Baby Doll
Tony Toni Toné Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
And it's bound to drive your mama wild
It must be something they call the Cuban Doll1,
It weren't your mama's angel child
I went to see the doctor the other day, he said I's well as well could be
But I said, "Doctor, you don't know really what's worrying me"
I want to be somebody's baby doll so I can get my loving all the time
I want to be somebody's baby doll to ease my mind
He can be ugly, he can be black, so long as he can eagle rock and ball the jack
I want to be somebody's baby doll so I can get my lovin' all the time,
I mean to get my lovin' all the time
Lord, I went to the gypsy to get my fortune told,
She said you in hard luck, Bessie, doggone your bad luck soul
I want to be somebody's baby doll so I can get my lovin' all the time,
I mean to get my lovin' all the time
In Tony Toni Toné's song "Baby Doll," the lyrics describe a longing for love and a desire to be someone's "baby doll." The speaker in the song is experiencing a "funny feeling" around their heart that is bound to "drive your mama wild." The Cuban Doll is referenced as the cause of this feeling. It seems to be affecting the speaker in a way that they can't control, as it "weren't your mama's angel child." They have gone to see a doctor who tells them that they are perfectly fine, but the speaker knows that something else is bothering them.
The speaker then goes on to express their want for a significant other. They want to be somebody's "baby doll" so they can receive love all the time and ease their mind. The appearance of their partner doesn't matter, as long as they can "eagle rock and ball the jack," meaning they can dance and have fun together. The desire for love is so strong that the speaker visits a gypsy to get their fortune told, hoping for something positive. Unfortunately, the gypsy tells them that they are in "hard luck," emphasizing the desperation for love even more.
The song portrays a deep longing for love and the desire to be someone's significant other. The Cuban Doll referenced in the song could be interpreted as an object of desire, representing something that is unattainable yet irresistible. The speaker's visit to the doctor and the gypsy shows the extent of their desperation for this love, indicating that it is causing them distress. Ultimately, "Baby Doll" is a classic R&B song that expresses the universal desire for love and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
Honey, there's a funny feeling 'round my heart,
I have mixed emotions in my heart that are confusing me.
And it's bound to drive your mama wild
My emotions will make you unpleasant or uncomfortable.
It must be something they call the Cuban Doll,
The cause of these emotions may be attributed to the Cuban Doll.
It weren't your mama's angel child
I am not as perfect as your mama thinks I am.
I went to see the doctor the other day, he said I's well as well could be
I visited the doctor, and he said that I am healthy.
But I said, 'Doctor, you don't know really what's worrying me'
But I have a deeper concern that the doctor is not really aware of.
I want to be somebody's baby doll so I can get my loving all the time
I want to be someone's lover so that I can receive love constantly.
I want to be somebody's baby doll to ease my mind
Having someone to love will give me peace of mind.
He can be ugly, he can be black, so long as he can eagle rock and ball the jack
As long as he can dance and have fun, looks do not matter to me.
I want to be somebody's baby doll so I can get my lovin' all the time,
Again, I want to receive love constantly from my partner.
I mean to get my lovin' all the time
It is essential for me to get love all the time.
Lord, I went to the gypsy to get my fortune told,
I visited a fortune teller to learn more about my future.
She said you in hard luck, Bessie, doggone your bad luck soul
The fortune teller told me that I am cursed with bad luck.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LIONEL BROWN, WILLIAM COLLIER, THOMAS PRICE, ORILESTER SMITH, HOWARD WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
History
Their first album was released in 1988 and was titled Who?. Read Full BioTony! Toni! Toné! was an R&B group from Oakland, California popular from their formation in 1988 to the mid to late 1990s. It was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Wiggins (also known as Raphael Saadiq) on lead vocals and bass, and their cousin Timothy Christian Riley on drums. Other members were Elijah Baker, Carl Wheeler, Randall Wiggins, and Antron Haile.
History
Their first album was released in 1988 and was titled Who?. The album went gold and had several hit singles. The first of these, "Little Walter", went to #1 on the R&B charts. While none of the singles went gold, the next three singles, "Born Not To Know", "For The Love Of You" and "Baby Doll" were all Top 10 R&B singles.
Firmly establishing themselves, the group's second album The Revival was released in 1990 and reached platinum status. The album spawned several #1 R&B hits with "It Never Rains", "Feels Good", and "Whatever You Want", all topping the R&B charts. "Feels Good" was the group's first single to breach the Top 10 of the Hot 100 and managed to go gold.
Furthering the group's success, they released their best selling album to date, Sons Of Soul, in 1993. The album went double platinum and had hit singles: "If I Had No Loot" which hit #7 on the Hot 100, "Anniversary" which reached #10 on the Hot 100, and "(Lay Your Head On My) Pillow" which reached #4 on the R&B charts.
In 1996, the group released their last album to date, House of Music. The album lacked the strong singles of earlier entries, only getting "Thinking Of You" into the top 10 on the R&B charts but the album still managed to go platinum.
Raphael Saadiq released his first solo effort, the Top 20 Billboard hit "Ask of You" from the Higher Learning soundtrack, in 1995. Around the same time, Saadiq became a much-sought-after R&B producer, scoring hits for D'Angelo, Total, The Roots and others. Later in the 2000s, he started a solo career, releasing two albums, Instant Vintage (2002) and Ray Ray (2004).
In 2003, most members of Tony! Toni! Toné! except for Saadiq were invited by Alicia Keys to guest on her album The Diary of Alicia Keys. The song that resulted from that session was called "Diary", and when it was released as a single in the fall of 2004, it gave them their first Top 10 US hit in eleven years. In 2005, Dwayne Wiggins became the band leader for the Weekends at the D.L. television show hosted by comedian D. L. Hughley, which airs on the Comedy Central cable network.
In 2006, the group reunited for the New Jack Reunion Tour, running throughout the U.S.