The Babys, a British pop rock band, chose their name to give them a greater… Read Full Bio ↴The Babys, a British pop rock band, chose their name to give them a greater chance of a recording contract as they felt the record labels were leaning more towards the teen market. They released their eponymous first album in 1976 and followed it up with 'Broken Heart' the next year. The group's songs were melodic, sensitive, and far from the shallow teen pop market that the Babys ended up boxed into (albeit something that they had partly done themselves). Many modern critics cite them as an influence of the 70s and 80s power pop movement led by bands such as The Knack, The Cars, and The Raspberries (that the Babys both preceded and were contemporaries of). The band also notably featured a young John Waite, known later for other hits such as "Missing You".

The band's deliberate focus likely affected its appeal to wider audiences. The overall result was that the Babys seemed to live in the shadow of other Chrysalis artists such as Blondie and Pat Benatar. The cover of 'Broken Heart', with the Babys' members in glossy make-up, may have been part of the aforementioned marketing ploy.

The Baby's classic early line-up, existing from 1976 to 1978, consisted of vocalist/bassist John Waite, drummer Tony Brock, keyboardist/guitarist Michael Corby, and guitarist Wally Stocker. From 1979 to 1981, the band's line-up changed as Corby exited with Ricky Phillips and Jonathan Cain came on board. 'Broken Heart' produced a top 20 U.S. hit, "Isn't it Time", and they toured the U.S. successfully. The album also spent two weeks at number one in Australia, though it did not produce another top 40 single anywhere.

Early in 1979, "Every Time I think of You" from the band's third album, 'Head First', again reached the top 20 in the U.S. It did even better in Australia, breaking into the top 10. Whilst recording the album Mike Corby left the group. In a recent radio interview posted on his website, John Waite said that after the Babys Corby left the music scene altogether. The band's fourth album, 'Union Jacks', featured a more aggressive, punchy rock sound similar to label-mate Benatar, with single "Back On My Feet Again" hitting the top 40.

Flagging commercial success dogged the band, with their fifth album, 'On the Edge', proving to be their last. Wally Stocker and Tony Brock have not worked with John Waite since the breakup and there have never been any signs of the original 1976 line-up reforming.

According to the notes included in the compilation album 'The Essential John Waite', the band's touring came to an end when Waite tore a ligament on stage during a concert in Akron, Ohio in December 1980, within a day of the assassination of John Lennon. Waite, Ricky Phillips, and Jonathan Cain later played together in the supergroup Bad English. Cain also enjoyed great success with arena rock band Journey while Brock spent many years post-Babys drumming for Rod Stewart.

2. The Babys was a Japanese indie rock band. The members are Shunsuke - vocals/guitar, Rie - drums, and Haruna - bass. The Babys are on Japan's Infinity Records label. Their sound is heavily inspired by 1970s and 80s U.S.A. and British punk rock. The Babys' style, though, is more melodic and influenced by rockabilly and contemporary pop music.

Their most recent release is an EP ('mini album' in Japan) entitled "My Name is Future" (2006). Aside from that, they have released another EP, "Shounen Knife" (2005) and two singles, "The Babys" (2004) and "Alien" (2005). Their only full-length release at this time is "Star Luster" (2005).

The Babys lent much of their music to a Japanese animation TV soundtrack entitled "Paradise Kiss."

Dying Man
The Babys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come on sugar
You know I love you so
I ain't got much time before I go
I'm a dyin' man yeah
That's all I am
I'm a dyin' man
That's all I am
So help me baby

Come on baby
You know I feel
Just make it fast before I go
I'm a dyin' man
Oh yeah
That's all I am
I'm a dyin' man yeah
That's all I am
Come on sugar
Give me everything you got
I love you so I'm feelin' hot
Cause I'm a dyin' man
Well that's all I am
Yeah that's all I am
That's all I am

That's all
That's all I am

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Babys' song "Dying Man" are a poignant plea for love and affection from a man who knows he doesn't have much time left to live. He calls out to his lover, begging for her help and telling her that he needs everything she's got. Through his repeated declaration that "I'm a dyin' man, that's all I am," he recognizes the finality of his situation and knows that, regardless of anything else, his time on this earth is limited.

At its core, this song is a meditation on mortality and the fleeting nature of life. In the face of death, the words and actions of those we love become all the more important, and the singer of this song is pleading with his partner to show him one last act of love before it's too late. The song's repetition of the phrase "that's all I am" emphasizes the singer's resignation to his fate, but it's also a reminder that, in the end, we are all just humans, struggling to make the most of the time we have.

In many ways, "Dying Man" is a timeless song that speaks to the universal truths of the human experience. While it may have been written in the 70s and inspired by the specific cultural and political milieu of that era, its themes of love, loss, and mortality are just as relevant today as they were then.

Line by Line Meaning

Come on sugar
Addressing the lover with a request to pay attention

You know I love you so
Affirming the intensity of love towards the lover

I ain't got much time before I go
Acknowledging the limited time available to live

I'm a dyin' man yeah
Admitting the inevitable fact of being close to dying

That's all I am
Realizing the temporary existence of life

I'm a dyin' man
Repeating the fact of dying to emphasize its significance

That's all I am
Acknowledging the futility of life in the face of death

So help me baby
Appealing for support from the lover

Come on baby
Encouraging the lover to act quickly

You know I feel
Implying emotional pain and distress

Just make it fast before I go
Asking for an immediate response before it is too late