Baker was born in Chicago, Illinois. She is occasionally referred to as Delores Williams because of an early marriage to Eugene Williams; in the late 1940s she was identified in RCA Victor record company files as "D. L. McMurley." She was the niece of blues singer Merline Johnson and was also related to Memphis Minnie.
She began singing in Chicago clubs such as the Club DeLisa around 1946, often billed as Little Miss Sharecropper, and first recorded under that name in 1949. She changed her name briefly to Bea Baker when recording for Okeh Records in 1951, and then became LaVern Baker when singing with Todd Rhodes and his band in 1952.
In 1953 she signed for Atlantic Records as a solo artist, her first release being "Soul on Fire". Her first hit came in early 1955, with the Latin-tempo "Tweedlee Dee" reaching #4 on the R&B chart and #14 on the national US pop charts. Georgia Gibbs' note-for-note cover of Baker's "Tweedle Dee" reached #1; subsequently Baker made an unsuccessful attempt to sue her and petitioned Congress to consider such covers copyright violations.
Baker had a succession of hits on the R&B charts over the next couple of years with her backing group The Gliders, including "Bop-Ting-A-Ling" (#3 R&B), "Play It Fair" (#2 R&B), and "Still" (#4 R&B). At the end of 1956 she had another smash hit with "Jim Dandy" (#1 R&B, #17 pop). It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Further hits followed for Atlantic, including the follow-up "Jim Dandy Got Married" (#7 R&B), "I Cried a Tear" (#2 R&B, #6 pop in 1959), "I Waited Too Long" (#5 R&B, #3 pop, written by Neil Sedaka), "Saved" (#17 R&B, written by Leiber and Stoller), and "See See Rider" (#9 R&B in 1963).
In addition to singing, Baker also did some work with Ed Sullivan and Alan Freed on TV and in films, including Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr. Rock & Roll. In 1964, she recorded a Bessie Smith tribute album, before leaving Atlantic and joining Brunswick Records, where she recorded the album "Let Me Belong to You".
In 1966, Baker recorded a duet single with Jackie Wilson. The controversial song, "Think Twice", featured raunchy lyrics that were not considered appropriate for airplay at that time or even today. Three versions were recorded, one of which is the X-rated version with the raunchy lyrics.
In the late 1960s, Baker became seriously ill after a trip to Vietnam to entertain American soldiers. While recovering at the US Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines, her husband, Slappy White filed for a divorce. A friend recommended that she stay on as the entertainment director at the Marine Corps Staff NCO club there, and she remained there for 22 years.
In 1988 she returned to perform at Madison Square Garden for Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary. She then worked on the soundtracks to films such as Shag, (1989), Dick Tracy, (1990) and A Rage in Harlem (1991), which were all issued on CD.
In 1990, she made her Broadway debut replacing Ruth Brown as star of the hit musical Black and Blue. In 1991, Rhino Records released a new album Live in Hollywood recorded at the Hollywood Roosevelt Cinegrill, as well as a compilation of her greatest Atlantic hits entitled Soul on Fire. In 1992, she recorded a well-received studio album, Woke Up This Morning, for DRG Records. She continued performing after having both legs amputated from diabetes complications in 1994 and made her last recording, "Jump Into the Fire," for the 1995 Harry Nilsson tribute CD, For the Love of Harry on the Music Masters label.
She received the 1990 Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. In 1991, Baker became the second female solo artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, following Aretha Franklin in 1987. Her song "Jim Dandy" was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and was ranked #343 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
LaVern Baker died from cardiovascular disease on March 10, 1997, at the age of 67. Originally buried in an unmarked plot in Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York, her grave received a headstone on May 4, 2008, after a fundraiser was held by local historians.
Bumble Bee
LaVern Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You been treating me like a clown
You know you've hurt me once before
You'll never hurt me anymore
(CHORUS)
Shoo-ee, you hurt me like a bee
A bumble bee, a evil bumble bee
I gave you love as sweet as honey
My life, my soul and all my money
You didn't seem to realize
You had a home in paradise
(CHORUS)
Don't you know I cry
Night after night
Just one kiss before you go
Don't ever come back no more
Now, baby, there's no need of crying
I'm sick and tired of your lying
You know you've hurt my heart again
I'm sorry, baby, it's the end
(CHORUS)
Now, baby, there's no need of crying
I'm sick and tired of your lying
You know you've hurt my heart again
I'm sorry, baby, it's the end
(CHORUS)
In LaVern Baker's song, "Bumble Bee," the singer tells a lover that she is going to end things because they have hurt her too many times. The lyrics "I'm gonna have to put you down, you been treating me like a clown" suggest that the singer feels disrespected and taken for granted. She alludes to a previous instance in which the lover has caused her pain, but now she has had enough and is determined not to let it happen again. She compares the lover to a bee, using the metaphor to describe how their actions have caused her emotional pain, just as a bee's sting causes physical pain.
