When the group was first formed in 1971, they were called Shacklock after their guitarist Alan Shacklock. Members included Janita Haan and Dave Hewitt, with Dave Punshon and Dick Powell later joining. The first release was their single "Elusive"; their first album, First Base, went gold in Canada. In 1973, Ed Spevock replaced Powell and Chris Holmes replaced Punshon on the second album. In 1975, Steve Gurl, keyboardist from Glenn Cornick's Wild Turkey replaced Holmes for the third album. The same year, Shacklock exited and Bernie Marsden (Wild Turkey) joined the team for the fourth album. After this, Haan and Hewitt left.
Though no original member remained, the group incorporated Ellie Hope and Ray Knott for the fifth album in 1976. Shortly before Babe Ruth disbanded, they were joined by the 17 year-old Birmingham born Simon Lambeth who made a few appearances on their last tour. Lambeth's hauntingly naïve sound on rhythm guitar, behind the lead of Marsden, promised much but sadly it was too late; Marsden moved on to bigger things and joined Whitesnake. Simon changed careers and sadly was lost to the music scene - Hope did an outstanding job on the LP, later releasing her own solo effort in the booming disco era. Unfortunately, these later efforts are harder to pin down.
A disco cover of Babe Ruth's classic "The Mexican" appeared in the late 70s, performed by the Bombers. This version inspired an electro/freestyle cover produced by John Jellybean Benitez in 1984, for which he managed to recruit Haan on vocals - the cover subsequently becoming noted for its popularity as an underground dance hit.
Between late 2005 and early 2006, Haan, Shacklock, Punshon, and Hewitt recorded new material together in Nashville, with Spevock recording his drums in London. The album was completed September 2006, and after being made available in digital form via the band's official web site, it was released on CD through Revolver Records in the first quarter of 2009.
The Joker
Babe Ruth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
“I got enough to turn you on”
“Well now, Rat, don't you have no fear
“Cause I'm lookin' for some dope
“We'd better get it on.”
“Catcher man said we gotta move out of here
“Move further on down the stairs.”
“Don't joke about it
“Cause there ain't enough time to explain.”
Joker, don't use me
I've had about enough of you
Joker don't abuse me
I don't know, don't know what I can do
Joker, don't use me
Had about enough of you
Joker don't abuse me
I don't know, don't know what I can do
“I told this Joker that you looked quite easy”
“Why did you try to score again?”
“Yes I did, but all I found was a $5 deal”
But you only ever wanted, wanted him
I said to this Joker man “you gotta be stealin'“
“A quarter an ounce for a $5 bill”
He said “if that's the way that you feel then you'd better not pay”
“'S alright, I'll pay it on Friday, on the windowsill”
Joker, don't use me
Had about enough of you
Joker don't abuse me
I don't know, don't know what I can do
I said, “hey, Cat, you gotta move out of here
“I got enough to turn you on”
“Well now, Rat, don't you have no fear
“Cause I'm lookin' for some dope
“We'd better get it on.”
Joker, don't use me
Had about enough of you
Joker don't abuse me
I don't know, don't know what I can do
Joker, don't use me
Had about enough of you
Joker don't abuse me
I don't know what I can do
Joker, don't use me
Had about enough of you
Joker don't abuse me
I don't know what I can do
Joker, don't use me
Had about enough of you
Joker don't abuse me
I don't know what I can do
Joker, don't use me
Had about enough of you
Joker don't abuse me
I don't know what I can do
Joker, don't use me
Had about enough of you
Joker don't abuse me
I don't know what I can do
The lyrics of “The Joker” by Babe Ruth discuss drug use and the dangers of getting caught up in the wrong crowd. The song starts with the singer addressing a fellow drug user named Cat, warning them that they must leave the area as they have enough to turn them on, referring to drugs. The singer then mentions a figure known as the Joker who is trying to obtain drugs and warns Cat not to joke about getting kicked out, as there is not enough time to explain.
The chorus then warns the Joker not to abuse them, as they have had enough of the bad behaviour. The second verse then describes how the Joker is trying to get information on where to obtain drugs, and that no one should provide him with any information. The Joker is also shown trying to take advantage of the situation by trying to obtain drugs for cheaper prices than what is available. The song then ends with the same warnings against the Joker as before.
Overall, “The Joker” is a cautionary tale about the dangers of drug addiction and the perils of falling in with the wrong crowd. The lyrics are meant to portray the dangers and risks associated with drug use and the importance of recognizing when to stop before it is too late.
Line by Line Meaning
I said, “hey, Cat, you gotta move out of here
Babe Ruth is telling someone to leave because they have enough drugs
“I got enough to turn you on”
Babe Ruth has a lot of drugs
“Well now, Rat, don't you have no fear
Babe Ruth is reassuring someone named Rat that they don't need to worry
“Cause I'm lookin' for some dope
Babe Ruth is searching for more drugs
“We'd better get it on.”
Babe Ruth is urging someone to join them in drug use
“Catcher man said we gotta move out of here
Someone else (the Catcher man) is telling Babe Ruth and their group to leave
“Move further on down the stairs.”
The group needs to move to a different location
“Well if they kick you out
If they get kicked out of the new location
“Don't joke about it
Don't make light of the situation
“Cause there ain't enough time to explain.”
There isn't enough time to explain why they got kicked out
“Joker, don't use me
Babe Ruth is addressing someone named Joker, saying don't use them
I've had about enough of you
They've reached their limit with Joker's behavior
“Joker don't abuse me
Babe Ruth doesn't want to be mistreated by Joker
I don't know, don't know what I can do
They don't know how to handle their situation with Joker
“I told this Joker that you looked quite easy”
Babe Ruth spoke to Joker about someone present (Cat) being easy to persuade
“Why did you try to score again?”
Joker attempted to buy drugs again
“Yes I did, but all I found was a $5 deal”
The drugs were not worth the price
But you only ever wanted, wanted him
Joker only wanted drugs and didn't care about anybody else
“I said to this Joker man “you gotta be stealin'“
Babe Ruth accused Joker of stealing drugs
“A quarter an ounce for a $5 bill”
The price was suspiciously low for that amount
He said “if that's the way that you feel then you'd better not pay”
Joker doesn't care if people think he's stealing drugs
“'S alright, I'll pay it on Friday, on the windowsill”
Babe Ruth will pay for the drugs later
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: ALAN SHACKLOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind