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.
So High So Low
LaVern Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm begging
You must come into my heart
I'm pleading
You must come into my heart
I'm asking
You must come into my heart
My love is so high
You can't get over it
So low, you can't get under it
So wide, you can't get around it
You must come into my heart
So high, you can't get over it
So low, you can't get under it
So wide, you can't get around it
You must come into my heart
Don't you know it's so high
And my love is so low
I'm telling you, so wide
Yeah, you must come into my heart
Some people, they travel by water
Some people, they travel by land
If you want to be my honey
You must go hand in hand
Don't you know it's so high
And I'm telling you it's so low
Whoa, oh, so wide
Whoa, you must come into my heart
My love is so high
And it's so low, so wide
You must come into my heart
You must come into my heart
One more time
You must come into my heart
My heart is yours
The lyrics to LaVern Baker's song So High So Low tell the story of a person trying to convince another to love them. They state that their love is so intense, high and wide, that the other person cannot get over, under or around it. They plead and beg for the other person to come into their heart, telling them that if they want to be their "honey" they must go hand in hand with them. The song seems to emphasize the intensity of the singer's love and that only by accepting it, can the relationship move forward.
The song's lyrics can be interpreted as a declaration of love that is all-consuming and intense. The repetition of the line "you must come into my heart" emphasizes the urgency and importance of the situation. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but the repetition conveys a sense of desperation, as if the singer really needs the other person to love them. Moreover, the line "my heart is yours" in the final verse is a clear and unequivocal declaration of love and surrender.
Line by Line Meaning
You must come into my heart
The singer urges the object of her affection to become a part of her life and commit to a relationship with her.
My love is so high
You can't get over it
The singer's love is intense and unattainable, impossible to ignore or dismiss.
So low, you can't get under it
The singer's love is also deeply rooted and unshakeable, making it impossible to bypass or avoid.
So wide, you can't get around it
The singer's love is comprehensive and all-encompassing, leaving no room for escape or evasion.
I'm telling you, so wide
The singer reiterates the scope and intensity of her feelings, emphasizing the importance of the other person reciprocating.
Some people, they travel by water
Some people, they travel by land
The singer acknowledges that people come from different backgrounds and lifestyles, and that love may require different paths for different individuals.
If you want to be my honey
You must go hand in hand
The singer sets expectations and conditions for the other person's commitment, requiring them to be fully invested and committed to the relationship.
My heart is yours
The singer declares her devotion and surrender to the other person, offering her heart and love sincerely and openly.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LAVERN BAKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
azdoowop
LaVern was an incredible singer who should have had tons more fame than she did. Great post.