Welcome Back Pretty Baby
Chuck Berry Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hello, pretty baby
How did your vacation go ?
You know I long to be with you
Because I really missed you so
You must have many things to tell me
But only one I yearn to know

Shall we dance, pretty baby
And does your love for me remain ?
It's been a long hot summer
With no one to entertain
Ah, it's really boss to hold your hand, baby
Dance and talk with you again

Bye, bye for now
But I shall call you on the phone
I want to tell you how boss it was
To have been your chaperone




And if you choose me for your steady
Darling, you'll never walk alone

Overall Meaning

Chuck Berry's "Welcome Back Pretty Baby" is a charming declaration of love to a woman he's been separated from during summer vacation. The opening lines set a romantic tone by greeting his sweetheart and asking how her vacation went. He expresses his longing to be with her and how much he missed her. Berry allows his lyrics to reveal how eager he is to hear about the details of her vacation; he emphasizes his question by saying that he has only one thing he yearns to know.


Berry's sentiments and lyricism continue in the second verse. He asks his sweetheart if she still loves him and if they can dance together. He acknowledges their separation during the long summer, and that he had no one to entertain while she was gone. He notes how it was "really boss" to hold her hand again during the dance.


In the final verse of the song, Berry states that he loves her and that she will never walk alone if she chooses to be with him. He promises to call her on the phone and tells her he wants to be her chaperone again. Berry's lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia, and his love for the woman that he sings to is potent and unrelenting.


Line by Line Meaning

Hello, pretty baby
Chuck Berry greets his lover with affection and longing.


How did your vacation go ?
Chuck Berry wants to know how his lover's trip was and shows interest in her life.


You know I long to be with you Because I really missed you so
Chuck Berry tells his lover how much he missed her and implies his strong feelings towards her.


You must have many things to tell me But only one I yearn to know
Chuck Berry acknowledges his lover's stories but emphasizes his desire to know if she still loves him.


Shall we dance, pretty baby And does your love for me remain ?
Chuck Berry asks his lover to dance and explicitly asks if she still loves him, showing insecurity in their relationship.


It's been a long hot summer With no one to entertain Ah, it's really boss to hold your hand, baby Dance and talk with you again
Chuck Berry describes how lonely and dull his summer was without his lover, but how happy he is to have her back in his company and feeling content holding her hand.


Bye, bye for now But I shall call you on the phone I want to tell you how boss it was To have been your chaperone
Chuck Berry expresses his intention to call his lover later and expresses gratitude for having been trusted as her chaperone during their time apart.


And if you choose me for your steady Darling, you'll never walk alone
Chuck Berry offers his loyalty to his lover and promises to always be by her side if she chooses to be with him.




Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: CHUCK BERRY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Jack


on Little Marie (Alternate)

Yes, oh yes, Long Distance, I'll accept the charge, I'll pay
Which love one is calling me, I did not hear you say.
Both are deep within my hearth, her Mom and my Marie

It so good to hear your voice from Memphis, Tennessee

Oh, you mean so much to me, more than you'll ever know,
Surely, you have not forgot how much I love you so
If you would remember, Dear, and sometimes talk to me
Maybe that would reunite our home in Tennessee.

Last time I saw you, just before I had to leave
You did not want to see me off and promised not to grieve,
My hearth was tore apart as I looked back at my Marie
And there the peace is still remain with you in Tennessee.

I guess I should stop talking, after all you placed the call
But anyway that I can help, you know I'll help you all


Then she spoke and asked me to come back and see Marie
And live together in our home in Memphis, Tennessee.

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