The members of The Band first worked together as The Hawks, the backing band of rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins from 1959 until 1963. Shortly afterwards, Bob Dylan came to Toronto and recruited the quintet for his history-making 1965/1966 world tour. The Band also worked with Dylan on the initial Blonde on Blonde sessions which, bar two tracks, were ultimately abandoned in favour of versions recorded with Nashville session musicians.
After a motorcycle accident in mid-1966, Dylan retreated from the public eye to his country house near Woodstock, New York. He was joined by the Band for some informal jam sessions starting in the autumn of 1967, nearly all of which were recorded. After being heavily bootleged, Columbia Records finally released The Basement Tapes in 1975, a selection of the better tracks recorded during the sessions along with new recordings by The Band.
Bob Dylan and The Band were reunited in 1974, recording Planet Waves for Asylum Records, Dylan's first album recorded for a record label other than Columbia. Although the album was released under Dylan's name alone, The Band joined Dylan for his first tour in eight years in support of Planet Waves, with some of the material recorded and released on the 1975 concert record Before the Flood.
Columbia Records finally released The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete in November 2014, featuring every surving recording from the original sessions in Woodstock.
Baby Won't You Be My Baby
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I looked as far as I could see, baby
Well, I looked as far as I could see,
All mankind in misery,
Baby, won't you be my baby?
Well, I looked east, I looked west, baby
I looked east, I looked west, baby
Well, I looked east, I looked west
Baby, won't you be my baby?
[Go down the land], drop your heavy load, baby
Go down the land, drop your load, baby
Go down the land, drop your load,
Just don't look back, it's a dead end road
Baby, won't you be my baby?
Now east and west the fire will rise, baby
East and west the fire will rise, baby
East and west the fire will rise
Shut your mouth, close your eyes,
Baby, won't you be my baby?
Oh, [I been off] savin' your time, baby
I ain't tryin' to mess, I'll just save your time, baby
I ain't tryin' to mess, just save your time,
But it's your life, it's not mine
Baby, won't you be my baby?
In "Baby Won't You Be My Baby," Bob Dylan paints a picture of a world in distress. The singer looks out into the world and sees misery and finds nothing that he likes, thus he turns to the comfort of a lover, asking the person to be his baby. He tries to convince them to leave their troubles behind by telling them to "go down the land" and "drop your heavy load," to not look back, and to shut their mouths and close their eyes as the fire rises. The fire could represent destruction and chaos that is happening in the world, or the passion and intensity of their relationship.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, but it seems like the singer is looking for someone to share his troubles with and perhaps escape from the chaos around them by focusing on their own love. He wants to save the person's time and not waste it by playing games, but acknowledges that it is ultimately their life and decision to join him. The repetition in the song emphasizes the singer's desperation and yearning for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I looked as far as I could see, baby
I searched for solutions across the whole globe, my dear
All mankind in misery,
But all I found was human suffering
Well, I looked east, I looked west, baby
I gazed towards sunrise and sunset, darling
There was nothing I could see that I liked the best
Yet I saw no beauty or resolve among them
Go down the land, drop your load, baby
Away from the city, dear, relieve yourself of burdens
Just don't look back, it's a dead end road
Leave them behind, as they lead nowhere good
East and west the fire will rise, baby
The apocalyptic flames will rise from all directions, love
Shut your mouth, close your eyes,
Cover your senses, don't invite danger
I ain't tryin' to mess, just save your time,
I wish not to deceive or waste your time
But it's your life, it's not mine
But ultimately, the decisions are yours
Baby, won't you be my baby?
Would you like to join me in this world of chaos?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind