This, That, and the Other

For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams is honoring Mother’s Day by giving us the theme of “Mom/Mother/Flowers.” As I thought about about the topic, the classic 1961 song by the Shirelles, “Mama Said” came to mind.

The Shirelles, an American girl group, was notable for their rhythm and blues, doo-wop, and soul music. They were very popular in the early 1960s, with seven top 20 hits. “Mama Said” was written by Luther Dixon and Willie Denson. It became a hit on both the pop and R&B charts, reaching number 4 and number 2, respectively. Billboard named the song number 44 on its list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.

“Mama Said” is about a girl who sees all her friends getting married and is frustrated that she doesn’t have her own man. But her mother reassures her that someday she’ll find a man who will look at her with loving eyes.

The group members of The Shirelles were Shirley Owens, Doris Coley, Beverly Lee and Micki Harris. They were one of the great girl groups.

There have been numerous covers of “Mama Said,” including versions by American Spring, Melanie, Dusty Springfield, The Stereos, and Dionne Bromfield. The song also inspired Van Morrison’s “Days Like This.”

Here are the lyrics to the song.

Mama said there’ll be days like this
There’ll be days like this, my mama said
(Mama said, mama said)

Mama said there’ll be days like this
There’ll be days like this, my mama said

I went walkin’ the other day, yeah
Everything was goin’ fine
And then I met a little boy named Billy-Joe
And then I almost lost my mind

Come on, mama said there’ll be days like this
There’ll be days like this, my mama said
(Mama said, mama said)
Oh, mama said there’ll be days like this
There’ll be days like this, my mama said

My eyes were wide open
All that I could see, yeah
The chapel bells were tollin’
For everybody but me
But I don’t worry ’cause

Mama said there’ll be days like this
There’ll be days like this, my mama said
(Mama said, mama said)
Mama said there’ll be days like this
There’ll be days like this, my mama said

And then she said
Someone would look at me
Like I’m lookin’ at you
One day
Then I might find
I don’t want you any old way
So, don’t worry, ’cause

Mama said there’ll be days like this
There’ll be days like this, my mama said
(Mama said, mama said)
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Mama said there’ll be days like this
There’ll be days like this, my mama said
Oh, yeah
(Mama said, mama said)
Don’t worry, yeah, don’t worry, now, yeah, eah, eah, eah
Don’t worry, worry, now, now, now
Don’t you worry