She is known for her sense of humor, which is expressed in both her music and her onstage performances. Many of her songs alternate between emotional reflections on romance and outright comedy. Two of her more famous songs include "Sensitive New Age Guys" and "Bald Headed Men".
Somebody's Baby
Christine Lavin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for the bus
Token in my hand
Thinking about Dinner and what I would eat
That's when I saw him all dirty and ragged
Begging for nickles and dimes
I got on the bus
Rolled away
He once was Somebodys Baby
Someone bounced him on her knee
Do you think she has any idea
What her little boy's grown up to be?
I was walking through riverside park
On a beautiful afternoon
Telling my neighbor about the vacation
I planned to be taking soon
That's when I saw her all dirty and ragged
Drinking a bottle of wine
I turned my head
Walked right on by
But one thing stayed in my mind.
She once was Somebodys Baby
Someone bounced her on his knee
Do you think he has any idea
What his little girl has turned out to be?
In the back of a checker cab stopped at a light
Heading toward Broadway
To see the latest critically acclaimed
Pulitzer Prize winning play
That's when I saw them outside the shelter
Forming a ragged line
We pulled away
I didn't look back
But one thought stayed in my mind.
They once were somebody's babies
But somewhere their lives went all wrong
Next time you see them don't think the worse
Why not try to think of this song?
Christine Lavin's "Somebody's Baby" is a thought-provoking piece about the fleeting nature of life and the universal humanity that exists within all people. It highlights the experience of seeing the marginalized and the forgotten on the streets of New York City, and the power of imagination in recognizing the potential for hope and redemption in those who appear to have lost it all.
The first verse describes the singer waiting for the bus on 53rd Street and witnessing a dirty and ragged man begging for change. The singer then leaves on the bus, but is haunted by one simple truth: that the man was once somebody's baby, loved and cherished just like anyone else. This line is repeated throughout the song, and serves as a poignant and powerful reminder that everyone, regardless of their appearance or circumstances, is worthy of love and empathy.
The second verse sees the singer walking through Riverside Park, speaking with a neighbor about a planned vacation, only to encounter a similarly dirty and ragged woman drinking wine. Again, the singer recognizes her as somebody's baby, but ultimately moves on and continues her day. The third and final verse takes place in the back of a taxi, en route to see a critically acclaimed play on Broadway. The singer sees a line of homeless people outside a shelter, and once again reflects on the fact that they are somebody's babies, and that their lives have gone astray for reasons that may be beyond their control.
Overall, "Somebody's Baby" is a poignant and thought-provoking song that speaks to the universality of the human experience, and the importance of empathy and understanding in a world that can often be harsh and unforgiving.
Line by Line Meaning
I was standing on 6th Avenue at the corner of 53rd Street
I was at a specific location waiting for the bus
Waiting for the bus
I was waiting for the bus to arrive
Token in my hand
I had a token to use as fare for the bus
Thinking about Dinner and what I would eat
I was contemplating what I would have for dinner
That's when I saw him all dirty and ragged
I saw a man who looked disheveled and unclean
Begging for nickles and dimes
He was asking passersby for small amounts of spare change
I got on the bus
I boarded the bus once it arrived
Rolled away
The bus began to move and left the stop
But one thing stayed in my mind.
I couldn't stop thinking about something I had witnessed
He once was Somebodys Baby
He was once a child who was loved and cared for by someone
Someone bounced him on her knee
A woman had at one point held him and played with him when he was young
Do you think she has any idea
I wonder if the person who cared for him as a child knows what he has become
What her little boy's grown up to be?
I am curious about what kind of person he has turned into
I was walking through riverside park
I was strolling through a park named Riverside
On a beautiful afternoon
The weather was lovely that day
Telling my neighbor about the vacation
I was sharing details about an upcoming trip with my neighbor
I planned to be taking soon
I had already made plans to go on that trip soon
That's when I saw her all dirty and ragged
I noticed a woman who looked unkempt and worn out
Drinking a bottle of wine
She was consuming a bottle of wine at that moment
I turned my head
I purposely looked away from her
Walked right on by
I continued on my path without stopping
But one thing stayed in my mind.
I couldn't shake off what I had seen
She once was Somebodys Baby
She too, like the man from earlier, was once a child who was loved
Someone bounced her on his knee
A man had once cradled her and played with her when she was young
Do you think he has any idea
I pondered if the person who cared for her as a child knew her current state
What his little girl has turned out to be?
I was curious about what kind of person she has grown into
In the back of a checker cab stopped at a light
I was seated in the rear of a taxi, waiting in traffic at a red light
Heading toward Broadway
I was headed to a street named Broadway
To see the latest critically acclaimed
I was on my way to view a highly praised
Pulitzer Prize winning play
I was on my way to see a theatrical production that had won a Pulitzer Prize
That's when I saw them outside the shelter
I noticed a group of people outside a facility for housing the homeless
Forming a ragged line
They were lined up informally, without any order or structure
We pulled away
The taxi began to move and departed from the traffic light
I didn't look back
I didn't turn my head to observe the homeless who were left behind
But one thought stayed in my mind.
Even though I didn't dwell on it, I couldn't let go of what I had seen earlier
They once were somebody's babies
Each person in that homeless group had someone who had once cherished them in their infancy
But somewhere their lives went all wrong
At some point in their lives, these individuals fell on hard times and lost their former life situations
Next time you see them don't think the worse
When you come across someone like them again, don't jump to negative conclusions
Why not try to think of this song?
Instead, maybe you can try to put yourself in their shoes and remember this song
Contributed by Lillian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.