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.
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
LaVern Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You give your soul so sweetly
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes
But will you love me tomorrow
Is this a lasting treasure
Or just a moment's pleasure
Can I believe the magic in your sighs
And will you still love me tomorrow
Tonight with words unspoken
You say that I'm the only one
But will my heart be broken
When the night meets the morning sun
I'd like to know if your love
Is a love I can be sure of
So tell me now and I won't ask again
Will you still love me tomorrow
Will you still love me tomorrow
Will you still love me tomorrow
LaVern Baker's "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" questions if the love shared will last through the morning sun. "Tonight you're mine, completely" describes the present moment as they are lost in each other's love. The love is so sweet and special that the light of love is in the person's eyes. However, the singer questions whether this love is just a moment's pleasure or a lasting treasure. The singer wonders if they can believe the magic in their partner's sighs and whether their partner will still love them tomorrow.
With words unspoken, the partner says they are the only one, but the singer questions whether their heart will be broken come morning. The singer wants to know whether their partner's love is one they can be sure of. Hence, they ask if their partner will still love them tomorrow, hoping for a positive response. The repetition of the phrase "will you still love me tomorrow" signifies how important it is to the singer to be sure of their partner's love.
In summary, the song is a love ballad that questions whether the present love will last through the morning sun. The singer wonders if the love is a moment's pleasure or if it is a lasting treasure. They desire to be sure of their partner's love and ask if they will still love them tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Tonight you're mine, completely
You are all mine for tonight and I can have you all to myself
You give your soul so sweetly
You give yourself to me with such tenderness and passion
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes
I can see the love and desire shining brightly in your eyes tonight
But will you love me tomorrow
I wonder if this love will last beyond tonight, if you will still feel the same way about me in the morning
Is this a lasting treasure
I wonder if what we have is something permanent and valuable or just a fleeting moment of pleasure
Or just a moment's pleasure
Maybe what we share is just a temporary thing and not deep enough to last
Can I believe the magic in your sighs
I don't know if I can trust the feelings that you express to me with your sighs
And will you still love me tomorrow
I'm worried about whether your feelings for me will stand the test of time
Tonight with words unspoken
Even though we are not explicitly expressing our feelings, I can sense that we are both feeling a strong connection
You say that I'm the only one
You tell me that I am the only person who matters to you right now
But will my heart be broken
I'm afraid that when I wake up tomorrow, my heart will be shattered if you no longer feel the same way
When the night meets the morning sun
The moment when the night ends and the morning begins is when I'll find out if our love will endure
I'd like to know if your love
I want to be sure that what you feel for me is true and not just temporary infatuation
Is a love I can be sure of
I hope that what we share is a love that I can count on and trust
So tell me now and I won't ask again
Please be honest with me now so I don't have to keep wondering about our future together
Will you still love me tomorrow
I need to know if what we have will last beyond tonight and if you will still feel the same way about me in the future
Will you still love me tomorrow
I need reassurance that our love is not just a fleeting moment and that you will still feel the same way tomorrow and beyond
Will you still love me tomorrow
Please tell me that what we have is real and that your love for me will endure
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole King, Gerry Goffin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marc Kane
Great vocal from the magical Ms Jackie Lee. This is the greatest version .again more conviction ..feeling .emotion...cuteness yet tenacity in her beautiful voice .... ..Fantastic backing/harmonies from the Raindrops..Marc Kane
Rudi Polt
Do you by any chance have the B side of this single? It would be great if you could put that up. Thanks for the beautiful song.
Rudi Polt
Thanks! Looking forward to hearing the song! Aloha from Hawaii.