Jan Berry and Brian Wilson collaborated on roughly a dozen hits and album cuts for Jan & Dean, including the number one national hit, "Surf City" (1963). Subsequent Top-10 hits for Jan & Dean included "Honolulu Lulu," "Drag City," "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena," and "Dead Man's Curve" -- which became eerily portentous when Berry received severe head injuries in an automobile accident just a short distance from Dead Man's Curve in April 1966.
This accident marked the end of their commercial peak, during which they'd scored an impressive total of 26 chart hits over eight years. The group finally stopped performing after Jan Berry died in March 2004.
Baby Talk
Jan & Dean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bah bah bah bop oom dab oom dab oom wa wa wa
Bah bah bah oom dab oom dab oom dab oom dab
I am only five years old and my baby's three
But I know that she's the girl just you wait and see
When I say I love my girl, she replies to me, yeah
Oom dab oom dab oom dab dab oom dab oom dab dab
Which means to say she loves me
In baby talk
To say she loves me
Dip di dip di dip
She cannot speak very well, everybody knows
But to me she sure looks swell, in her baby clothes
I asked her if her love is true and she only goes
Yeah
Dab oom dab oom dab dab oom dab oom dab dab dab
Oom dab oom dab oom dab dab oom dab oom dab dab
Which means to say she loves me
I'll tell the world, that I love her so
And if she wants to be my girl
I'll never, (ever), ever let her go-o
(Mmm hmm hmm oom dab oom dab oom dab dab) she will say to me
When I kiss her on the cheek, oh so tenderly
Although I'm only five years old, she is only three
I really love my baby
(Dip di dip di dip)
Love my baby
(Dip di dip di dip)
Bah bah bah bop oom dab oom dab oom wa wa wa
Oom dab oom dab oom dab dab, oom dab oom dab, dab dab
Oom dab oom dab oom dab dab, oom dab oom dab dab
(Ooh ooh ohh ohh) oom dab oom dab oom dab dab, oom dab oom dab oom dab dab
Oom dab oom dab oom dab dab, oom dab oom dab oom dab dab
(Woo wee ooo ooo ooo ooo) oom dab oom dab oom dab dab, oom dab oom dab dab dab
The chorus of Jan & Dean's song "Baby Talk" features a simple melody accompanied by a series of nonsense words and sounds, imitating the speech of young children. The singer of the song is a five-year-old boy who is in love with a three-year-old girl, despite the fact that neither of them can speak very well. The boy asserts that he loves the girl and that she loves him too, even though they communicate mostly in baby talk. The singer is proud of the fact that he loves his baby and vows never to let her go, despite their young age.
Line by Line Meaning
Bah bah bah bop oom dab oom dab oom wa wa wa
Just some nonsensical baby talk
I am only five years old and my baby's three
I'm really young and my girlfriend is even younger
But I know that she's the girl just you wait and see
I'm convinced that she's the one for me
When I say I love my girl, she replies to me, yeah
When I tell her I love her, she says she loves me back
Which means to say she loves me
Her baby talk is her way of expressing love
In baby talk
She speaks in a childish manner
To say she loves me
Her way of expressing love towards me
She cannot speak very well, everybody knows
She's not great at speaking, but everyone knows what she means
But to me she sure looks swell, in her baby clothes
I think she looks beautiful in her childish clothes
I asked her if her love is true and she only goes, yeah
When I asked her if she loves me, she said yes
Which means to say she loves me
She expresses her love in her baby talk
I'll tell the world, that I love her so
I want everyone to know how much I love her
And if she wants to be my girl
If she wants to be my girlfriend
I'll never, (ever), ever let her go-o
I'll never let her go, no matter what
(Mmm hmm hmm oom dab oom dab oom dab dab) she will say to me
She'll make some baby sounds
When I kiss her on the cheek, oh so tenderly
When I give her a gentle kiss on the cheek
Although I'm only five years old, she is only three
We're both very young
I really love my baby
I love my girlfriend
(Dip di dip di dip)
More baby talk
Bah bah bah bop oom dab oom dab oom wa wa wa
More baby talk
Oom dab oom dab oom dab dab, oom dab oom dab, dab dab
More baby talk
Oom dab oom dab oom dab dab, oom dab oom dab dab
More baby talk
(Woo wee ooo ooo ooo ooo) oom dab oom dab oom dab dab, oom dab oom dab dab dab
More baby talk
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MELVIN SCHWARTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
roy robinson
Mel Schwartz sang false setto soprano in a group the Laurel s. I was the lead singer of the group on both sides including You Left Me . The group cut a dub and rode the elevator s in the Brill Building looking for some one to sign us . Leo Rodgers& Lou Silvers had a hit record with the Royal Teens Who wears short shorts Bob Gaudio wrote that record .Baby Talk was cut at Bell Sound studio in NYC
Baby Talk was first covered by Simon and Garfunkle and it went no where
I was under age and signed the recording contract to cut six sides in the first year when my mother refused to sign as she demanded an attorney look at it first
Mel Schwartz sold us out while we were under contract and Rodgers and Silvers gave our single to Herb Albert and Lou Adler who had their first hit with Jan and Dean
I ran into Dean Torrance at my friend Shep Gordon s office years later and when I told him the back story to his comeback hit ..he let me know he thought the lead singer was Black what can I say....
