Born in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager. In 1956, he formed The Quarrymen, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Sometimes called "the smart Beatle", Lennon initially was the group's de facto leader, a role he gradually ceded to McCartney. Through his songwriting in the Beatles, he embraced myriad musical influences, initially writing and co-writing rock and pop-oriented hit songs in the band's early years, then later incorporating experimental elements into his compositions in the latter half of the Beatles' career as his songs became known for their increasing innovation. Lennon soon expanded his work into other media by participating in numerous films, including How I Won the War, and authoring In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works, both collections of nonsense writings and line drawings. Starting with "All You Need Is Love", his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement and the larger counterculture of the 1960s. In 1969, he started the Plastic Ono Band with his second wife, multimedia artist Yoko Ono, held the two-week-long anti-war demonstration Bed-ins for Peace and left the Beatles to embark on a solo career.
Between 1968 and 1972, Lennon and Ono collaborated on many works, including a trilogy of avant-garde albums, several more films, his solo debut John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and the international top-10 singles "Give Peace a Chance", "Instant Karma!", "Imagine", and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". Moving to New York City in 1971, his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a three-year deportation attempt by the Nixon administration. Lennon and Ono separated from 1973 to 1975, during which time he produced Harry Nilsson's album Pussy Cats. He also had chart-topping collaborations with Elton John ("Whatever Gets You thru the Night") and David Bowie ("Fame"). Following a five-year hiatus, Lennon returned to music in 1980 with the Ono collaboration Double Fantasy. He was murdered by a Beatles fan, Mark David Chapman, three weeks after the album's release.
As a performer, writer or co-writer, Lennon had 25 number-one singles in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Double Fantasy, his best-selling album, won the 1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. That year, he won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2002, Lennon was voted eighth in a BBC history poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer and 38th greatest artist of all time. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (in 1997) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice, as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1994).
Studio albums
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)
Imagine (1971)
Some Time in New York City (with Yoko Ono, 1972)
Mind Games (1973)
Walls and Bridges (1974)
Rock 'n' Roll (1975)
Double Fantasy (with Yoko Ono, 1980)
Milk and Honey (Posthumous with Yoko Ono, 1984)
Experimental studio albums with Yoko Ono
Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins (1968)
Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions (1969)
Wedding Album (1969)
19. Be My Baby
John Lennon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And if I had the chance Id never let you go
So wont you say you love me
I'll make you so proud of me
Well make them turn their heads every place we go
So wont you please
(be my be my baby)
(my one and only baby)
Say you'll be my darling
(be my be my baby)
Be my baby now oh oh oh oh
I'll make you happy baby just wait and see
And for every kiss you give me I'm gonna give you three
Since the day I saw you
You know I was waiting for you
You know I will adore till eternity
So wont you please
(be my be my baby)
Be my little baby
(my one and only baby)
Say you'll be my darling
(be my be my baby)
Be my baby now oh oh oh oh
Since the day I saw you
You know I was waiting for you
You know I will adore till eternity
So wont you please
(be my be my baby)
Be my little baby
(my one and only baby)
Say you'll be my darling
(be my be my baby)
Be my baby now oh oh oh oh
The lyrics to "Be My Baby" by John Lennon capture the intense feelings of infatuation and love that can overcome someone when they meet their soulmate. The singer expresses that from the moment they met their love interest, they knew they needed them and couldn't imagine a future without them. The lyrics are filled with urgency and desperation as the singer pleads for their love interest to "be my little baby" and "say you'll be my darling." They promise to make their love interest proud, to make them happy, and to adore them until eternity. The chorus is repetitive, which enhances the passion behind the words, and the upbeat melody gives the impression of a quickening heart.
Despite the song's romantic overtones, it is worth noting the context in which John Lennon recorded the song with his band, The Beatles. The song was originally written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich, and Jeff Barry and recorded by The Ronettes in 1963. The Beatles were a big fan of the song and often added it to their live performances. When recording their cover version in 1963, Lennon and his bandmates were on a tight schedule, so they recorded "Be My Baby" in just three takes. The song ended up being one of the most popular tracks on their album "Please Please Me," which helped to launch their international success.
Line by Line Meaning
The night we met I knew I needed you so
From the first moment I laid my eyes on you, I felt an unexplainable connection with you, and I knew that I had to have you in my life.
And if I had the chance Id never let you go
If I ever get the opportunity to be with you, I will never let you leave my side under any circumstance.
So wont you say you love me
Please express your love and affection for me, and let me know that you feel the same way as I do.
I'll make you so proud of me
I promise to do everything in my power to make you proud and show you that you made the right choice in choosing me as your partner.
Well make them turn their heads every place we go
Together, we will exude such happiness and joy that others will take notice and be impressed by our love and connection.
I'll make you happy baby just wait and see
I will be the source of your happiness, and I promise that you will see and feel it every moment we spend together.
And for every kiss you give me I'm gonna give you three
I will reciprocate your love and affection three times over, and make sure you feel loved and cherished in every way possible.
Since the day I saw you
Ever since I laid my eyes on you, I knew that you were meant to be in my life, and I was willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
You know I was waiting for you
My heart and soul has been waiting for someone like you to come into my life, and you have fulfilled that void in every way possible.
You know I will adore till eternity
My love and admiration for you will never fade or disappear, and will last until the end of time.
So wont you please
I am pleading with you to consider being with me and reciprocating the love and affection that I have for you in every way possible.
(be my be my baby)
Be my partner and soulmate, and be the person that brings out the best in me.
Be my little baby
Be my lover and companion, and let me take care of you and love you unconditionally.
(my one and only baby)
You are the only person that I need in my life to feel complete, and I will do anything to make sure that you feel the same way.
Say you'll be my darling
Please express your love and commitment to me, and become my beloved partner in life.
(be my be my baby)
Take a chance on me and let me show you the love and happiness that we can bring into each other's lives.
Be my baby now oh oh oh oh
I am asking you to be my partner and love, and start building a life together filled with happiness and joy.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, CTM Publishing, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Philip Spector
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lmclean89
I could honestly listen to just The Beatles and Buddy Holly for the rest of my life and not be fussed.
Kevin Casson
I am in same mind set as you!
rattyeely
This is awesome...wish he did these covers on his Rock n roll album
Vegas01973
Fun to hear this. Heartbeat is my favorite Buddy Holly song. It's always been clear what an influence he had on the Beatles. Thanks for sharing.
PRR5406
If Buddy Holly had lived, perhaps there would not have been the Beatles. One can not play with history in that manner, but wouldn't Buddy Holly have had fun working with Lennon, Harrison, and McCartney? I've maintained that , had Buddy Holly not been killed, R&R would sound altogether different today. He was a creative genius.
me & you
Well everyone ealse lived and they were The Beatles so why of Buddy Lived the Beatles would not have been? I use to say the same thing then i thought WHY?
scott welsh
I was listening to John's version of cold turkey at the Rolling Stones Rock Circus today & his solo is such a Buddy Holly style rock n roll solo.
Paulo Vinicius Maya
I think Scott was referring to Lennon's solo on "Yer Blues" from the Rock and Roll Circus.
Tony Littman
Cold Turkey on the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus?? Considering it was filmed in 1968 and Cold Turkey dates from 1969 I find that unlikely, but I'm prepared to be proven wrong
the girl in question
omg i love him so much it makes my heart hurt