Born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Boone is a direct descendant of the American pioneer Daniel Boone. He grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, attended David Lipscomb College and began recording in 1954 for Republic Records. His 1955 version of "Ain't That a Shame" was a huge hit, selling far better than Fats Domino's original version. This set the stage for the early part of Boone's career, which focused on covering R&B songs by black artists for a white market. Previously, rock 'n' roll had had only limited exposure outside of the African American community. Pat Boone's pale covers gave attention to the more authentic original artists, such as Little Richard and Fats Domino and to rhythm and blues in general. In addition, the songwriters and copyright holders benefited even when individual artists did not.
In fact, only six of Boone's many hit singles were R&B covers, and only four of those were rockers. All were released in the first two years of his long career. These were "Ain't That a Shame" by Fats Domino and "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard, and "At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" by the El Dorados. The other two R&B covers were well-chosen blues ballads, "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Ivory Joe Hunter and "Chains of Love," a hit for Big Joe Turner and later B.B. King that had been written by Ahmet Ertegun. By 1957, Boone was concentrating on the middle-of-the-road music that dominated his career. He never recorded another R&B cover.
Known as "The Kid in White Buck Shoes", Boone sported a clean-cut image that appealed to white [teens]] and parents. His singing style, a rich baritone, followed in the tradition of his idol, Bing Crosby. Preferring to carry on in the Crosby tradition, he soon began turning more and more to ballads. Some of his biggest hits included "Love Letters in the Sand" (with the instrumental break featuring Boone's whistling), "April Love", "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)", and "Don't Forbid Me".
His teen idol popularity in the late 1950s was second only to that of Elvis Presley, and, like Presley, he soon tried his hand at acting. Boone's pictures included 1960's Journey to the Center of the Earth alongside Hollywood notable James Mason.
His recording of the theme song from the 1957 film April Love topped the charts for six weeks and was nominated for an Academy Award. Pat also wrote the theme song for the movie Exodus.
A devout born-again Christian, he was raised in the conservative Church of Christ, but has been a member of a Pentecostal church for more than thirty years. Boone has refused both songs and movie roles that he felt might compromise his standards, including a role opposite the decade's reigning sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. Among his other achievements, he hosted a TV series in the late 1950s and began writing in the early 1960s, a series of self-help books for adolescents, including Twixt Twelve and Twenty.
The British Invasion effectively ended Boone's career as a hitmaker, though he continued recording throughout the 1960s. In the 1970s, he switched to gospel and country, and he continued performing in other media as well, most importantly radio. He is currently working as the disc jockey of a popular oldies radio show and runs his own record company which provides a much-welcomed outlet for new recordings by 1950s greats who can no longer find a place with the major labels.
Boone married Shirley Lee Foley, daughter of country music great Red Foley and singer Judy Martin, in 1953 and they had four daughters: Cherry, Lindy, Debby, and Laury. In the 1960s and 1970s the Boone family toured as gospel singers and made gospel albums, such as The Pat Boone Family and The Family Who Prays.
In the early 1990s, Boone joined Amway and spoke at many motivational seminars. He was also a distributor. He never reached the coveted Amway rank of Diamond.
In 1997, Boone released In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, a collection of heavy metal covers revamped to fit his style. To promote the album, he appeared at the American Music Awards in black leather, shocking audiences and losing his respectability among his largest constituency, conservative Christians. He was then fired from Gospel America, a TV show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. About a year later, the controversy died down and many fans, including Jack Hayford, accepted his explanation of the leather outfit being a "parody of himself". He was re-hired by Trinity Broadcasting and Gospel America was brought back.
In 2003, the Gospel Music Association of Nashville, Tennessee recognized his gospel recording work by inducting him into its Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Boone and his wife live in Los Angeles, California. They are members of The Church on the Way in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley. His one-time neighbor was Ozzy Osbourne and his family. Boone's cover of Osborne's song "Crazy Train" became the theme song for The Osbornes. (It appears on The Osbornes Soundrack.) Osborne said that Boone "never complained once" about living next door to his less-than-traditional family.
Boone once claimed to use his own surname in lieu of curse words when upset.
