Delores LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American r… Read Full Bio ↴Delores LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American rhythm and blues singer, who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedlee Dee" (1955), "Jim Dandy" (1956), and "I Cried a Tear" (1958).

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.

Empty Bed Blues
LaVern Baker Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I woke up this morning with a awful aching head
I woke up this morning with a awful aching head
My new man had left me, just a room and a empty bed

Bought me a coffee grinder that's the best one I could find
Bought me a coffee grinder that's the best one I could find
Oh, he could grind my coffee, 'cause he had a brand new grind

He's a deep sea diver with a stroke that can't go wrong
He's a deep sea diver with a stroke that can't go wrong
He can stay at the bottom and his wind holds out so long

He knows how to thrill me and he thrills me night and day
Oh, he knows how to thrill me, he thrills me night and day
He's got a new way of loving, almost takes my breath away

Lord, he's got that sweet somethin' and I told my girlfriend Lou

He's got that sweet somethin' and I told my girlfriend Lou
From the way she's raving, she must have gone and tried it too

Overall Meaning

In LaVern Baker's song Empty Bed Blues, the singer wakes up with a painful headache and an empty bed due to her new man leaving her. She feels the sting of abandonment, and the empty bed is a stark reminder of her loneliness. She then buys a coffee grinder, likely as a way to occupy herself and take her mind off of her troubles. She boasts that her new man could grind her coffee, as he had a brand new grind. This may be a metaphor for him having a new way of doing things that excited and intrigued her.

The lyrics also suggest that her new man is a deep-sea diver with a stroke that cannot go wrong. This line could have a double meaning, as it could refer to his ability to please her sexually or his actual job as a diver. She explains that he can stay at the bottom for long periods of time without issue, implying that he is a skilled and experienced diver. She describes him as thrilling her day and night, and that he has a new way of loving that almost takes her breath away.

The song concludes with the singer telling her girlfriend Lou of her new man’s abilities. She says that he has a sweet something, which could be referring to his charm or his sexual prowess. Lou seems intrigued by the description and the song ends with the implication that she has gone to try it out for herself.

Line by Line Meaning

I woke up this morning with a awful aching head
I woke up this morning with a terrible headache.

My new man had left me, just a room and a empty bed
My new man left me alone, and my bed is empty.

Bought me a coffee grinder that's the best one I could find
I got the best coffee grinder available in the market.

Oh, he could grind my coffee, 'cause he had a brand new grind
He could prepare my morning coffee, because he had an exciting new technique.

He's a deep sea diver with a stroke that can't go wrong
He's a talented deep sea diver with a reliable swimming style.

He can stay at the bottom and his wind holds out so long
He can hold his breath for an extended period while swimming deep underwater.

He knows how to thrill me and he thrills me night and day
He has an amazing ability to excite me, and he does it every moment of the day.

He's got a new way of loving, almost takes my breath away
He has a new and innovative way of expressing his love that is almost overwhelming.

Lord, he's got that sweet somethin' and I told my girlfriend Lou
He has a pleasant aura about him, and I shared it with my friend Lou.

From the way she's raving, she must have gone and tried it too
From the way Lou is speaking, it seems like she has experienced it firsthand.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALPHONSO JOHNSON

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