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.
Everybody's Somebody's Fool
LaVern Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you don't care how many tears I cry
And though you only lead me on and hurt me
I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye
[Chorus]
'Cause everybody's somebody's fool
Everybody's somebody's plaything
And there are no exceptions to the rule
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
I told myself it's best that I forget you
Though I'm a fool, at least I know the score
Yet, darling, I'd be twice as blue without you
It hurts but I come running back for more
[Chorus]
Someday you'll find the one you really care for
And if her love should prove to be untrue
You'll know how much this heart of mine is breaking
You'll cry for her the way I cried for you
[Chorus]
In LaVern Baker's classic song "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," the singer laments a love that has left her heartbroken. The lyrics are about unrequited love, and the pain and frustration that comes with it. The song starts with Baker explaining how much she has cried for her lover, and how he doesn't care about her tears. Despite being mistreated, the singer can't bring herself to end the relationship because she knows that everyone is vulnerable to having their heart broken. This message is reinforced with the chorus that reminds us that "everybody's somebody's fool."
The second verse picks up where the first left off, as Baker tells herself that forgetting about her lover is the best course of action. She acknowledges that she is foolish to stay with someone who doesn't treat her right, but going through the heartbreak of letting go of someone she cares for seems too difficult. In the chorus, Baker repeats the message that everyone is vulnerable to this kind of pain, no matter how strong or confident a person may seem. The final verse serves to underscore this message by suggesting that someday her lover will experience the same heartbreak that she is going through now.
Overall, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" is a bittersweet song that explores the complexities of relationships, and reminds us that even the strongest and most confident among us are susceptible to heartbreak. The lyrics are simple, yet powerful, and Baker's emotive delivery captures the pain and vulnerability that we all experience when our heart is broken.
Line by Line Meaning
The tears I've cried for you could fill an ocean
I have shed countless tears in vain for your sake.
But you don't care how many tears I cry
You are indifferent to my emotional pain and suffering.
And though you only lead me on and hurt me
Even though you toyed with my feelings and caused me great pain.
I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye
I was too weak and unsure to sever our relationship.
'Cause everybody's somebody's fool
Because everyone is vulnerable to the whims and manipulations of another.
Everybody's somebody's plaything
Everyone can be used for one's selfish ends and amusement.
And there are no exceptions to the rule
No one is immune to being hurt or taken advantage of.
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
Everyone is susceptible to being fooled or deceived.
I told myself it's best that I forget you
I tried convincing myself that it was better to erase you from my memory.
Though I'm a fool, at least I know the score
Even though I am foolish, I am aware of the reality of the situation.
Yet, darling, I'd be twice as blue without you
However, my life would be even more miserable without you.
It hurts but I come running back for more
Even though it is painful, I keep returning to you willingly.
Someday you'll find the one you really care for
One day, you will meet someone you genuinely love and cherish.
And if her love should prove to be untrue
However, if she betrays you and hurts you in the same way I was hurt.
You'll know how much this heart of mine is breaking
You will experience the same pain and heartbreak that I went through.
You'll cry for her the way I cried for you
You will shed tears for her just as I did for you.
Everybody's somebody's fool
Repeating the chorus to emphasize the universality of the song's message.
Everybody's somebody's plaything
Repeating the chorus to emphasize the universality of the song's message.
And there are no exceptions to the rule
Repeating the chorus to emphasize the universality of the song's message.
Yes, everybody's somebody's fool
Repeating the chorus to emphasize the universality of the song's message.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: HOWARD GREENFIELD, JACK KELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind