy of music and dance.
To the music of the rock 'n' roll.
Further emphasizing the importance of music in the singer's relationship with the girl.
Tell your mama and your papa that I love you.
Expressing strong feelings of affection towards the girl, in a way that involves her family as well.
Tell your sisters and your brother that I love you.
Expanding the message of love to include the girl's siblings, indicating a desire to become a part of her family.
Hey, hey hey hey. Hey, hey hey hey.
Repeating the refrain again, emphasizing the excitement and enthusiasm.
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?