A unique, and charismatic performer, Dave Berry performed a mixture of hard R&B and pop ballads. He was extremely popular in Britain, and on Continental Europe. He had an unusual ambition for a pop performer trying to make a name for himself - to appear on TV completely hidden by a prop. In his own words, to "not appear, to stay behind something and not come out". As a rule he did a good job; hiding behind the upturned collar of his leather jacket, or even wrapping himself around, and effectively behind, the microphone's own lead. His early hits name checked his so-called backing band, The Cruisers, although their supposed creditable presence is difficult to ascertain.
"The Crying Game" (1964), "Mama" (1966) and "This Strange Effect" (1965 - the latter written by Ray Davies), are among his best-remembered hits. Indeed, "This Strange Effect" became a massive Number One hit for him in Holland and Belgium, countries where he still enjoys superstar status, resulting in a Special Award from Radio Veronica, Holland, for their best selling pop single of all time.
Another one of his songs, "Don't Gimme No Lip Child", was covered by the Sex Pistols. His stage act, drawing largely on Elvis Presley, and Gene Vincent, provided an inspiration for Alvin Stardust. Such was his enigmatic, and unconventional presence, that several punk rock acts, such as the Sex Pistols, later acknowledged him as an inspiration.
Dave regained some, much-overlooked recognition, when he was the surprise hit of the annual Alexis Korner Tribute in 1995.
In 1998 "This Strange Effect" was covered by the Belgian band Hooverphonic, on their album Blue Wonder Power Milk.
My Baby Left Me
Dave Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, hey, hey, hey - hey!
(That's nice!)
The story "bout all of us
Not one missing
Ain't got no sweet, no no no
Yeah!
Since my baby left me (since my baby left me)
Never said a word (never said a word)
Was it something I done (was it something I done)
Was it something she heard? (something that she heard)
You know, she left me (yes, she left me)
Yes she left me (yes she left me)
My baby even left me, never said a word
Tra la la (tra la la)
Tra la la (tra la la)
Now I stand at my window (now I stand at my window)
Wring my hand and cry (wring my hand and cry)
I hate to lose that woman (I hate to lose that woman)
Hate to say goodbye (hate to say goodbye)
You know, she left me (yes, she left me)
Yes, she left me (yes, she left me)
My baby even left me, never said goodbye
Never said goodbye!
Da Da Da (da da da)
Da da da (da da da)
Da da da (da da da)
Da da da (da da da)
One of these mornings (one of these mornings)
Lord, It won't be long (lord it won't be long)
You look for me and, baby (you look for me, Baby)
And Daddy will be gone (Daddy will be gone)
You know, she left me )yes she left me)
Yes she left me (yes she left me)
My baby even left me, never said a word
Not a word!
Da da da (da da da)
Da da da (da da da)
Da da da (da da da)
Da da da (da da da)
Oh so sad
So sad
So so sad
So so so sad
The song "My Baby Left Me" by Dave Berry is a rock-and-roll classic that tells the story of a man whose partner has left him without any explanation. The tune begins with an energetic "Hey, hey, hey, hey - hey!" followed by the singer expressing that this song is about all of us and no one is missing. The lyrics continue with the singer lamenting that he has not heard a word from his partner since they left and wondering if something he did led to the split. He expresses his despair at the loss of his loved one and the fact that she left without a word. The chorus repeats the phrase "never said a word," underlining the pain of not knowing the reason for the breakup. The singer concludes with the lines that he hopes his former partner will look for him, but he may be gone.
The song's lyrics capture the heartache and confusion that can come with the sudden end of a relationship. The repetition of the phrase "never said a word" adds to the feeling of being left in the dark and without any closure. The final stanza, where the singer suggests that he may be gone one day, adds a sense of finality and acceptance to the song's story.
Line by Line Meaning
The story 'bout all of us
This song is about a universal story - everyone experiences heartbreak at some point in their lives.
Not one missing
No one is immune to heartbreak; everyone will experience it at some point.
She leaves you
The singer's lover left him.
Ain't got no sweet, no no no
He is now sad and lonely without his lover, and there is nothing sweet about it.
Since my baby left me (since my baby left me)
Since his lover left him, the singer has been heartbroken.
Never said a word (never said a word)
His lover left without warning or explanation.
Was it something I done (was it something I done)
The singer wonders if he did something wrong to cause his lover to leave.
Was it something she heard? (something that she heard)
The singer wonders if his lover left him because of something she heard about him.
You know, she left me (yes, she left me)
The singer is repeating the fact that his lover left him, perhaps in disbelief.
Yes she left me (yes she left me)
He is still trying to come to terms with the fact that she left him.
My baby even left me, never said a word
His lover left him without any explanation, which hurts him deeply.
Tra la la (tra la la)
The singer is mocking the idea of happiness and carefree living, since he is now heartbroken.
Now I stand at my window (now I stand at my window)
The singer is alone and heartbroken, and he is watching the world go by from his window.
Wring my hand and cry (wring my hand and cry)
He is so upset that he is physically wringing his hands and crying.
I hate to lose that woman (I hate to lose that woman)
The singer loved his now ex-lover, and he is devastated by the loss of their relationship.
Hate to say goodbye (hate to say goodbye)
The singer is struggling to accept that his relationship is over, and he hates the idea of having to say goodbye to his lover.
One of these mornings (one of these mornings)
The singer knows that at some point in the future, he will be able to move on from this heartbreak.
Lord, it won't be long (lord it won't be long)
He believes that it won't be too long before he is able to move on from the heartbreak and find happiness again.
You look for me and, baby (you look for me, Baby)
When his ex-lover eventually looks for him again, he won't be there.
And Daddy will be gone (Daddy will be gone)
The singer refers to himself as Daddy, and he won't be waiting around for his ex-lover to come back to him.
Not a word!
He is still hurting from his lover leaving him without any explanation.
Da da da (da da da)
The singer is repeating a nonsensical phrase as a way to cope with his heartbreak.
Oh so sad
The singer is very sad and upset about his lover leaving him.
So sad
He is emphasizing just how sad he feels.
So so sad
He is repeating just how sad he is feeling.
So so so sad
He is continuing to emphasize just how sad he feels.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Arthur Crudup
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeffkovach9495
Slick!
@briano.5746
Jimmy Page, my main guitar influence rockin' in the year I was born.
Unreal
💀👽🎸🎶🎵❤🌹
@charalampostseronis6500
Big Jim said Page’s solo on this is one of the best constructed rock solos on record
@GeneralClusterfunked
K. A Haha, me too!
@TheWhaddeva
Yeah for him maybe, for the rest of the world it ain't...
@charalampostseronis6500
K. A 😂😂😂 small world
@rgilbert8
what year was that? what BJ said?
@alfching2499
Big Jim Should Know
@stereomagic1
Fucking amazing turn from the boy Page and one of my late father's favourite tunes. Thanking you, sir!
@jorgesuarez7073
Best living rock guitarist playing lead. Not necessary to mention his name.