Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Going to get my baby back home
I'm going to Kansas City
Going to get my baby back home
Well its a long long time too
My baby's been gone
Ah, Kansas City
I'm going to Kansas City
Going get my baby one time
Its a just a 1-2-3-4,
5-6-7-8-9
Hey hey hey hey
(hey hey hey hey)
Hey, baby
(hey, baby)
Ooh now girl
(yeah, yeah)
I said yeah now, huh
(girl, girl)
Now now now now tell me baby
What's been wrong with you
Hey hey hey hey
(hey hey hey hey)
Hey now baby
(hey baby)
Oh now girl
(yeah, yeah)
I said yeah now, huh
(girl, girl)
Now now now now tell me baby
What's been wrong with you
I said bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
Bye bye baby bye bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
So long
(So long so long)
Bye bye baby I'm gone
(Bye bye bye bye)
I said bye bye baby
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Bye now bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
Bye now baby bye
(Bye bye bye bye)
The song Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! was originally written in 1952 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and has been covered by various artists including The Beatles. The song is about a man who is traveling to Kansas City to get his baby back home. The opening verses explain that it has been a long time since his baby has been gone and he is determined to bring her back. The chorus then repeats the phrase "hey hey hey hey" several times, followed by the lyrics "hey baby, ooh now girl, I said yeah now, now now now now tell me baby what's been wrong with you." These lyrics suggest that the man is attempting to understand what has caused his baby to leave in the first place, and he is committed to fixing whatever has gone wrong in order to bring her back with him.
The final verse of the song repeats the phrase "bye bye baby" several times, indicating that the man is now leaving Kansas City, possibly with his baby, and saying goodbye to the city itself. The song ends with the phrase "bye now bye," implying a sense of finality to the story.
Overall, the lyrics to Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! are a simple narrative about a man on a mission to bring his loved one home. The catchy chorus and upbeat melody make it a fun song to sing along to, and the underlying message of love and commitment resonates with listeners even today.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah Kansas City
Excitement for going to Kansas City
Going to get my baby back home
Going to Kansas City to bring back my lover who has been gone for a long time
Well its a long long time too
My lover has been gone for a very long time
Ah, Kansas City
Renewed excitement for going to Kansas City
Going get my baby one time
Going to Kansas City to retrieve my lover once
Its a just a 1-2-3-4, 5-6-7-8-9
Going to be quick and efficient in retrieving my lover
Hey hey hey hey
Attention grabbing phrase
(hey hey hey hey)
Reiteration of the attention grabbing phrase
Hey, baby
Addressing my lover
(hey, baby)
Reiteration of addressing my lover
Ooh now girl
Expressing affection for my lover
(yeah, yeah)
Affirming my own statement
I said yeah now, huh
Reiteration of my previous affirmation
(girl, girl)
Affectionate nickname for my lover
Now now now now tell me baby
Asking my lover what's wrong
What's been wrong with you
Asking my lover to explain what's been bothering them
I said bye
Saying goodbye to my lover
(Bye bye bye bye)
Repeating the goodbye multiple times
Bye bye baby bye bye
Saying goodbye to my lover again
So long
Another way of saying goodbye
Bye bye baby I'm gone
Implies that the artist has left
I said bye bye baby
Final goodbye to the lover
Bye, bye, bye, bye
Emphasis on the goodbye
Bye now bye
Another way of saying goodbye
(Bye bye bye bye)
Reiteration of the multiple goodbyes
Bye now baby bye
Final goodbye to the lover
(Bye bye bye bye)
Reiteration of the multiple goodbyes
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Mother Nature's Son
A really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on The Night Before
A really splendid Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on P.S. I Love You
Now this is a really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on There's a Place
A seriously underrated Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Do You Want to Know a Secret
A fantastic song by The Beatles.
Philip Kassabian
on When I'm Sixty-Four
A very tuneful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
An excellent Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on I'm Looking Through You
A beautiful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Honestly The Beatles can't stop producing good songs.
Philip Kassabian
on Michelle
A fantastic Beatles song and absolutely beautiful.