In 2006, Boone penned an article for WorldNetDaily in which he argued that Democrats and others who are against the Iraq War cannot, under any circumstances, be considered patriotic. He also recently was interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox News, where he expressed his outrage against the opponents of George W. Bush (namely the Dixie Chicks) that their criticisms of the President showed they did not "respect their elders". Another article defended Mel Gibson after the actor was recorded making an anti-Semitic rant. Despite their differing political views, Pat Boone is friends with the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Why Baby Why
Pat Boone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like you used to do (why, baby, why)
Why, baby, baby don't you need me (why, baby, why)
Like I'm needing you
If you need love and affection (why, baby, why)
Come to my loving arms (why, baby, why)
I'll be your shield and protection (why, baby, why)
There will be no trouble and strife
I'll be your slave the rest of my life
I offer you my heart and soul
Wrapped up in a bag of gold
Why, baby, why do you tease me (why, baby, why)
Won't you please be fair (why, baby, why)
Why, baby, why won't you please me (why, baby, why)
When you know you care
There will be no trouble and strife
I'll be your slave the rest of my life
I offer you my heart and soul
Wrapped up in a bag of gold
Why, baby, why do you tease me (why, baby, why)
Won't you please be fair (why, baby, why)
Why, baby, why won't you please me (why, baby, why)
When you know you care
When you know you care
When you know you care
The lyrics to Pat Boone’s "Why Baby Why" are a plea for love and affection, with the singer expressing their desire for their partner to treat them as they used to. The use of the phrase “why baby why” throughout the song is a way to emphasize the confusion and desperation felt by the singer, who cannot understand why their partner is not reciprocating their feelings. The singer offers up their heart and soul, wrapped up in a bag of gold, to the love interest, promising to be their slave for life and shield them from harm.
The repetition of the lines “there will be no trouble and strife, I’ll be your slave the rest of my life” highlights the sincerity and desperation of the singer’s plea, who believes that they can offer their love interest everything they need. However, the love interest continues to tease and torment the singer, prompting the question “why, baby, why won’t you please me when you know you care”. In the end, the singer is left feeling unsure and perplexed, unable to understand why their love is not being reciprocated.
Line by Line Meaning
Why baby why don't you treat me (why, baby, why)
Asking why the person he loves is no longer treating him the way they used to and pleading for an explanation.
Like you used to do (why, baby, why)
Asking why the person he loves is not loving him like he used to and begging them to return to their old ways.
Why, baby, baby don't you need me (why, baby, why)
Asking why the person he loves doesn't need him anymore and pleading for them to come back to him.
Like I'm needing you
Expressing how much he needs the person he loves in his life and how much it hurts that they don't need him back.
If you need love and affection (why, baby, why)
Acknowledging that the person he loves may need love and affection, offering his own love and affection as a solution.
Come to my loving arms (why, baby, why)
Inviting the person he loves to come to him and find the love and affection that they need.
I'll be your shield and protection (why, baby, why)
Promising to protect and take care of the person he loves from any trouble or harm.
I won't do ya no harm
Promising that he will never hurt the person he loves and only wants to provide them with love and affection.
There will be no trouble and strife
Promising that he will do everything in his power to prevent any problems or conflict between them.
I'll be your slave the rest of my life
Promising to devote his life to serving and loving the person he loves unconditionally.
I offer you my heart and soul
Offering his entire being, heart and soul, to the person he loves in hopes of being with them forever.
Wrapped up in a bag of gold
Symbolizing the value and worth he places on his love and affection for the person he loves.
Why, baby, why won't you please me (why, baby, why)
Asking why the person he loves won't make him happy and pleading for them to try or at least be honest with him.
When you know you care
Pointing out that the person he loves does care, and asking them to act on those feelings and reciprocate the love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LARRY HARRISON, LUTHER DIXON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JC Boom
Rock and roll forever! Pat Boone was the first live concert I saw.
Rick fisher
This is definitely my favorite Pat Boone song
Monica Levin
I love it .... I’m dancing all around the room❤️
1lenny
Glad you love it. Keep on dancing. Thanks for listening and commenting.
José Eugenio Gomes
Simplesmente Boone
Impagável
Roy Browning
Around 1960 there were several of us teenagers at home, and we were huge fans of Pat Boone ! We craved his records and movies. We also liked Elvis, Ricky Nelson and Frankie Avalon, but Boone was Nº 1 for us !
Jimbob
My sis and I wore this record out on an old vacuum tube Cromwell record player! Thanks for posting. Great memories!
Raji Muthukrishnan
Love this one - thanks for posting
TaylorBee
Thanks so much for sharing this one....brings back all my memories of the 50's....that was a GOOD time!
ApostolFoma
This song was often played on my father's tape recorder. Last time I heard it at about 35 years ago. Thank You for backup of my childhood. ;-)