The chorus, "Shoo-ee, you hurt me like a bee, a bumble bee, a evil bumble bee," emphasizes the metaphor and the singer's feelings of hurt and anger. She then reflects on how much she has given to the lover, "I gave you love as sweet as honey, my life, my soul, and all my money," and how unappreciated it all seems to have been. The singer remains deeply hurt and emotional, "Don't you know I cry night after night, just one kiss before you go, don't ever come back no more."
The song concludes with the singer being resolute and determined to end the relationship, "Now, baby, there's no need of crying, I'm sick and tired of your lying. You know you've hurt my heart again, I'm sorry, baby, it's the end." The lyrics portray a strong sense of self-worth and self-respect, as the singer is unwilling to tolerate mistreatment any longer.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna have to put you down
I need to end this relationship
You been treating me like a clown
You haven't been treating me with respect
You know you've hurt me once before
You've hurt me in the past
You'll never hurt me anymore
I won't let you hurt me again
Shoo-ee, you hurt me like a bee
You hurt me like a stinging bee
A bumble bee, a evil bumble bee
Like an evil, harmful bumble bee
I gave you love as sweet as honey
I loved you deeply
My life, my soul and all my money
I gave you everything
You didn't seem to realize
You didn't appreciate my love
You had a home in paradise
I provided a happy home
Don't you know I cry
I'm deeply hurt
Night after night
Every night
Just one kiss before you go
One last goodbye kiss
Don't ever come back no more
Please leave and don't return
Now, baby, there's no need of crying
Please don't cry
I'm sick and tired of your lying
I'm exhausted by your dishonesty
You know you've hurt my heart again
You've hurt me once more
I'm sorry, baby, it's the end
I'm sorry, but it's over
Contributed by Alexandra M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alex Olia
I'm gonna have to put you down
You been treating me like a clown
You know you've hurt me once before
You'll never hurt me anymore
Shoo-ee, you hurt me like a bee
A bumble bee, a evil bumble bee
I gave you love as sweet as honey
My life, my soul and all my money
You didn't seem to realize
You had a home in paradise
Shoo-ee, you hurt me like a bee
A bumble bee, a evil bumble bee
Don't you know I cry
Night after night
Just one kiss before you go
Don't ever come back no more
Now, baby, there's no need of crying
I'm sick and tired of your lying
You know you've hurt my heart again
I'm sorry, baby, it's the end
Shoo-ee, you hurt me like a bee
A bumble bee, a evil bumble bee
Now, baby, there's no need of crying
I'm sick and tired of your lying
You know you've hurt my heart again
I'm sorry, baby, it's the end
Shoo-ee, you hurt me like a bee
A bumble bee, a evil bumble bee
michael brigg
This lady could do no wrong, she was one of the best singers of all time, and had great backing.
Alex Olia
I'm gonna have to put you down
You been treating me like a clown
You know you've hurt me once before
You'll never hurt me anymore
Shoo-ee, you hurt me like a bee
A bumble bee, a evil bumble bee
I gave you love as sweet as honey
My life, my soul and all my money
You didn't seem to realize
You had a home in paradise
Shoo-ee, you hurt me like a bee
A bumble bee, a evil bumble bee
Don't you know I cry
Night after night
Just one kiss before you go
Don't ever come back no more
Now, baby, there's no need of crying
I'm sick and tired of your lying
You know you've hurt my heart again
I'm sorry, baby, it's the end
Shoo-ee, you hurt me like a bee
A bumble bee, a evil bumble bee
Now, baby, there's no need of crying
I'm sick and tired of your lying
You know you've hurt my heart again
I'm sorry, baby, it's the end
Shoo-ee, you hurt me like a bee
A bumble bee, a evil bumble bee
Treasure
My grandma used to sing this to me when I was a child. This is my first time actually listening to the song
RockLives4u
This song, arrangement, and Ms. Lavern Baker, are just fantastic. I have loved it forever, heard it today an Sirius XM, and it brought back great memories.
gary adams
Brilliant record and a great song by Lavern . this is one of my favorites
city zen
Did Memphis Minnie write this?
Beatle
Interesting to see several people say what a great singer she was.I couldn't agree more. I think this song is fantastic. Have always liked it.
A Dot In The Shark
This is one of the first tunes I heard as a young child!
beardedba
One of my all time faves!
city zen
As a child long ago, La Verne and Ruth Brown were my favorite female singers.