I Gotta Have My Baby Back
Ella Fitzgerald and the Mills Brothers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Baby, baby, I miss you so very much it hurts me
Baby, I just gotta, gotta have my baby back
Can't sleep, can't eat because I miss my sweet baby sweet
I just gotta, I just gotta, I gotta have my baby back

Alone in a tavern
People all around
Laughing and dancing
Paintin' the town
Jukebox is playing
Songs about you
Songs with memories making me blue

Baby, come on home
Without my baby I just couldn't go on
I just gotta, I just gotta
I gotta have my baby back

Baby, baby, I miss you so very much it hurts me
Baby, I just gotta, gotta have my baby back
Can't sleep, can't eat because I miss my sweet baby sweet
I just gotta, I just gotta, I gotta have my baby back

Alone in a tavern
People all around
Laughing and dancing
Paintin' the town
Jukebox is playing
Songs about you
Songs with memories making me blue

Baby, come on home
Without my baby I just couldn't go on




I just gotta, I just gotta
I gotta have my baby back

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ella Fitzgerald's song "I Gotta Have My Baby Back" express a deep longing and ache for a lost love. The persona of the song is in a tavern, surrounded by people who are having fun and enjoying themselves, but she is unable to join in because she is consumed by thoughts of her lost love. The jukebox is playing songs that remind her of her love, and the memories are causing her distress.


The repeated refrain, "I just gotta have my baby back," emphasizes the desperation of the persona's situation. She cannot eat or sleep because she is so consumed with missing her love, and she is unable to move on without them. The final plea for the baby to come home is a heartfelt appeal to be reunited with the one person who can heal her broken heart.


Overall, the lyrics of "I Gotta Have My Baby Back" paint a vivid picture of heartbreak and the pain of lost love. The persona's deep longing for her lost love is palpable, and the repetition of the refrain emphasizes the importance of this reunion. The song is a testament to the enduring power of love and the human need for connection and companionship.


Line by Line Meaning

Baby, baby, I miss you so very much it hurts me
My baby, I miss you deeply and it causes me unbearable pain


Baby, I just gotta, gotta have my baby back
My baby, I need you in my life and I must have you back with me


Can't sleep, can't eat because I miss my sweet baby sweet
I'm unable to eat or sleep because the absence of my baby is too painful


I just gotta, I just gotta, I gotta have my baby back
I must, without a doubt, have my baby back by my side


Alone in a tavern
I'm at a tavern all by myself


People all around
People are present around me


Laughing and dancing
They are laughing and dancing


Paintin' the town
They’re enjoying themselves in this lively setting


Jukebox is playing
The jukebox is currently playing music


Songs about you
The songs being played remind me of you


Songs with memories making me blue
The memories associated with these songs are making me sad and nostalgic


Baby, come on home
My baby, I want you to return to our home and be with me again


Without my baby I just couldn't go on
My life is incomplete without my beloved partner by my side


I just gotta, I just gotta
I simply cannot survive unless you are here with me


I gotta have my baby back
You are the missing piece in my life, and I need you to return to me




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@davielove11

The sweetest voice ever....😁😁😁

@jenniferfrancis5770

Best song ever

@valeriagarzon3547

😍😍😍😍

@Wolfhoundersful

Baby, baby, I miss you so very much, it hurts me
Baby, I just gotta, I gotta have my baby back
Can't sleep, can't eat because I've lost my sweet baby sweet
I just gotta, I just gotta, I gotta have my baby back

Alone in a tavern people all around
Laughing and dancing, paintin' the town
Jukebox is playing songs about you
Songs with memories making me blue

Oh baby, come on home
Without my baby
I just can't go on
I just gotta, I just gotta
I gotta have my baby back

Alone in a tavern people all around
Laughing and dancing, paintin' the town
Jukebox is playing songs about you
Songs with memories making me blue

Oh baby, come on home
Without my baby
I just can't go on
I just gotta, I just gotta
I gotta have my baby back

More Versions