The Turtles were an American pop/rock band led by vocalists Howard Kaylan a… Read Full Bio ↴The Turtles were an American pop/rock band led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, a duo later known as Flo & Eddie. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits in the 60s, beginning with their version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965. The band scored their biggest and best-known hit in 1967 with the song "Happy Together". Formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965, the band was renowned for their both joyously melancholic and occasionally cheeky sound, always being good-natured.

Originated from a surf rock group called the Crossfires, the Turtles delved into many genres such as breezy pop, psychedelic music, and folk rock. A precursor to the bubblegum pop of the late 60s and early 70s as well as a foil to the more self-consciously hip and "serious" acts of the era, the Turtles produced at least a dozen memorable, radio-friendly chart singles. Yet they remain best known for 1967's "Happy Together", which was their only chart-topping single.

The Turtles wound down their career in 1970.

The two prominent singers - Howard Kaylan ("Eddie") and Mark Volman ("Flo" a.k.a. "Phlorescent Leech") - collaborated with Frank Zappa for a short but very intensive period of one and a half years (between 1970-72) and were the cornerstone of what was known to be the Zappa "Vaudeville" band; two of the most famous achievements of that period being the albums Fillmore East – June 1971 and 200 Motels, the soundtrack of the film by the same name.

Bachelor Mother
The Turtles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She was little too young
To have done what she done
And a little too old for dancin′
But with stars in her eyes
She went out with the guy
Just to have a little fun
She got more than she bargained for
You'll find baby, one day two

Who′s the other half of the bundle of joy?
I leave that up to you

Hey, bachelor mother
You played for your supper
Just meet me at midnight at the usual place
And I'll make love to you

So I met her last night
With the stars in my eyes
Thought that I had nothin' to lose
You know that love is a ball
And it′s easy to fall
If you drop the ball too soon
Well, I got more than I bargained for
And love I can′t refuse
Who's the other half of the bundle of joy?
I leave that up to you

Hey, bachelor mother
You played for your supper
Just meet me at midnight at the usual place
And I′ll make love to you

Hey, bachelor mother
You played for your supper
Just meet me at midnight at the usual place
And I'll make love to you

Hey, bachelor mother
You played for your supper
Just meet me at midnight at the usual place
And I′ll make love to you

And I'll make love to you
And I′ll make love to you

Overall Meaning

The Turtles’ song “Bachelor Mother” tells the story of a young woman who goes out with a guy just to have a little fun, but ends up getting pregnant. She is described as being “a little too young to have done what she done, and a little too old for dancin’.” The song is sung from the perspective of a man who meets this woman one night and falls in love with her. He sings about how love is like a ball and it’s easy to fall, but if you drop the ball too soon, you’ll get more than you bargained for.

Throughout the song, the man asks the woman who the other half of the “bundle of joy” is, but he leaves it up to her to answer. The woman is referred to as a “bachelor mother”, which was a term used in the 1960s to describe an unmarried mother. The man is willing to help her and is willing to make love to her. The song has a catchy beat and melody which contrasts with the serious subject matter of unplanned pregnancy.

Overall, the song “Bachelor Mother” tells a story about a young woman who finds herself in an unexpected situation and how she deals with it. The man who sings the song is sympathetic to the woman’s situation and is willing to help her in any way he can.

Line by Line Meaning

She was little too young
She was not quite mature enough

To have done what she done
To have made the decisions she made

And a little too old for dancin′
She was past her youthfulness and vigor

But with stars in her eyes
But with great hope and aspirations

She went out with the guy
She went on a date

Just to have a little fun
Just to enjoy herself

She got more than she bargained for
The outcome was unexpectedly fruitful

You'll find baby, one day two
You will have twins someday

Who′s the other half of the bundle of joy?
Who is the father of the child?

I leave that up to you
I don't know, you decide

Hey, bachelor mother
Addressing the mother who is unmarried