Pop Music

The song “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” was written by songwriter and record producer George “Shadow” Morton The Shangri-Las, a Sixties girl group from Queens, New York, with a tough-girl image, recorded it, and, in 1964, the song went to #18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

The Shangri-Las formed while at Andrew Jackson High School in 1963. They were two sets of sisters. Mary and Elizabeth “Betty” Weiss and identical twins Marguerite “Marge” and Mary Ann Ganser. Their first big success was in 1964 with “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” and then with “Leader of the Pack.” They were a group until 196, and during their heyday, they were out and about with some of the biggest groups of the time. They performed with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Drifters, James Brown, Herman’s Hermits, and Del Shannon, just to name a few . The Shangri-Las had some successful records with themes regarding alienation, abandonment, loneliness, and death (well, it was the sixties). These included “Leader of the Pack,” “Out in the Streets,” “Give Us Your Blessings, “I Can Never Go Home Anymore,” “Past, Present and Future,” and a song dedicated to those fighting overseas in Vietnam titled “Long Live Our Love.”

Here are the lyrics to “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” by The Shangri-Las:

When I say, ‘I’m in love,’ you best believe I’m in love LUV.

Here comes my guy, walking down the street
Look how he walks with a dancing beat
Thick wavy hair, a little too long
All day long he’s singing his song

And when I see him in the street
My heart takes a leap and skips a beat
Gonna walk right up to him
Give him a great big kiss

Tell him that I love him
Tell him that I care
Tell him that I’ll always be there

Well, what color are his eyes?
I don’t know he’s always wearing shades
Is he tall? Well, I’ve got to look up
Yeah? Well, I hear he’s bad
Hmm, he’s good, bad but he’s not evil

Tell me more, tell me more…
Big bulky sweaters to match his eyes
Dirty fingernails, oh, boy, what a prize
Tight tapered pants, high button shoes
He’s always looking like he’s got the blues

And when I see him in the street
My heart takes a leap and skips a beat
Gonna walk right up to him
Give him a great big kiss

Tell him that I love him
Tell him that I care
Tell him that I’ll always be there

Is he a good dancer?
What do you mean is he a good dancer?
Well, how does he dance?
Close, very, very close

If you are interested in reading about and listening to another song by The Shangri Las, please click here for “Leader of the Pack.”

Check Out The Groove Pad for More 1960s Music

The Pass the Paisley Groove Pad is a resting stop, a place to chill out and listen to the featured song on the stereo. If the mood strikes you, click on the juke box to access and listen to the 50+ free online songs there. The TV has several channels, with selections updated twice a week. Every now and then, Pass the Paisley hosts an all-request of 1960s and 1970s songs for a Be-In at the juke box in the Groove Pad. Keep on truckin’. Hope you enjoyed “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” by The Shangri Las.