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.
You've Got a Friend
LaVern Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night
You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend
If the sky above you
Grows dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind begins to blow
Keep you head together
And call my name out loud
Soon you'll hear me knocking at you door
You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
Ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
When people can be so cold
They'll hurt you, and desert you
And take your soul if you let them
You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there
You've got a friend
You've got a friend
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend
LaVern Baker's "You've Got a Friend" is a song that tells the story of a friend who is always there for you when you need them the most. The song suggests that sometimes in life, everything seems to be going wrong, and you may feel helpless, but to remember that you always have a friend who will be there to help you through thick and thin. The song is a heartwarming reminder that during difficult times, you don't have to go through it alone.
The lyrics are straightforward, but they showcase the power of friendship when it matters the most. The song is based on reassurance in a time of need, and the lyrics convey the strength and support that a friend can offer. It reminds listeners that they don't have to face their problems alone, and that they can always count on their friends to help them through the difficult times.
Overall, "You've Got a Friend" by LaVern Baker has an honest and relatable message. It emphasizes the importance of having friends who are always there for you, no matter what. It's a reminder that we all need to lean on each other when times are tough, and that sometimes, a helping hand or a good friend is all you need.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're down and troubled
When you're feeling low and struggling
And you need a helping hand
When you need someone to lift you up
And nothing, nothing is going right
And everything seems to be going wrong
Close your eyes and think of me
Imagine me in your mind
And soon I will be there
And I'll come to comfort you
To brighten up even your darkest night
To bring light to even the darkest moments in your life
You just call out my name
You just need to say my name
And you know wherever I am
And you know that no matter where I am
I'll come running to see you again
I'll come to you as soon as I can
Winter, spring, summer or fall
No matter the season
All you have to do is call
All you have to do is ask for help
And I'll be there
And I'll be there for you
If the sky above you
If life seems overwhelming
Grows dark and full of clouds
And everything seems hopeless
And that old north wind begins to blow
When everything seems to be against you
Keep you head together
Stay strong
And call my name out loud
And remember that you can count on me
Soon you'll hear me knocking at you door
And soon I'll be there for you
Ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
Isn't it comforting to know that you're not alone
When people can be so cold
When others can be so uncaring
They'll hurt you, and desert you
They'll let you down and abandon you
And take your soul if you let them
And if you're not careful, they can destroy your spirit
You've got a friend
But don't worry, you have someone on your side
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend
Isn't it wonderful to know that you have someone who cares about you
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend
Isn't it great to know that you're never alone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jacegainer3841
Great version.