A Million Little Pieces Of My Mind

That '50s Album

Give Me A Sign

By: Paul S Cilwa Posted: 11/6/2026 Page Views: 45
Hashtags: #Music #1950s
A girl-group single with handclaps, tambourine, about a boy who has been gone far too long.
Estimated reading time: 4 minute(s) (778 words)

The rise of Black girl groups in the 1950s grew out of the flourishing rhythm-and-blues and doo-wop scenes in African American urban communities, where close-harmony vocal groups became a popular form of musical expression. As postwar migration brought millions of Black Americans to northern and western cities, vibrant local music cultures emerged, helping launch young female vocal ensembles onto records and radio.

Groups such as The Chantels, often regarded as pioneers of the girl-group sound, combined gospel-influenced vocals, emotional lead singing, and rich harmonies that appealed to teenage audiences. Their success demonstrated that young Black women could be commercially viable recording artists at a time when the music industry offered them limited opportunities. By the end of the decade, Black girl groups had helped shape the emerging sound of popular music, laying the foundation for the great girl-group era of the 1960s, including acts such as The Shirelles, The Marvelettes, and The Supremes.

So here's a generic 1959 girl-group single in miniature: handclaps, tambourine, a walking bass and tight three-part harmony. She keeps his picture on her bedroom wall and wears his sweater in eighty-three-degree heat, but when the phone rings it isn't him. Has he fallen out of love with her, or dead in a warzone? The Satinelles want answers.

Give Me A Sign

By Paul S Cilwa · Performed by The Satinelles

Lyrics

1959 girl-group single — handclaps, tambourine, walking bass, tight three-part harmonies

[Intro — spoken]
LEAD: Oh, girls, I'm going crazy!
GIRLS: Crazy, crazy!
LEAD: That boy's been gone so long!
GIRLS: Too long, too long!
LEAD: And I need to know!
GIRLS: What do you need to know?
LEAD: Listen!

[Verse 1]
I keep his picture on my bedroom wall,
I tell it goodnight, I tell it all.
I wear his sweater, though it's eighty-three,
And every time the phone rings, it might be—

[GIRLS, quick response]
Your boy! Your boy!

[LEAD]
But it's Aunt Louise with her old, old news!

[GIRLS]
Oh, what a shame!

[LEAD]
I'm gonna go insane!

[Chorus]
Give me a sign, give me a clue,
Tell me my soldier's still thinking of me, too!
A word, a whisper, a little hello—
Just let me know, boy, let me know!

Give me a sign, give me a clue,
I've got a heart that belongs to you!
I don't need a diamond, I don't need a shrine—
Just tell me, baby, that you're still mine!

[Girls, rhythmic backing]
Give her a sign! (Give me a sign!)
Give her a clue! (Give me a clue!)
Tell her you love her! (Tell me you do!)

[Verse 2]
I asked the radio to play our song,
The DJ said the lines were busy all night long.
I asked the moon if you were looking, too—
It just winked at me! What am I supposed to do?

[GIRLS]
Write him a letter!

[LEAD]
I did that twice!

[GIRLS]
Call his mother!

[LEAD]
She's just as worried as I am tonight!

[Chorus]
Give me a sign, give me a clue,
Tell me my soldier's still thinking of me, too!
A word, a whisper, a little hello—
Just let me know, boy, let me know!

Give me a sign, give me a clue,
I've got a heart that belongs to you!
I don't need a diamond, I don't need a shrine—
Just tell me, baby, that you're still mine!

[Bridge — music drops to bass and finger snaps]
LEAD: Maybe he's dreaming of me tonight…
GIRLS: Dreaming of you…
LEAD: Maybe he's holding our picture tight…
GIRLS: Holding it tight…
LEAD: Maybe he's found someone prettier than me—
GIRLS: Oh, no, no, no!
LEAD: Well, that's the answer I was hoping to see!

[Brief stop-time; all three girls gasp, then laugh]

[Final Chorus — full harmony, bigger handclaps]
Give me a sign, give me a clue,
Tell me my soldier's still thinking of me, too!
A word, a whisper, a little hello—
Just let me know, boy, let me know!

Give me a sign, give me a clue,
I've got a heart that belongs to you!
I don't need a diamond, I don't need a shrine—
Just tell me, baby, that you're still mine!

[Outro — call and response, fading]
LEAD: Give me a sign!
GIRLS: Give her a sign!
LEAD: Give me a clue!
GIRLS: Give her a clue!
LEAD: Say you love me!
GIRLS: Say you do!
LEAD: Oh, baby, baby—
ALL: I'm waiting for you!

[Final whispered tag]
LEAD: Even just three little words…
GIRLS: I love you!

[End on a tight, sweet three-part chord.]