Brenda Holloway (born June 21, 1946 in Atascadero, California) is an Africa… Read Full Bio ↴Brenda Holloway (born June 21, 1946 in Atascadero, California) is an African-American singer and songwriter best known for her period as a recording artist for the Motown label during the 1960s. Her best known hits from her Motown days were the soul ballad Every Little Bit Hurts (which reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. The title of the song was similar to the 60's television public service announcement about highway littering--Every Litter Bit Hurts. After her '64 hit, she recorded, When I'm Gone,which had been recorded by Mary Wells and was intended to be Mary's followup to her '64 mega-hit , My Guy. However, after a contract dispute, Mary Wells left Motown for 20th Century Fox Records. Brenda's version of "When I'm Gone" was a R&B hit, but never crossed over in the days of segragated R&B/Rock & Roll radio.

Holloway did not fit the Motown mold well. She lived in Los Angeles, not Detroit. She also had a grittier edge than the typical polished Motown performer, and wrote songs as well as sang them, which was unprecedented for a female Motown artist. Brenda Hollowy inspired many pop artists, including The Beatles who asked her to perform as the opening act on their 1965 tour of the U.S. She was the only female to open for them.

Ooo Baby Baby
Brenda Holloway Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ooh la, la, la, la.
I did you wrong, my heart went out to play
And in the game I lost you, what a price to pay!
I'm cryin', ooh baby baby ooh baby baby

Mistakes I know I've made a few,
But I'm only human; you've made mistakes too!
I'm cryin', ooh baby baby ooh baby baby

Ooh baby baby
Ooh baby baby I'm just about at the end of my rope.
But I can't stop tryin', I can't give up hope
'cause I feel someday I'll hold you near,
Whisper I still love you
Until that day is here ooh I'm cryin'.

Ooh baby baby ooh baby baby

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Brenda Holloway's "Ooo Baby Baby" express regret over mistakes made in a past relationship, and the pain of losing someone as a result. The first verse describes how the singer's heart "went out to play" and they ended up losing their lover in the game. The repetition of "ooh baby baby" indicates a sense of longing and sadness. The second verse acknowledges that both partners have made mistakes and emphasizes the humanness of these errors. Despite being at the end of their rope, the singer is unable to give up hope and remains determined to hold their lover close again someday.

Line by Line Meaning

Ooh la, la, la, la.
Expressing excitement or anticipation at the start of the song.

I did you wrong, my heart went out to play
I cheated on you because I let my emotions control my actions.

And in the game I lost you, what a price to pay!
I lost you as a result of my actions and it hurts me deeply.

I'm cryin', ooh baby baby ooh baby baby
I'm feeling intense sadness and remorse over what I've done.

Mistakes I know I've made a few,
I am aware that I've made mistakes in our relationship.

But I'm only human; you've made mistakes too!
I'm not perfect and neither are you, we have both made mistakes in the past.

Ooh baby baby
Repeating the chorus to emphasize how much I'm hurting.

Ooh baby baby I'm just about at the end of my rope.
I'm at my breaking point and feel like giving up.

But I can't stop tryin', I can't give up hope
I still have hope that we can work things out and I'm willing to keep trying.

'cause I feel someday I'll hold you near, Whisper I still love you
I believe that we will reconcile in the future and I will tell you how much I still love you.

Until that day is here ooh I'm cryin'.
Until we are able to reconcile, I will continue to be overwhelmed with sadness and regret.

Ooh baby baby ooh baby baby
Repeating the chorus to emphasize my emotional state.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SMOKEY ROBINSON, WARREN MOORE, WILLIAM ROBINSON JR.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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