I love Doo Wopp and sometimes have the opportunity to sing at Doo Wopp Hall of Fame events with Wally Roker and other legends from the 50 s no regrets how my life has turned out
I made it out of Brooklyn to Beverly Hills Ca in early 60 s to book Small Faces Rod Stewart & Ronnie Woods first west coast tour and never looked back .
Married to the love of my life for some 39 years ..doesn't get any better than that
I love Rock and Roll
Roy Robinson
Ronald Herrera
Bom ba ba bom bab um dab um dab um wa wa wa
Bom ba ba bom bab um dad um dab um wa wa wa
Bom ba ba bom um dab um dad um dab um dab
I am only five years old and my baby's three
(Bom ba ba bom um dab um dab um dab um dab)
But I know that she's my girl just you wait and see
(Bom ba ba bom um dab um dab um dab um dab)
When I say I love my girl, she replies to me
(Bom ba ba bom)
Yeah
Um dab um dab um dab dab um dab um dab dab dab
Um dab um dab um dab dad um dab um dab dab
Which means to say she loves me
In baby talk
To say she loves me
Dib dib dib dib dib
She can not speak very well, everybody knows
(Bom ba ba bom um dab um dab um dab um dab)
But to me she sure looks swell, in her baby clothes
(Bom ba ba bom um dab um dab um dab um dab)
I asked her if her love is true and she only goes
(Bom ba ba bom)
Yeah
Um dab um dab um dab dad um dab um dab dab dab
Um dab um dab um dab dab um dab um dab dab
Which means to say she loves me
I'll tell the world,
That I love her so
And if she wants to be my girl
I'll never, (ever), never let her go
Um-um-um
Um dab um dab um dab dab she will say to me
(Um dab um dab um dab dab um dab um dab dab dab)
When I kiss her on the cheek, oh so tenderly
(Um dab um dab um dab dab um dab um dab dab dab)
Although I'm only five years old, and my baby's three
(Um dab um dab um dab dab um dab um dab dab)
I really love my baby
Dib dib dib dib dib
Love my baby
Dib dib dib dib dib
Bom ba ba bom bab um dab um dab um wa wa wa
Um dab um dab um dab dab um dab um dab dab dab
Um dab um dab um dab dab um dab um dab dab
Um dab um dab um dab dab um dab um dab dab dab
Um dab um dab um dab dab um dab um dab dab dab
Um dab um dab um dab dab um dab um dab dab dab
Um dab um dab um dab dab um dab um dab dab dab ....
Michael Clark
Whenever I'm feeling down about something all I have to do is play that song and I get feeling better fast.
gerald novak
Magic😊
mkl62
This hit by Jan & Dean went to #10 on the Top 40 charts. It went to #7 on the Cash Box charts. It would finish at #95 for the year, 1959.
Juliet Reminiec
Was Baby talk a minor hit for Jan & Dean?
mkl62
@Juliet Reminiec Seems to be. Their biggest hit was Dead Man's Curve. Then it became a reality.
AnotherLoffenIII
@mkl62Surf city is their only number 1 hit though
Michael Clark
This is one of those songs that lifts my spirits EVERY TIME.
Kenneth Florek
The first time I heard this song it was over a PA system at a beach, where there were speakers spread apart at intervals, so the echoes over echoes was tremendous. Everybody should hear it that way. The trouble with the recording is not enough echo!
John Maria Strong
Thanks for the comment, Jack
James Olson
BOSS NO MATTER