Last learned how to play piano as child, switching to bass as a teenager. He joined Hans-Gunther Oesterreich's Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946, when he was 17 years old. In 1948, he became the leader of the Becker-Last Ensemble, which performed for seven years. During that time, he was voted as the best bassist in the country by a German jazz poll for three consecutive years, from 1950-1952. After the disbandment of the Becker-Last Ensemble, he became the in-house arranger for Polydor Records, as well as for a number of European radio stations. For the next decade, he helped arrange hits for artists like Helmut Zacharias and Caterina Valente.
Last released his first album "Non-Stop Dancing" in 1965. The record of brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and joyous crowd noises. It was a hit and helped make him a major European star. Over the next four decades, Last has released over 190 records, including several more volumes of Non-Stop Dancing. On these records, he varies his formula by adding different songs from different countries and genres, as well as guest performers like Richard Clayderman and Astrud Gilberto.
Though his concerts and albums are consistently successful — especially in England, where he had 52 hit albums between 1967-1986, which made him second to Elvis Presley in terms of number of charting records — he has only had two hit singles with "The Seduction," the theme from American Gigolo (1980) and Biscaya from the album "Biscaya".
He has won numerous polls and prizes, for example Billboard magazine's "Star of the year" trophy in 1976, and has been honored for his lifework with the German ECHO prize in 1994.
The song "The Lonely Shepherd", written by Last and performed by Gheorghe Zamfir and the James Last Orchestra, was featured in the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's film "Kill Bill Vol. 1" (2003).
Personally, he divides his time between Florida and Germany. He gives much credit to his wife and son, who helps with the music.
Hey Baby
James Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to know if you'll be my girl
Hey, hey hey baby!
I want to know if you'll be my girl
When I saw you walking down the street
I said that's a kind of girl I'd like to meet
She's so pretty, Lord she's fine
I'm gonna make her mine, all mine
Hey, hey hey baby!
I want to know if you'll be my girl
When you turned and walked away
Thats when I want to say
C'mon baby, give me a whirl
I want to know if you'll be my girl
Hey, hey hey baby!
I want to know if you'll be my girl
When you turned and walked away
Thats when I want to say
C'mon baby, give me a whirl
I want to know if you'll be my girl
Hey, hey hey baby!
I want to know if you'll be my girl
Hey, hey hey hey hey, baby
C'mon, baby now
The song "Hey Baby" by James Last is a classic piece of music that celebrates the excitement of meeting a potential love interest that takes the singer's breath away. The singer, who is male, sees the girl of his dreams walking down the street and is instantly smitten. He is moved by her beauty and fine features and decides that he wants to make her his own. The song sees the singer asking the girl if she will be his, and he persistently tries to get her attention to make his feelings known.
The lyrics are reflective of the classic '50s and '60s pop culture era, where young women were often portrayed as objects of desire, and men were into fleeting love affairs. The song's energetic melody and catchy chorus add to its appeal and have been the highlight of many parties and celebrations. It became a massive hit in the United Kingdom in 1963, reaching the Top 30 in the UK Single Chart.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, hey hey baby!
The singer is addressing a female he finds attractive and wants to talk to her.
I want to know if you'll be my girl
The singer is expressing his interest in the girl and wants to know if she's interested in him too.
When I saw you walking down the street
The singer is describing how he first saw the girl and was immediately attracted to her.
I said that's a kind of girl I'd like to meet
The singer is expressing his desire to meet the girl he finds attractive.
She's so pretty, Lord she's fine
The singer is admiring the girl and describing her physical features in a positive way.
I'm gonna make her mine, all mine
The singer is expressing his intention to pursue the girl and form a romantic relationship with her.
When you turned and walked away
The girl walked away from the singer.
Thats when I want to say
The singer expresses his desire to talk to the girl when she walks away.
C'mon baby, give me a whirl
The singer is asking the girl to give him a chance and go out with him.
Hey, hey hey hey hey, baby
The singer is once again addressing the girl and trying to grab her attention.
C'mon, baby now
The singer is urging the girl to give him a chance and start a relationship with him.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Bruce Channel, Margaret Cobb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chuck G
It's awesome to see musicians of this caliber be able to just enjoy themselves on stage.
Stefania Olivieri
fantastic music!
Kumar Thiru
Fantastic playing by Jame (everlasting) Last!
Wongmuang Hansakul
Fantastic
John R
Now this is happy music
MICHAEL CLARK
Love it and James Last
Wongmuang Hansakul
Wonderful
MICHAEL CLARK
This was done just before he passed away but still good
John R
Back again 2 listen to this HAPPY MUSIC
John R
What a happy go lucky song