White Lion was a glam metal band of the 80s and early 90s. Their manager, M… Read Full Bio ↴White Lion was a glam metal band of the 80s and early 90s. Their manager, Mike Parente, also owned L'amour, a club in Brooklyn. Known for top 40 rock hits such as 1988's "When The Children Cry" and 1989's "Little Fighter", the band was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish-born vocalist Mike Tramp (born Michael Trempenau) and guitarist Vito Bratta, who wrote most of the band's songs. The band's other members were James Lomenzo (bass) and Greg D'Angelo (drums).

After moving from Denmark to New York in 1982, vocalist Mike Tramp (ex-Mabel and ex-Studs) met Brooklyn guitarist Vito Bratta (ex-Dreamer) and they decided to form a band. The two recruited drummer Nicki Capozzi and bassist Felix Robinson (formerly of Angel) and named the group 'Lion' before settling on 'White Lion'. Local success caused talk of releasing an album.

White Lion was signed by Elektra records in 1983, and they recorded their debut album, Fight To Survive, shortly afterwards. However, Elektra was unhappy with the final recording, and, after refusing to release the album, the label terminated the group's contract. This contributed to major turmoil in the group.

Both Capozzi and Robinson soon left the band. Nicki Capozzi was replaced by former Anthrax drummer Greg D'Angelo, and Felix Robinson was replaced by bassist Dave Spitz (brother of Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz). Within a month of joining, however, Dave Spitz left to play bass with Black Sabbath and was replaced by James Lomenzo.

The album Fight To Survive was eventually picked up by RCA and released in Japan, a hotbed of international hard rock music at the time, in 1984. The small US independent label Grand Slamm records finally released Fight To Survive in the US on November 9, 1985. A few months later, Grand Slam records went bankrupt.

In early 1986 White Lion, with a fictitious "female" member, had a brief part in the Tom Hanks/Shelley Long movie The Money Pit.

The following year, Atlantic Records released White Lion's second album, Pride, which brought significant success for the band, especially the single "Wait", which climbed to 8th place on the U.S. charts and was popular among fans of heavier metal as well. "When the Children Cry" was an even bigger hit, reaching 3rd place on the charts. That year Atlantic Records also released Fight to Survive worldwide and White Lion toured with Frehley`s Comet, Kiss, AC/DC & Stryper.

In 1989 the album Big Game came out and was a still more successful, helping to solidify White Lion's place among the top tier of hard rock bands of that time. The band's cover of "Radar Love", a classic originally recorded by Golden Earring, was the hit single off of Big Game.

1991 brought Mane Attraction, which was their best album yet, according to Greg D'Angelo, containing the top tracks "Lights And Thunder" and a new version of "Broken Heart", which had been one of their first songs off of their debut album.

In 1992, Greg D'Angelo and James Lomenzo had enough of Tramp and Bratta's continuous fighting, so they left the band. Bassist Tommy T. Bone Caradonna and drummer Jimmy De Grasso replaced them briefly, but in autumn of the same year, White Lion disbanded.

Greg and James have played in different groups after White Lion. Vito Bratta concentrated on classic guitar playing and has not been involved with any bands since. Mike Tramp went on to form and front Freak Of Nature, a short-lived project spanning 1993-1994, with Danish friend Oliver Steffenson. In 1998 Mike released Capricorn, his first of four solo albums.

In 2005, Tramp's White Lion - an all-new, much younger line-up fronted by Mike Tramp - toured and recorded the live album Rockin' The USA. In 2008 they released Return Of The Pride under the original name, White Lion.

Due to legal issues between Tramp and Bratta, White Lion is currently on hiatus.

Baby Be Mine
White Lion Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I crossed a thousand oceans
And rode a million miles
I would still be far away from you
If I climbed the highest mountain
And dove the deepest sea
Then would I find you waiting there for me

And if only you could hear me

Yeah if you could see me

[Chorus]
Baby be mine, baby be mine
Baby be mine, baby be mine

If I wrote a hundred love songs
And they were all for you
Then would you realize my love was true
If I gave you pearls 'n' diamonds
And showered you in wine
Then would there be a chance that you'd
Be mine

And If I could only hold you
And if you would be

[Chorus]

Yeah if I could only hold you
And if you would be mine

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of White Lion's song "Baby Be Mine" express a deep longing and profound desire for someone they deeply care for. The lyrics suggest that the singer would do anything to be with their loved one, even if it means traveling great distances and crossing oceans. Despite all the efforts, the person still feels far away from the object of their affections. The lyrics capture the essence of the beautifully tragic reality that distance can create, where one can crave for the person they cannot have, and that ache become unbearable.

The second verse of the song suggests that the singer has tried expressing their love for the person in many ways, writing them countless love songs, showering them with pearls and diamond, and wine, too. However, it implies that these efforts have not been enough or that the other person has not responded to the declaration of love. The chorus speaks to the crux of the song, where the singer expresses a desperate plea for the person they love to be theirs. There is an inherent need for the person they feel a connection with to reciprocate these feelings and be with them.

Furthermore, this song takes its audience on an emotional roller-coaster ride, all based on the lyrics that have been fantastically composed. It pulls at the heartstrings of anybody who has ever fallen in love or longed to be with someone they care about deeply. With the sorrowful melody and poetic lyrics, the song conveys the message that distance can discourage the one from love, but their feelings remain unchanged until they get united.

Line by Line Meaning

If I crossed a thousand oceans
Even if I traveled across vast oceans

And rode a million miles
Covered countless miles

I would still be far away from you
I won't be near you

If I climbed the highest mountain
Even if I surmounted the highest peak

And dove the deepest sea
And delved into the depths of the ocean

Then would I find you waiting there for me
Will I find you waiting patiently for me?

And if only you could hear me
If only you could listen to me

Yeah if you could see me
If only you witnessed me

Baby be mine, baby be mine
I want you to be mine, my love

Baby be mine, baby be mine
I desire you to be mine, my sweetheart

If I wrote a hundred love songs
If I composed a myriad of love songs