Nelson began his entertainment career in 1949, playing himself in the radio sitcom series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. In 1952, he appeared in his first feature film, Here Come the Nelsons. In 1957, he recorded his first single ("I'm Walkin' b/w "A Teenager's Romance", Verve 10047X4S), debuted as a singer on the television version of the sitcom, and released the No. 1 album titled Ricky. In 1958, Nelson released his first #1 single, "Poor Little Fool", and in 1959 received a Golden Globe nomination for "Most Promising Male Newcomer" after starring in Rio Bravo. A few films followed, and when the television series was cancelled in 1966, Nelson made occasional appearances as a guest star on various television programs. In his twenties, he moved away from the pop music of his youth, and began to perform in a more country rock style. After recording several albums with mostly session musicians, most of which flopped, he formed the Stone Canyon Band in 1969 and experienced a career resurgence, buoyed by the live album In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 and had a surprise hit with 1972's "Garden Party", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. His comeback was short-lived, however, as his record label was bought out and folded, and his followup albums were not well promoted by his new label. He continued to perform live and take small television roles through the 1970s, though his label dropped him by the end of the decade. He released two more albums, with unimpressive results, before his death in a plane crash on New Year's Eve, 1985.
Nelson was married once, to Sharon Kristin Harmon, from 1963 until their divorce in 1982. They had four children: actress Tracy Nelson, twin sons and musicians Gunnar and Matthew, and actor Sam.
Nelson was born on May 8, 1940, in Teaneck, New Jersey. He was the second son of entertainment couple Harriet Hilliard Nelson (born Peggy Lou Snyder; July 18, 1909 – October 2, 1994) and Ozzie Nelson (March 20, 1906 – June 3, 1975). His father Ozzie was of half Swedish descent. The Nelsons' older son was actor David Nelson (October 24, 1936 – January 11, 2011).
On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), he officially modified his recording name from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". His childhood nickname proved hard to shake, especially among the generation who had watched him grow up on "Ozzie and Harriet". Even in the 1980s, when Nelson realized his dream of meeting Carl Perkins, Perkins noted that he and "Ricky" were the last of the "rockabilly breed".
In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records. After some early successes with the label, most notably 1964's "For You" (#6), Nelson's chart career came to a dramatic halt in the wake of Beatlemania, The British Invasion, and later the Counterculture era. However, instead of dropping him, Decca kept him on board.
In the mid-1960s, Nelson began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. He was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which would include singers like Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt and bands such as Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band, featuring Randy Meisner, who in 1971 became a founding member of the Eagles, and former Buckaroo steel guitarist Tom Brumley.
Nelson died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1985, flying from Guntersville, Alabama, to Dallas, Texas, for a concert. The plane he was on, a Douglas DC-3, had a history of mechanical problems. All seven passengers, including Blair, died. Only the two pilots survived.
Nelson's funeral took place at the Church of the Hills, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery, on January 6, 1986, and he was privately buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in Los Angeles. His estate was bequeathed to his children.
Baby You Don't Know
Rick Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby you don't know pain and misery
Well the very thought of knowing that you have been untrue
Baby you don't know what you put me through
Baby you don't know all the tears I cry
Baby you don't care how many times you lie
Can't you see how much I love you, can't you see how much I care
Baby you don't know how I feel inside
I got an aching heart, that I cannot hide
Well the news about your new love is spreading all over town
Baby you don't know how you put me down
In Rick Nelson's song "Baby You Don't Know," the singer is expressing the pain and heartbreak caused by his partner's unfaithfulness. From the very first line, it's clear that the singer is deeply affected by their actions. The repetition of the phrase "baby you don't know" emphasizes his frustration with his partner's lack of understanding of the pain she's caused him. He describes the pain and misery he feels as a result of her betrayal, explaining that he cannot hide the ache in his heart.
Throughout the song, the singer begs his partner to see how much he loves her and how much she means to him, but she seems unmoved by his pleas. He describes her lies and the tears he has cried over her, but she remains indifferent to his pain. The news of her new love has caused the singer to feel further rejection and hurt, causing him to feel that she doesn't know how much she's putting him down.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of heartbreak caused by infidelity and an inability to communicate and understand the depth of one's partner's emotions. It expresses the frustration of trying to make someone understand the depth of one's feelings and the pain of feeling unimportant to someone who was supposed to be a source of love and support.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby you don't know what you're doing to me
You're unaware of how your actions affect me emotionally.
Baby you don't know pain and misery
You have no understanding of how much pain and misery I'm experiencing.
Well the very thought of knowing that you have been untrue
The mere thought of you being unfaithful is causing me intense emotional distress.
Baby you don't know what you put me through
You're unaware of the amount of emotional turmoil you're causing me.
Baby you don't know all the tears I cry
You're oblivious to the fact that I cry often because of you.
Baby you don't care how many times you lie
You're unconcerned with how many lies you've told me.
Can't you see how much I love you, can't you see how much I care
I love you deeply and care for you very much; why can't you reciprocate?
Baby you don't know and it's just not fair
It's unfair that you don't understand my feelings despite my love for you.
Baby you don't know how I feel inside
You have no idea of how much emotional pain I'm in.
I got an aching heart, that I cannot hide
My heart is in excruciating pain, and it's impossible for me to conceal it.
Well the news about your new love is spreading all over town
Rumors of your new lover are circulating everywhere.
Baby you don't know how you put me down
You're oblivious to how much emotional damage you're causing me.
Contributed by Makayla O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.