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.
Eager Beaver
LaVern Baker Lyrics
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But there's a gal who's chasm' me who really flipped her lid
I call her my eager beaver baby, ooh eager beaver baby
Well what am I gonna do with that eager beaver baby of mine
She's always there beside me, no matter where I stop
She follows me at the movies, even to the barber shop
I call her my eager heaver baby, ooh eager beaver baby
Well what am I gonna do with that eager beaver baby of mine
She gets me in her parlor and switches off the light
Before I know what's happened she's a-huggin' me so tight
I call her my eager beaver baby, eager beaver baby
Well what am I gonna do with that eager beaver baby of mine
She loves to mess my hair up and loosen up my tie
And when she starts a-kissin', I'm a real gone guy
I call her my eager beaver baby, ooh eager beaver baby
Well what am I gonna do with that eager beaver baby of mine
The lyrics to LaVern Baker's song "Eager Beaver" describe the singer's predicament of being followed relentlessly by a woman who has developed an obsessive infatuation with him. He refers to her as his "eager beaver baby" and expresses confusion and uncertainty about how to handle the situation. The woman seems to be present everywhere he goes, even following him to the movies and the barber shop.
The lyrics suggest that the woman is highly affectionate towards him, as she often messes up his hair and kisses him passionately. However, the singer seems to be overwhelmed by her intense feelings and unsure of how to respond to them. The phrase "eager beaver" is used throughout the song as a playful way of describing the woman's eagerness and enthusiasm for his company.
Overall, the song captures the discomfort and confusion that can arise when one person's feelings are much stronger than the other's. The singer's reluctance to reciprocate the woman's affections is palpable in the lyrics, as is his desire to find a way to gently let her down.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know how it started, I don't know what I did
I am confused about how things started with this girl and what I might have done to upset her
But there's a gal who's chasm' me who really flipped her lid
There's a girl who's chasing after me and seems to be very upset with me for some reason
I call her my eager beaver baby, ooh eager beaver baby
I refer to her as my eager beaver baby, someone who is always eager to be with me
Well what am I gonna do with that eager beaver baby of mine
I am unsure of how to handle this girl who is always clinging to me
She's always there beside me, no matter where I stop
She is always by my side, following me wherever I go
She follows me at the movies, even to the barber shop
She even follows me to places like the movies and the barber shop
She gets me in her parlor and switches off the light
She brings me into her parlor and turns off the lights
Before I know what's happened she's a-huggin' me so tight
Before I even realize it, she's hugging me tightly
She loves to mess my hair up and loosen up my tie
She enjoys messing with my hair and loosening my tie
And when she starts a-kissin', I'm a real gone guy
When she starts kissing me, I become completely enamored with her
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind