They were first organized in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in 1946. The original members of the group were Janet Ertel (1913-November 4, 1988), Carol Bushman (her sister-in-law), Dorothy Schwartz, and Jinny Osborn (or Lockard) (April 25, 1927-May 19, 2003). In 1952, Lynn Evans replaced Schwartz, and in 1953, Margie Needham replaced Osborn (who was having a baby), though Osborn later returned to the group. Nancy Overton also was a member of the group at a later time. Originally they sang folk music in the style of The Weavers, but eventually changed to a harmonizing style of the type known as barbershop harmony. Part of this change seems to be influenced by Osborn's father.
Jinny Osborn was born in Seattle, Washington. She was born Virginia Cole, the daughter of O. H. "King" Cole, who was president of the Barbershop Harmony Society (then known as SPEBSQSA), and Katherine Flack.
After performing locally in Sheboygan, they went on Arthur Godfrey's radio program, Talent Scouts in 1949.They went on to feature status on Godfrey's daily program, and then went on to make a number of recordings for Columbia Records.
In 1953, Godfrey's music director and orchestra leader, Archie Bleyer, founded Cadence Records. He signed a number of Godfrey regulars and former regulars, including the Chordettes, who had a number of hit records for Cadence.
Their biggest hit was Mr. Sandman in 1954. Archie Bleyer himself is on that record along with the group, Bleyer stripping the sound down the better not to clutter the girls' voices. They also hit the top twenty with 1958's "Lollipop," and also charted with a vocal version of the themes from television's Zorro (1959) and the film Never on Sunday (1961). Other hits for the girls included "Eddie My Love," "Born to Be With You," and "Lay Down Your Arms" in 1956 and "Just Between You and Me" in 1957.
Janet Ertel married Bleyer in 1954. Her daughter Jackie married another Cadence recording star, Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers. She died of cancer in 1988.
The Chordettes appeared on American Bandstand August 5, 1957, kicking off the first episode of the show over the ABC Television Network.
In 1961, Jinny Osborn left the group, and they were unable to find a replacement with whom they were happy, leading to a breakup.
The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.
Jinny Osborn (by that time Jinny Janis) died in 2003
Baby Come A Back A
The Chordettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the eyes a wanna see you
Baby come a back, come a back, come a back
To the arms a wanna hold you
You never shoulda gone away
You never shoulda gone away
Baby come a back, come a back, come a back
To the lips a wanna kiss you
To the heart that learned to miss you
You never shoulda gone away
You never shoulda gone away
When you went away, my dog went away
When you went away, my cat went away
If you're gonna stay away away away
I think that i will die
So, baby come a back, come a back, come a back
To the one you'll be locked onto
Baby come a back, come a back, come a back
To the one that you'll be run onto
You never shoulda gone away
You never shoulda gone away
When you went away, my dog ran away
When you went away, My cat ran away
If you're gonna stay away away away
It looks like she will die
So, baby come a back, come a back, come a back
To the only you'll be locked onto
Baby come a back, come a back, come a back
To the only that you'll be run onto
You never shoulda gone away
You never shoulda gone away
Never, never, never, never, never shoulda gone away
Never shoulda gone away
The Chordettes’ hit singles in the 1950s, “Baby Come Back,” is a tale of lost love and the desire for reconciliation. The singer implores her lover to return to her, telling him that she misses him deeply and wishes to kiss and hold him again. The lyrics “you never should have gone away” repeat throughout the song, expressing the emotional pain of the separation. The singer’s emotions become more desperate throughout the song, with lines like “if you’re gonna stay away, it looks like I will die.” The lyrics also contain a reference to the singer’s pets deserting her after her lover left, adding to the overall tone of loneliness.
Through its sweet melodies and plaintive lyrics, “Baby Come Back” speaks to the universal experience of romantic regret and the hope for reconciliation. The song is a timeless classic that has continued to be popular with subsequent generations, with its message of lost love standing the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby come a back, come a back, come a back
Please return to me
To the eyes a wanna see you
I want to see you with my own eyes
To the arms a wanna hold you
I want to hold you in a comforting embrace
You never shoulda gone away
You should have never left in the first place
To the lips a wanna kiss you
I want to give you a passionate kiss
To the heart that learned to miss you
My heart has been longing for you since you left
When you went away, my dog went away
My dog seems to miss you too
When you went away, my cat went away
Even my cat misses you
If you're gonna stay away away away
If you continue to stay away
I think that i will die
I can't bear to be without you
To the one you'll be locked onto
I am the only one you should be with
To the one that you'll be run onto
You should come back to me, the one you love
Never, never, never, never, never shoulda gone away
I'll always want you by my side
Writer(s): Carr, Kaye
Contributed by Brayden F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Car Wash Slayer
This is an amazing song and beats every other song out there. Makes me wish I grew up in a generation that I was never in. It sounds like it was a great one.
Brennan CJ
Flip side to "Lollipop" single. My older brother bought the Lollipop record MANY years ago and as a 6 year old I played the record (A and B sides) over and over and over again. I haven't heard this song in DECADES but I still remembered how it went.....and I still have the 45 buried somewhere in my record collection.