Doo Wop Songs

Singing groups form in all sorts of ways, and The Velvets were a five-person doo wop group consisting of a teacher and four of his students who formed in 1958. Virgil Johnson taught English in Odessa, Texas, and eventually became a high school principal. Johnson was also a DJ at KDAV in Lubbock, Texas, where he was called “V.J. the D.J.” Other group members were William Solomon, Mark Prince, Robert Thursby, and Clarence Rigsby. Their big break happened when Roy Orbison heard them and brought them to the attention of the Monument label. In 1961, “Tonight (Could be the Night),” which was written by Johnson, went to #26 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It features the term “doo-wop” throughout the song. The Earls had a disco version in 1977.

Here are the lyrics to “Tonight (Could be the Night) by The Velvets, featuring Virgil Johnson:

“Tonight
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

Could be the night
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

To hear her say
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

Darling, I do
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

And tonight
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

Could be the ni-eye-eye-eye-ight
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

To get the ring
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

Around your finger
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

Oh my darling, hold me tight
And tonight, just could be the night
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, yeah

Tonight
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

Could be the night
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

To fall in love
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

With someone like you-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

Oh my darling, hold me tight
And tonight, just could be the night
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, yeah

Tonight
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

Could be the ni-eye-eye-eye-ight
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

To get that ring
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

Around your finger
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)
(Doo-wop, doo-wop-de-wop)

Oh my darling, hold me tight
For tonight
Is the night”

For More Golden Oldies Music

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop music, rock and roll hits, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

Please click here for the Daily Doo Wop YouTube channel, to which you can subscribe. Thank you for stopping by The Daily Doo Wop. Hope you enjoyed “Tonight (Could be the Night)” by The Velvets, featuring Virgil Johnson.