When you’re listening to oldies radio, you’ll likely hear a few songs that sound like dated novelties that wouldn’t hold up today. But then there are songs like “Take Good Care of My Baby,” released in 1961 but still sounding as sharp as ever.
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The song was performed by Bobby Vee, who put together a string of top hits in the early ’60s, none bigger than “Take Good Care of My Baby.” It was written by a pair of legends as well. Put all that talent together, and you’ve got an undeniable classic.
Vee Steps Up
When you consider how the career of Bobby Vee began, it’s simply amazing it even continued after that, let alone became such a massive success. After the 1959 plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper, the tour that those stars were headlining continued, but it needed a fill-in act.
The next stop was in Minnesota. Vee (born Robert Veline) was a budding musician and singer in North Dakota, so he grabbed a couple of his schoolmates and headed out to do the show. This ad hoc group turned out to be an audience favorite that fateful night, and Vee was on his way.
Among his other distinctions: A young Bob Dylan briefly played in his backing band. Vee started to find chart success while still in his teens, with his breakthrough coming in 1960 with “Devil or Angel.” But his biggest hit was still to come.
“Baby” Talk
If you look around the internet, you can hear a demo of “Take Good Care of My Baby” being played by none other than Carole King. That’s because King wrote the song with her musical partner Gerry Goffin. The two were part of the famous Brill Building writing assemblage that provided so many of the top hits of the day.
Vee was alerted to the song by his producer Snuff Garrett. But Garrett wanted one change to the song before it could be recorded. He asked for an introductory verse to be included that opens up the track before the main section kicks into gear. Goffin and King obliged.
Interestingly enough, Vee nearly missed out on the track, as Dion DiMucci, another top singer of the era, expressed interest in it as well. But Vee beat him to the punch. The end result was a No. 1 single in 1961 and what would turn out to be a rock evergreen.
Behind the Lyrics to “Take Good Care of My Baby”
“Take Good Care of My Baby” is framed as a message from the old boyfriend to the new one. The narrator makes clear in the open he’s devastated by his loss, but out of the goodness of his heart, he wants his ex’s new guy to treat her in the best way possible.
He insists that she be the center of attention: Make sure you’re thinking of her / In everything you say and do. She should get the best of everything: Paint rainbows all around her / Don’t let her see a cloudy sky. In the middle eight, he admits he cheated on her, so it’s hard to feel too sorry for him in this scenario.
Still in the final verse, he harbors hope for a reunion: And if you should discover / That you don’t really love her / Just send my baby back home to me. The innocence and charm of Bobby Vee’s indelible vocal performance on “Take Good Care of My Baby” somehow makes you root for this guy and hope that his last wish is granted, especially now that he’s seen the error of his ways.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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