Lee was a musical prodigy and by the time she was two she would hear songs on the radio once and be able to whistle the complete tune. She was five years old when she started to gain wider attention when she won a local singing contest sponsored by the elementary schools. At age 11, she was offered a recording contract with Decca Records and released the song “Dynamite,” leading to her lifelong nickname, “Little Miss Dynamite.”
Lee was popular in the UK very early in her career, and her 1961 rockabilly release “Let’s Jump the Broomstick” did not chart in the US, but went to #12 in the UK. Her biggest hits during this time include a rockabilly version of the country classic “Jambalaya (On the Bayou),” “Sweet Nothin’s,” “I Want to Be Wanted,” “All Alone Am I,” and “Fool #1.”
In 1960, she recorded her signature song, “I’m Sorry,” which hit number one on the Billboard pop chart and was her first gold single. Her last top-10 single on the pop charts was 1963’s “Losing You,” while she continued to have other chart songs such as her 1966 song “Coming On Strong” and “Is It True?” in 1964.
During the early 1970s, Lee re-established herself as a country music artist, and earned a string of Top 10 hits on the country charts. Her biggest selling track of her career is, oddly enough, a Christmas song: “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” It was released in 1958, but it sold only 5,000 copies. However, it eventually sold over five million copies and remains a perennial radio favorite each December. In December 2023, Lee became the oldest artist to ever top the Hot 100, when "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" topped the chart 65 years after its release.
Over the ensuing years, Lee has continued to record and perform all around the world, previously cutting records in four different languages. She is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. In 1992, she recorded a duet with Willy DeVille; Chuck Berry also wrote a song about her. Lee has been married to Ronnie Shacklett since 1963, and they have two daughters and three grandchildren. She is the second recipient of the Jo Meador-Walker Lifetime Achievement award.
Throughout her career, Brenda Lee has released 41 studio albums, 12 compilation albums, and over 100 singles. She has had numerous top twenty hits on the Billboard Hot 100, Country, and AC charts in the US, UK, and Canada.
Bigelow 6-200
Brenda Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here's the number to call if you want my lovin'
Number to call if you want your turtle love
Number I'll be waitin' all night long,
Just a waitin' for you to phone, Bigelow 6-200.
What's the matter, what's the matter why don't you call
Just a waitin' her baby not doin' a thing
Just a waitin' for the dog gone phone to ring, Bigelow 6-200.
Well, baby dial my number, you said you would phone
I'm so broken hearted, please don't wait too long
Well, I'm sorry baby that we had a fight,
And you left me the other night
Well if the phone don't ring in a minute or two
I think pretty baby that I'll call you, Bigelow 6-200.
Well, baby dial my number, you said you would phone
I'm so broken hearted, please don't wait too long
Well, I'm sorry baby that we had a fight,
And you left me the other night
Well if the phone don't ring in a minute or two
I think pretty baby that I'll call you, Bigelow 6-200.
"Bigelow 6-200" is a sweet and amusing love song by Brenda Lee that talks about the pangs of waiting for a call from a lover. The singer gives the listener the phone number to call if they want her attention and affections. She explains that she will be waiting by the phone all night long, and that she hopes her lover will dial this number to declare their love or show their affection. As time goes by, the singer becomes more anxious, wondering why her lover hasn't called yet. She questions whether her lover still loves her and pleads with them to call her as soon as possible, as she can't take the wait anymore. The final verse sees the singer contemplating calling her lover instead, as she's getting restless.
The song is a reflection of the anxieties of unrequited love or a relationship that appears to be rocky, and the apprehension of waiting for someone to show their love. It's both exciting and nerve-wracking, conveying the anticipation and fear that often comes with being in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's the number to call if you want my lovin'
I'm giving you my phone number so you can call me if you want to be with me
Number to call if you want your turtle love
This is the phone number you should dial if you want to express your affection
Number I'll be waitin' all night long,
I'll be waiting patiently for you to call me, even if it takes all night
Just a waitin' for you to phone, Bigelow 6-200.
I'm waiting for the phone to ring, hoping that it's you on the other end of the line, calling me on this number
What's the matter, what's the matter why don't you call
Why haven't you called yet, what's stopping you from picking up the phone
Don't ya love me baby a more at all?
Have your feelings for me changed, do you no longer love me?
Just a waitin' her baby not doin' a thing
I'm waiting here doing nothing, just waiting for you to call me back
Just a waitin' for the dog gone phone to ring, Bigelow 6-200.
I'm just waiting for the phone to ring, for you to call me on this number (which happens to be Bigelow 6-200)
Well, baby dial my number, you said you would phone
You promised to call me, so please dial my number
I'm so broken hearted, please don't wait too long
I'm feeling really sad about our fight and breakup, so please call me soon
Well, I'm sorry baby that we had a fight,
I'm apologizing for our argument/at, hoping you'll forgive me and call me back
And you left me the other night
You walked out on me last time we saw each other, which made me really sad
Well if the phone don't ring in a minute or two
If I don't hear from you in the next couple of minutes, I won't be able to wait any longer and will call you myself
I think pretty baby that I'll call you, Bigelow 6-200.
I'm going to call you on the same phone number that I'm waiting for you to call me, which is Bigelow 6-200
Contributed by Ruby V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jorge Muñoz Aguilar
Simplemente, EXTRAORDINARIA. Una niña genio que se convietió en mujer cantante sin que nadie la pudiera igualar y además buenamosa.
Gerard van Leeuwen
Didn't know that Brenda was so young when she did this song, but all i could so, it's class, absolute class !! Respect !!
Den León
Jamas me cansaré de escucharla. 💗
jeanmarie basset
yo tambien
Michael Friedman
Excellent musical performance !
MsVICTOR62
Fantastic! Only eleven years old Brenda Lee. Love it. ❤🎼😎
pulpitudes
Simply fabulous, in a rockabilly way! I think you're the first to expose Decca's scheme to make her only nine years old.
juha vesanen
So young, so talented... 🙂👍🏿
mullerk2
The perfect Grady Martin on guitar really compliments Brenda's talents.
Kvstas Kar
QUEEN OF ROCKABILLY 🎼💚