After an unsuccessful first single, the group were signed to Laurie Records. Their breakthrough came when "I Wonder Why" made # 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the group appeared for the first time on the Dick Clark TV show. They followed it with the ballads "No One Knows" (#19) and "Don't Pity Me" (#40).
This success won Dion and the Belmonts their first major tour in late 1958, with The Coasters, Buddy Holly and Bobby Darin, and this was followed up by the "Winter Dance Party" tour with Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. On 2 February 1959, after playing at Clear Lake, Iowa, Dion decided that he could not afford the $36 cost of a flight to the next venue. The plane crashed, and Holly and the other stars were killed. However, the tour continued, with Jimmy Clanton and Bobby Vee being added to the bill.
In March 1959, Dion and the Belmonts’ next single, "A Teenager in Love", was released, making #5 in the Billboard Hot 100 and #28 in the UK Singles Chart, and this was followed by an album, Presenting Dion and the Belmonts. Their biggest hit, "Where or When", was released in November 1959, and reached #3 on the U.S. chart.
However, in early 1960, Dion checked in to hospital for heroin addiction, a problem he had had since his mid-teens. Further single releases for the group that year were less successful, there were musical and financial disputes between Dion and members of the Belmonts, and in October 1960 Dion decided to quit for a solo career. The Belmonts also continued to release records, but with less success.
Dion and the Belmonts reunited in 1966 for the unsuccessful album Together Again on ABC Records, and again in 1972 for a one-off show at Madison Square Garden, recorded and released as a live album.
Take Good Care of My Baby
Dion & The Belmonts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please don't ever make her blue
Just tell her that you love her
Make sure you're thinking of her
In everything you say and do
Ah, take good care of my baby
Now don't you ever make her cry
And a rainbow all around her
Don't let her see a cloudy sky
Once upon a time that little girl was mine
If I had been true I know she'd never be with you, so
Take good care of my baby
Be just as kind as you can be
And if you should discover
That you don't really love her
Just send my baby back home to me
Ah, take good care of my baby
Be just as kind as you can be
And if you should discover
That you don't really love her
Just send my baby back home to me
Take good care of my baby
Take good care of my baby
The lyrics of Dion & The Belmonts's song "Take Good Care of My Baby" expresses the concern and love a man has for his former lover. He instructs the current partner to care for the girl, not to make her blue, to love her, and to surround her with only happy moments. The man acknowledges that at one point, the girl was his, and that he lost her due to being unfaithful. He hopes that the current partner will treat her with kindness, and not make her cry. At the end of the day, the singer instructs the partner that if they find that they don't truly love her, then they should send her back home to him.
The lyrics of "Take Good Care of My Baby" are significant in that they express the vulnerability of love and the concern for the care of the ones we hold dear. It's not merely a love song, but a man's sincere request to another man to treat his former lover with care and kindness. The song highlights the many issues that arise in romantic relationships, such as trust, love lost, and love gained. It reminds us of the uncertainty of love and its twist and turns. At the same time, the song emphasizes the importance of communication in love relationships, a recurring theme in many other love songs.
Line by Line Meaning
Take good care of my baby
The singer is entrusting someone else with the care of his former girlfriend.
Please don't ever make her blue
The singer requests that the person taking care of his former girlfriend ensures she is always happy.
Just tell her that you love her
The person taking care of the singer's former girlfriend should express love to her on his behalf.
Make sure you're thinking of her
The person taking care of the singer's former girlfriend should keep her in their thoughts.
In everything you say and do
The person taking care of the singer's former girlfriend should consider their words and actions carefully to maintain her happiness.
Ah, take good care of my baby
The singer reiterates the importance of the person taking care of his former girlfriend being responsible and attentive.
Now don't you ever make her cry
The singer implores the person taking care of his former girlfriend not to cause her any emotional distress.
Just let your love surround her
The person taking care of the singer's former girlfriend should show love and affection towards her.
And a rainbow all around her
The singer wants his former girlfriend to experience happiness and positivity in all aspects of her life.
Don't let her see a cloudy sky
The person taking care of the singer's former girlfriend should shield her from negativity or any unpleasant experiences.
Once upon a time that little girl was mine
The singer laments the fact that he and his former girlfriend are no longer together.
If I had been true I know she'd never be with you, so
The singer believes that if he had been faithful, his former girlfriend would still be with him instead of the person he is entrusting her care to.
Be just as kind as you can be
The singer again emphasizes the importance of the person taking care of his former girlfriend being kind to her.
And if you should discover
The singer allows for the possibility that the person taking care of his former girlfriend might not fall in love with her.
That you don't really love her
The person taking care of the singer's former girlfriend might not develop any romantic feelings towards her.
Just send my baby back home to me
The singer requests that if the person taking care of his former girlfriend cannot love her, they should send her back to him.
Take good care of my baby
The singer repeats his original request for the person taking care of his former girlfriend to treat her well.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CAROLE KING, GERRY GOFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind