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.
That Lucky Old Sun
LaVern Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids
Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Tears all in my eyes
Send down that cloud with a silver linin'
Lift me to paradise
Show me that river
Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Up in the mornin' out on the job,
Work like the devil for my pay
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids
Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Good Lawd above, can't you know I'm pinin'
Tears all in my eyes
Send down that cloud with a silver linin'
Lift me to paradise
Show me that river
Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
The lyrics to LaVern Baker's song "Lucky Ol Sun" express the struggles of a hardworking individual who is tired of the daily grind. The singer sings about waking up early and going to work, but still feeling like they are never able to catch a break. They work hard for their pay, but the sun seems to have it easy, just rolling around in the sky all day without a care in the world. The singer's frustration is evident in the line "Fuss with my woman toil for my kids, Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray" which highlights the personal sacrifices they make just to get by.
However, the singer imagines a life where they are free from their daily struggles. They call out to a higher power, asking for relief from their burdens. They long for a cloud with a silver lining to lift them to paradise, where they can roll around in heaven all day like the lucky old sun. The final stanza repeats the first, emphasizing the daily struggles the singer faces and the desire for a carefree life, where they can enjoy the simple pleasures of rolling around in the sky, like the sun.
Overall, "Lucky Ol Sun" is a song that encapsulates the struggles of the working-class and the desire for a carefree life. The singer's longing for a simpler life is conveyed through powerful imagery and evocative lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Up in the mornin' out on the job, work like the devil for my pay
Every day, I wake up and go to work, putting in all my effort to earn my pay.
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
Meanwhile, the sun just goes about its day in heaven, doing nothing but rolling around.
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
I work hard to take care of my family, dealing with complications with my partner and putting in so much effort that I age quickly.
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
Again, the sun just continues to simply roll around with no stress or worries.
Good Lawd above, can't you know I'm pinin' Tears all in my eyes
Oh Lord, can't you see how much I'm struggling? I'm even crying because of it.
Send down that cloud with a silver linin' Lift me to paradise
Please send some relief, some positive change that will take me away from this difficult life to a happier one.
Show me that river Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Take me to a river that can cleanse me of all my problems and make me feel renewed.
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
I wish I could have the same carefree life as the sun in heaven, with nothing to worry about and no responsibilities.
Up in the mornin' out on the job, Work like the devil for my pay
Once again, I wake up and work hard for my income.
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
And again, the sun continues its simple, stress-free life in heaven while I deal with my struggles on Earth.
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
Once more, I deal with the difficulties of maintaining a family and working hard to provide for them, which has visibly worn me down over time.
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
And once more, the sun continues its uneventful and trouble-free existence in heaven.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Beasley Smith, Haven Gillespie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind