In 1958, Ben Nelson joined a doo wop group, The Five Crowns. Later that same year, The Drifters' manager fired the members of the group and replaced them with The Five Crowns, who had performed several engagements with The Drifters. He co-wrote the first hit by the new version of The Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959). He also sang lead, using his birth name, on "Save the Last Dance for Me," a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, "Dance With Me," "This Magic Moment," "I Count the Tears," and other The Drifters hits.
In 1960 he left the group after failing to gain a salary increase and a fairer share of the group's royalties. At this point he assumed the more memorable stage name Ben E. King in preparation for a solo career. Remaining on Atlantic, King scored his first solo hit with the stylish, Latin-tinged ballad "Spanish Harlem" (1961). "Stand by Me" was his next recording. "Stand by Me", written by King along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller was voted one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America. "Stand by Me" and "Spanish Harlem" were named as two of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and were both also given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
King's records continued to place well on the pop charts until 1963, when British pop bands began to dominate the popular music scene. His hits after 1963 were "What is Soul?" (1967), "Supernatural Thing, part 1" (1975), and the re-issue in 1986 of "Stand by Me" following the song's use as the theme music to the movie of the same name.
There Goes My Baby
Ben E. King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(There she goes) (doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo)
(There she goes) (doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo)
(Bo-bo) (doo-doot-doo-doo)
(Bo-bo) (doo-doo-doo-doo)
There goes my baby, movin' on down the line
Wonder where, wonder where, wonder where she is bound?
Now I'm alone, so all alone
What can I do, what can I do?
(There goes my baby) whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
(There goes my baby) yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(There goes my baby) whoa-oh-oh-oh
(There she goes)
I want to know if she loved me (there she goes)
Did she really love me?
Was she just playing me for a fool?
I wonder why she left me
Why did she leave me so all alone
So all alone
I just wanna tell her that I loved her
And that I need her
Beside my side to be my guide
I want to know where is my (doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo)
Where is my baby (doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo)
I want my baby
I need my baby
Yeah, whoa-oh-oh (there goes my baby)
(There goes my baby)
(There goes my baby) whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
The song "There Goes My Baby" by Ben E. King tells a story of a man who regrets losing a woman he loved deeply. The song starts with some simple harmonies of "Bo-bo, doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo," and then the singer laments over his mistake, wondering where she could have gone. He blames himself for breaking her heart, and now he feels lonely and lost. He questions whether she ever loved him or if he was just a toy for her to play with.
The chorus repeats the singer's feelings of loss, as he sings the phrase "There goes my baby" in a soulful manner. He wants her back, and he wants her to know how much he loves and needs her. He wishes he had never let her go and is searching for a way to make it right.
The lyrics of "There Goes My Baby" are relatable, and the tune is catchy, making it a timeless classic. The song shows the timeless struggle of love and loss, and it remains relevant to listeners of all ages today.
Line by Line Meaning
There goes my baby, movin' on down the line
The girl I once loved has moved on, and I don't know where she's going
Wonder where, wonder where, wonder where she is bound?
I wonder where she's heading to now
I broke her heart and made her cry
I hurt her emotionally and caused her pain
Now I'm alone, so all alone
Now I'm by myself, feeling very lonely
What can I do, what can I do?
I don't know what to do about it
I want to know if she loved me (there she goes)
I want to know if she truly loved me or if it was just an act when she left
Did she really love me?
Did she truly care and have feelings for me?
Was she just playing me for a fool?
Was she being dishonest and using me for her own benefit?
I wonder why she left me
I'm curious as to why she decided to leave me
Why did she leave me so all alone?
I don't understand why she left me feeling so lonely
I just wanna tell her that I loved her
I want to express my love and feelings for her
And that I need her
I need her to be there for me again
Beside my side to be my guide
I want her to be with me and guide me through life
I want to know where is my (doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo)
I want to know where my lost love is
Where is my baby (doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo)
Where is the girl I used to call my baby
I want my baby
I want her back in my life
I need my baby
I require her to be with me again
Yeah, whoa-oh-oh (there goes my baby)
I can see my former love physically leaving, and it hurts me deeply
(There goes my baby)
She's really gone
(There goes my baby) whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
She's leaving and it's painful for me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL MICHAEL BARRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
B3Passion
I was honored to have an opportunity of a lifetime when I was called by the musician's union on short notice to perform with Ben E. King. His band had not made it to Baltimore from Florida back in the late 70's. I was young and had a lot of ambition back then. Mr. King was shocked that I couldn't read charts, but the show went off fine and he offered me a job and $35 cash. I was from rural Georgia and the thought of just moving to New York overwhelmed me. If only I could do that again. :)
Rich
Amazing 😪❤️😭
Geo Boy
@Rich woahhh man surprised that u still listen to him me too and because for me Iloved this scene because THE SANDLOT (1993)
jackie gee
WoW!!! I would love to have been in your shoes then
Jaylen Brown Fan
9 years later and still an amazing story.
Kelz
Ben's voice paired with that musical arrangement is pure magic!
Skibum19461
It's great to see that younger people are enjoying this music! When I was 15, I went to a dance/concert of The Drifters ! Wow! What an experience! We did not need drugs, we were high on the music! I danced with my "squeeze" to all of The Drifters music. Check out all of their songs!
Johnlindsey289
I’m 39 and enjoyed my mom and dads music since the eighties
hersh23
:(
I've always thought Ben E. King was greatly under appreciated in the music world. He's one of my all time favorites. Love this song and the harmonizing.
R.I.P. King.
Norma J.
I think so too, he has always been one of my favorite singers of all time, I knew all his songs as a teenager