He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Arkansas. Wells moved to Chicago in 1948 and first made his mark at age 18 playing in Muddy Waters' band. He later worked with Buddy Guy in the 1960s and recorded for Delmark Records. His most memorable songs are "Messin' With the Kid" and "Little by Little," and his best-known album, 1965's Hoodoo Man Blues, which evokes the smoky atmosphere of the era's Westside Chicago blues bars.
Wells made an appearance in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000, the sequel to The Blues Brothers. The movie was released less than a month after his death.
On his passing in 1998, Junior Wells was interred in the Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago.
Shake It Baby
Junior Wells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shake it, baby, I'll buy you a diamond ring
If you don't shake it baby
Ain't gonna buy you a doggone thing
Shake it, baby, I'll buy you a beautiful dress
Shake it, baby, I'll buy you a beautiful dress
If you don't shake it now, baby
And when I sleep, you sleep
And when I talk, you talk
And when I walk, you walk
And when I eat, you eat
And when I fight, you fight
And come on baby, the moment I
Shake it, baby, shake it, baby
Shake it, baby, I'll buy you a diamond ring
If you don't shake it now, baby
Ain't gonna buy you a doggone thing
Shake it baby, I'll buy you a beautiful dress
Shake it baby, I'll buy you a beautiful dress
If you don't shake it now, baby
You won't have no happiness
And when I walk, you walk
And when I talk, you talk
And when I sleep, you sleep, baby
And when I eat, you eat
And when I fight, you fight
And come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on
And when I scratch, you scratch
And when I itch, you better itch some too
And when I tell that I love
You better tell me you love me too
Come on, come on, it's all right
Shake it, baby, shake it, baby
Shake it, baby, shake it, baby
Shake it, baby, shake it, baby
Shake it, baby, shake it, baby
Shake it, baby, shake it, baby
Shake it, baby, shake it, baby
The lyrics of Junior Wells's "Shake It Baby" essentially depict a man who is demanding his woman to engage in acts of sexual movement and dance for him in return for material possessions. The lyrics are very objectifying towards the woman and suggest that her worth is dependent on her ability to shake her body in a seductive way. The man sings that he will buy the woman a diamond ring and a beautiful dress only if she shakes her body for him. The lyrics are manipulative and controlling, as the man goes on to assert himself as the authority figure in the relationship when he says, "And when I eat, you eat, and when I fight, you fight."
The repeated line, "Shake it, baby," emphasizes the man's demands for the woman to move her body in a sexualized manner. The repetition of this line along with the mention of material possessions indicates that the man sees the woman's worth only in her ability to appease him sexually. The lyrics highlight the prevalence of patriarchal attitudes towards women and the objectification of their bodies. Overall, the song's lyrics are problematic and demonstrate the need for increased awareness of sexism and misogyny.
Line by Line Meaning
Shake it, baby, shake it, baby
Encouragement for the woman to dance and move her body in a suggestive manner.
Shake it, baby, I'll buy you a diamond ring
A promise of a valuable reward if the woman complies with the man's request to dance.
If you don't shake it baby
Implied threat that the woman will not receive any reward if she does not dance.
Ain't gonna buy you a doggone thing
Reinforcement of the threat that the man will not provide any reward for non-compliance with his request.
If you don't shake it now, baby
Emphasis on the need for the woman to dance immediately to receive the reward.
You ain't gonna have no happiness
Implication that the woman's happiness is tied to the man's reward, and that she must comply to be happy.
And when I sleep, you sleep
Expectation that the woman will mirror the man's actions and movements in all aspects of life.
And when I talk, you talk
Further reinforcement of the expectation that the woman will mirror the man's behavior in all ways.
And when I walk, you walk
Continuation of the expectation that the woman will mirror the man's every move.
And when I eat, you eat
Expectation that the woman will also eat when the man eats, and follow his cues in all areas of life.
And when I fight, you fight
Unexpected line, but implies that the man expects the woman to also fight when he fights, perhaps in a physical altercation or argument.
And come on baby, the moment I
Build up to the final chorus and dance request.
And when I scratch, you scratch
Odd expectation that the woman will scratch herself when the man does, unrelated to any sexual context.
And when I itch, you better itch some too
Similar to above, an expectation that the woman will match the man's random behavior.
And when I tell that I love
Build up to the final chorus and request for the woman to state her love for the man.
You better tell me you love me too
Expectation that the woman will reciprocate the man's feelings of love.
Come on, come on, it's all right
Assurance that everything is fine and that the woman should not resist the man's requests.
Shake it, baby, shake it, baby
Reiteration of the man's request for the woman to dance and move her body in a suggestive manner.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BUDDY GUY, JUNIOR WELLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind