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.

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Play It Fair
LaVern Baker Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Give your heart to the one
Who gave her heart to you
If you must play the game
Play it fair (play it fair)

Save your love for the one
Who saves her love for you
If you must play with love
Play it fair (play it fair)

Oh you don't have to be wise
No you don't have to be so smart
Just to realize
It's wrong to break a heart

So be true to the one
Who's always true to you
If she's true why can't you
Play it fair (play it fair)

Yes you-ooo should bear in mind
That you just can't live alone
So why not spend your time
With someone all your own

Keep your mind on the one
Whose mind's always on you
If you must play the game
Play it fair (play it fair).

Overall Meaning

LaVern Baker's song "Play It Fair" speaks about the importance of honesty and fairness in love. The song emphasizes on the idea that when one finds someone who genuinely loves them for who they are, it is essential to reciprocate that love with honesty and fidelity.

The first verse of the song talks about giving your heart to the person who gave their heart to you. The idea behind this verse is that if someone loves you enough to open up their heart to you, then you should do the same. The second verse talks about saving your love for the one who saves their love for you. It's about not wasting your affection on someone who does not return your feelings, and instead, investing it in someone who reciprocates your emotions.

The chorus of the song encourages playing the game of love fair. The song suggests that one does not need to be wise or smart to realize that breaking someone's heart is wrong. Therefore, being true to someone who loves you and spending time with them is the right thing to do. The song concludes with a final verse that urges that one should keep their mind on the person who always keeps their mind on them.

Overall, "Play It Fair" is a song that emphasizes on the importance of fair play and reciprocity in love. It encourages one to invest their emotions in someone who returns the affection and to treat them with honesty and fidelity.

Line by Line Meaning

Give your heart to the one
Offer your heart to the person

Who gave her heart to you
The one who already gave you her heart

If you must play the game
If you have to be involved in love

Play it fair (play it fair)
Be honest and just

Save your love for the one
Preserve your love to the person

Who saves her love for you
The one who already has love for you

If you must play with love
If you have to engage with love

Play it fair (play it fair)
Be honorable and equitable

Oh you don't have to be wise
You don't need to be intelligent

No you don't have to be so smart
You don't require to be knowledgeable

Just to realize
Just understand that