Written by: David-Williams-Bacharach
Recorded: 11 February 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: 22 March 1963 (UK), 22 July 1963 (US)
John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass
George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
George Martin: celesta
Available on:
Please Please Me
Live At The BBC
Baby It's You was the 10th song recorded during The Beatles' marathon 11 February 1963 session, in which they recorded the bulk of their debut album Please Please Me.
The song was originally recorded by The Shirelles, whose Boys was also covered for the album. The music was written by Burt Bacharach, with lyrics by Luther Dixon (credited as Barney Williams, who also produced the original) and Mack David.
Baby It's You was part of The Beatles' live set from 1961 to 1963. They used The Shirelles' vocal arrangement for their version, which was recorded in just three takes with John Lennon taking lead.
The strain in Lennon's voice is evident as he reaches for the high notes on the line "Don't want nobody, nobody". Thankfully there was just one more song to record that night - the album's thrilling closer Twist And Shout.
A version of Baby It's You, recorded for the radio programme Pop Go The Beatles, was recorded on 1 June 1963. It was later released on the Live At The BBC album in 1994, and as a single the following year. The b-sides of the single - versions of I'll Follow The Sun, Devil In Her Heart and Boys - are, unusually, unavailable on any other Beatles CD.
Lyrics
Sha la la la la la la
Sha la la la la la la
Sha la la la la la la
Sha la la la la
It's not the way you smile that touched my heart (sha la la la la)
It's not the way you kiss that tears me apart
Uh-oh
Many, many, many nights go by
I sit alone at home and I cry over you
What can I do?
I can't help myself, 'cause baby it's you
Baby, it's you
You should hear what they say about you: cheat, cheat
They say, they say you never never never ever been true (cheat ,cheat)
Uh-oh
It doesn't matter what they say
I know I'm gonna love you any old way
What can I do? And it's true
Don't want nobody, nobody, 'cause baby it's you
Baby it's you
Uh-oh
It doesn't matter what they say
I know I'm gonna love you any old way
What can I do, when it's true?
Don't want nobody, nobody, 'cause baby it's you
Baby it's you
Don't leave me all alone
Come on home...
I've never really liked the Beatles' version of Baby It's You -- I find the "sha-la-la"s to be incredibly grating.
I agree with Matt's comment, above. It's hard to admit that even the Carpenters version is better than this, and the Smith version is downright rockin'.
The cover songs that the group decided to record for their first album are an interesting lot...they tend to be more "pop" than rock & roll (with the obvious exception of the last-minute idea to do "Twist and Shout."). It wasn't till later albums that they seemed to discover that their real strengths lied in the harder tunes of Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins.
Of course the Beatles’ main strength was in performing their original songs. Even on their very first album, when their songwriting was in the embryonic stage, their own songs are superior to the covers they chose.
The Carpenters?
-?-
Yeah ....
It's an emotional eargasm, that's what it is. Lennons vocals are superb.
Lovesongs should be sung like this! The screams, the screams...
The shalalalalalalalala - (tongue-in-cheek) - tells us, it's the same old story again: - 'love sucks, we know, shalala', it replies througout the song to Lennons "I've just lost my lover and don't want nobody"-screems-from-the-shocked-and-lonely-bottom-of-the-soul....
One of my favourites. (Even though it's a cover.) Note the production on the albumversion: the icy echo.
An A+... Pop musicians all around the world: check this one!
The Carpenters performed Baby's It's You better than the Beatles?
Give me a break.
The Smiths had the better part of a decade plus other covers of this particular song to compare with before they recorded their one and only big hit.
Sha-la-la-la-la.
That's the LA band Smith who recorded it in 1969, of course, not the Manchester indie band The Smiths from the 1980s... who didn't!
Yeah, I can't really picture Morrissey singing this...
The voice of Lennon in this song is hard to recognize. I am told he and Paul were hoarse.
Nevertheless, this is one of my favorite tracks from the album. The Beatles used to cover these songs and would basically do the same arrangement as the record. Nevertheless, the song would sound a 1000% better because of the strength and energy of the vocals.
This was the last song recorded for Please Please Me apart from Twist And Shout. That's why Lennon's voice sounds so harsh - he was reaching his limit after a hard day's recording.
The harsh voice is nice.
Same with Paul doing I Saw Her Standing There.
Even George sounds hoarse in his songs in this album.
I don't think the song itself is the issue I have with "Baby It's You", it's oddly the singer. With John's voice going, it seems he'd be third in line for this one. It already seems more like a Paul number & even George couldve probably delivered a credible version. It's not a bad song, it's just not everything it could have been, even for a cover.
The song is perfection to compare its perfection to anything else out there is pointless, this is the Beatles, being the Beatles, the most pure state of Beatleness! Johns vocal is fresh and compelling the other are tightly backing him and in it your heart breaks open when he sings " I sit at home and I wonder why,or Im gonna love you any old way", he's hooked and we're hooked and that my man is the way love was for all of us,and is when we groove on this groove of grooves,miss you Johnny!
You people are insane. This may be one of John's best vocal performances ever. It's incredibly compelling. I pity your inability to feel it.
The Carpenters? Really? Oh my god.
This one is a jewel. A lovely, dry, tight performance that just oozes emotion. Few are the performers who ever hit this level.
I do love John's Buddy Holly-esque vocals on this, but the rest of it makes me grind my teeth. The drum sound it awful--rare for a Beatles track--and it sounds like Ringo just *hated* this song by how he plods along. The rhythm guitar is too tinny and splashy. George's low register solo is what guitar would sound like if it farted, and the celesta doubling it is irritatingly metallic and doesn't blend well. Then, of course, the backing vocals are utterly unmusical and half-hearted. Pity because I agree it's a great vocal performance for John--just not a good recording for the Beatles.