Gene Pitney (born Gene Francis Alan Pitney in Hartford, Connecticut, USA on… Read Full Bio ↴Gene Pitney (born Gene Francis Alan Pitney in Hartford, Connecticut, USA on 17 February 1940 - died 5 April 2006 (Cardiff, Wales). After a successful singing career spanning five decades, at the age of 66, he was found dead of natural causes, while in the middle of a sellout UK tour.

Pitney, a pop rock pioneer, had his greatest success overall in Britain, first travelling there after his first self penned hit in 1961. "I Wanna Love My Life Away" hit #26 on the UK singles chart & just broke into the top 40 in the US.

His early music recorded for the "musicor" label was romantic, lonely and dramatic, fitting in alongside contemporaries like Buddy Holly, Neil Sedaka, Roy Orbison & serves as an audio time capsule of a more innocent time.

Gene Pitney - Yesterday's Hero...

Gene was a Brill Building songwriter who even before his singing career took off, had written one of Ricky Nelson's biggest hits "Hello Mary Lou". He had been helped out initially in his career by Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and later recorded some of their songs which became big hits like "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and the classic "Only Love Can Break A Heart". At the time his "Only Love..." recording was a #2 chart hit, he had written the number 1 song that week; "He's A Rebel" (A Phil Spector production recorded by The Crystals). All in all Pitney himself recorded 16 top 40 songs in the US from 1961 to 1968.

Gene's biggest popularity was in England, where he used the Rolling Stones publicist Andrew Loog Oldham to get his fame established, which lasted there to the day of his death. In the UK, Gene had 40 top-40 charting hits through 1974. He finally hit #1 in the UK in 1990, performing a duet with Marc Almond of Soft Cell. Pitney died April 5 on tour in 2006. He was found by his tour manager fully clothed on his bed at a Hilton Hotel in Cardiff , shortly after performing a concert.

Why Baby Why
Gene Pitney Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby why
You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby
Lord, I can't help but love you 'til the day that I die
So tell me, why baby, why baby, why baby why
Well I got a crow I want to pick with you
Just like last time when the feathers flew
You're runnin' wild kickin' up your heels
A-leavin' me home with a hand full of bills

Lord, I can't live without you and you know it's true
But there's no livin' with you so what'll I do
I'm goin' honky tonkin', get as tight as I can
And maybe by then you'll 'preciate a good man
Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby why
You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby cry
No, I can't help but love you 'til the day that I die
So tell me why baby, why baby, why baby why
Well, now I don't know, but I've heard say
That ever' little dog is a-gonna have his day
You'd better pay attention, don't you dare forget
Cause I'm just a little bitty puppy yet
Well, I caught you honky tonkin' with my best friend
The thing to do was leave you, but I should'a left then
Now I'm too old to leave you, but I still get sore
When you come home a-feelin' for the knob on the door
Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby why
You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby
Lord, I can't help but love you 'til the day that I die

So tell me, why baby, why baby, why baby why
Tell me, why baby, why baby, why baby why

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the Gene Pitney & George Jones song "Why Baby Why" are a plea of a man to his lover to explain her actions that have caused him pain. He asks her three times why she makes him cry, but admits that he cannot help but love her despite the pain she causes him. He describes her as wild and reckless, running off and leaving him with bills to pay. He acknowledges that he cannot live without her, but wonders if he can go "honky tonkin'" (drinking and partying) until she can learn to appreciate him as a good man.

The lyrics continue with the man expressing his frustration that he is too old to leave her, but still gets angry when she comes home late and fumbles with the doorknob. He uses the metaphor of a little dog that will have his day, warning her not to forget that he is still a person with feelings. Ultimately, he ends the song by repeating the question "why baby why," emphasizing his need for an explanation from his lover.

The song is a classic country ballad and illustrates the themes of heartbreak and loss that are common in country music. It also depicts the complexities of relationships, capturing the frustration and love that coexist in many of them. The song has been covered by several artists and remains a popular country classic.

Line by Line Meaning

Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby why
Asking the reason behind the actions that cause me pain

You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby
Your actions cause me emotional pain and distress

Lord, I can't help but love you 'til the day that I die
Despite the pain you cause me, I am unable to stop loving you

Well I got a crow I want to pick with you
I have an issue I want to address and discuss with you

Just like last time when the feathers flew
Similar to a previous argument where things got heated and negative consequences followed

You're runnin' wild kickin' up your heels
You are behaving recklessly and without concern for the consequences

A-leavin' me home with a hand full of bills
You disregard your responsibilities and leave me with the burden of your debts

Lord, I can't live without you and you know it's true
Despite the negative aspects of our relationship, I am emotionally dependent on you and cannot imagine life without you

But there's no livin' with you so what'll I do
Despite my emotional dependence on you, I am struggling with the difficulties of living with you

I'm goin' honky tonkin', get as tight as I can
I am going out to drink and socialize, possibly as a way of coping with the challenges of our relationship

And maybe by then you'll 'preciate a good man
Perhaps you will begin to value my worth and the positive contributions I make to the relationship

Well, now I don't know, but I've heard say
I am uncertain, but I have heard that every dog will have its day

That ever' little dog is a-gonna have his day
There is a belief that even those who are neglected or mistreated will one day have an opportunity for success or revenge

You'd better pay attention, don't you dare forget
You should listen and take note of the warning that things may not always be in your favor

Cause I'm just a little bitty puppy yet
Although I may seem small and insignificant now, I may grow stronger and more influential in the future

Well, I caught you honky tonkin' with my best friend
I discovered you were out drinking and socializing with my closest confidant

The thing to do was leave you, but I should'a left then
In hindsight, I should have ended the relationship then rather than continuing to endure the ongoing pain and difficulties

Now I'm too old to leave you, but I still get sore
Despite being in the relationship for a significant amount of time, I still experience emotional and physical pain from your actions

When you come home a-feelin' for the knob on the door
Your actions upon returning home suggest that you are not prioritizing or caring for our relationship

Tell me, why baby, why baby, why baby why
Re-iterating the request for an explanation of your negative actions

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: DARRELL EDWARDS, GEORGE JONES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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