Anna McGarrigle and Kate McGarrigle were born in Montreal of mixed Irish- and French-Canadian background, but lived their childhood in the Laurentian Mountains village of Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts, northwest of Montreal, where they learned piano from village nuns. In the 1960s, in Montreal, while Kate was studying engineering at McGill University and Anna art at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, they began performing in public and then began writing their own songs. From 1963 to 1967 they teamed up with Jack Nissenson and Peter Weldon to form the folk group Mountain City Four. Into the twenty-first century, Kate and Anna McGarrigle continued to write, and recorded and performed music, with assorted accompanying musicians including Gerry Conway, Pat Donaldson, Ken Pearson, Michel Pépin, Chaim Tannenbaum and Joel Zifkin.
Their songs have been covered by a variety of artists including Maria Muldaur, Nana Mouskouri, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Billy Bragg, Chloé Sainte-Marie, Judy Collins, Anne Sofie von Otter and others. The covers of their songs by well known artists led to the McGarrigles getting their first recording contract in 1974. They created ten albums from 1975 through 2008.
Although associated with Quebec's anglophone community, the McGarrigles also recorded and performed many songs in French. Two of their albums, Entre la jeunesse et la sagesse (also known as French Record) and La vache qui pleure, are entirely in French, but many of their other records include one or two French songs as well. Most of their French songs were co-written by Philippe Tatartcheff, with occasional input from Kate McGarrigle's son, Canadian-American solo artist Rufus Wainwright. Rufus and his sister Martha Wainwright, also a singer, are the children of Kate and her former husband (married 1971, separated 1976, divorced 1978), singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III.
They have performed or recorded with the Irish group The Chieftains, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on their No More Shall We Part album, Emmylou Harris on her albums Bluebird, Wrecking Ball, Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions, Light of the Stable, Stumble into Grace, and All I Intended to Be, Lou Reed on his concept album The Raven, Joan Baez on her live recording Ring Them Bells, Gilles Vigneault on “Charlie-Jos” on his album C’est ainsi que j’arrive à toi, and Robin Holcomb on her 2002 album The Big Time.
Their version of Wade Hemsworth's song, "The Log Driver's Waltz" grew famous as the soundtrack for a 1979 animated film by Canada's National Film Board. They provided backing vocals on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds's 2001 album No More Shall We Part. They appeared on the children's TV show Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show in Season 4, episode 50 entitled "Sibling Rivalry".
They were appointed Members of the Order of Canada in 1993 and received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 2004.
Another sister, Jane McGarrigle, is a film and television composer who wrote and performed several songs with the duo, but was not a regular collaborator.
Kate died January 18, 2010 at the age of 63 after fighting a rare form of cancer.
BE MY BABY
Kate & Anna McGarrigle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Be my baby, be my baby, be my baby now
There's no one in the world gonna harm you baby
Or lead you down the garden path
With my own two loving arms all around you
I don't know why I live at home
I don't know why I sleep alone
To being the object of my affection
I could keep you warm
With my own two loving arms all around you
Be my baby, we'll go crazy
Dance by the light of the moon
Be my baby and please this lade
Please this lady soon
When the moon's not bright
And the stars aren't right
And the sky is making you blue
Remember that only good can surround you
I don't know why I live at home
I don't know why I sleep alone
I'm hoping you've no objection
To being the object of my affection
I could keep you warm
With my own two loving arms all around you
Be my baby, be my baby, be my baby now...
The lyrics to Kate & Anna McGarrigle's song Be My Baby speak to the desire for companionship, affection, and protection. The repetition of the plea "be my baby now" underscores the urgency of this desire, as if the singer cannot bear to be without the object of their affection for another moment. The first verse sets up this idea of protection, promising that no harm will come to the beloved and that the singer's loving arms will always be around them.
The second verse adds a layer of vulnerability as the singer admits to not knowing why they are alone and hoping that the beloved will be receptive to their affection. The imagery of "keeping you warm" with "loving arms all around you" underscores the idea of protection and comfort. The chorus then invites the beloved to share in their desire for wild abandon, promising to dance together under the light of the moon.
The final verse takes a slightly darker turn, acknowledging times when the beloved may feel overwhelmed and sad. But even in those moments, the singer promises that only good will surround them. This final gesture of protection solidifies the theme of the song: the desire not just for romantic companionship, but for a sense of safety and security in an unpredictable world.
Line by Line Meaning
Be my baby, be my baby, be my baby now
I want you to be mine, completely and unconditionally. I want you to belong to me now and forever
There's no one in the world gonna harm you baby
I promise to protect you from any harm. You can trust me with your safety
Or lead you down the garden path
I won't deceive you or lead you astray. I'll always be honest and trustworthy with you
With my own two loving arms all around you
I want to hold you close and make you feel loved and secure. I'll always be there for you, no matter what
I don't know why I live at home
I feel lonely and incomplete without you. I need you in my life to make it complete
I'm hoping you've no objection
I hope you feel the same way about me as I do about you. I'm asking for your consent and willingness to be with me
To being the object of my affection
I'm deeply in love with you and I want you to be the focus of my love and attention
I could keep you warm
I'll provide you with all the warmth and comfort you need. I'll be your source of love and affection
Be my baby, we'll go crazy
Let's be together and experience the joys and madness of love. Let's create a world of our own, filled with love and happiness
Dance by the light of the moon
Let's celebrate our love under the beauty of the moonlight. Let's enjoy our moments together, dancing and being happy
Be my baby and please this lade
Let me be the one to please you and make you happy. I'll do everything in my power to make you feel loved and cherished
When the moon's not bright
When things get tough and life gets hard, remember that I'm here for you. I'll be your pillar of strength in your time of need
And the stars aren't right
Even when things seem bleak and hopeless, remember that there's always a brighter future. Together, we can face any challenges and overcome them
And the sky is making you blue
When you feel sad or down, I'll be there to lift you up and make you smile. My love for you will always brighten up even the darkest days
Remember that only good can surround you
Never forget that you deserve the very best. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that only good things come your way
Contributed by Natalie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-hc7pv6ll1f
Love the song and love the performance..
@philipknowles20
Thanks for this the only good quality footage from the OGW of this wonderful band. One of my favourite songs. RIP Kate.