Baby Love | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| Dm | Bb | G | C N.C | N.C |
Ooh-oh-oh.
Verse 1
| C | C7/Bb | A7 | Dm |
Baby love, my baby love, I need you, oh how I need you.
| Dm | C | F | C |
But all you do is treat me bad, break my heart and leave me sad.
| F | C | F C/E | Dm7 G |
Tell me, what did I do wrong? To make you stay away so long.
Verse 2
| C | C7/Bb | A7 | Dm |
‘Cause baby love, my baby love, been missing ya, miss kissing ya.
| Dm | C | F | C |
Instead of breaking up, let’s do some kissing and making up.
| F | C | F C/E | Dm7 G |
Don’t throw our love away. In my arms why don’t you stay?
Solo
| C | C7/Bb | A7 | Dm |
Need ya, need ya, (baby love, oh-oh baby love).
| Dm | C | F | C |
| F | C | F C/E | Dm7 G |
Verse 3
| C | C7/Bb | A7 | Dm |
(Baby love), my baby love, why must we separate, my love?
| Dm | C | F | C |
All of my whole life through. I never loved no one but you.
| F | C | F C/E | Dm7 G | Db | Db |
Why you do me like you do? I get this need. Oh, oh.
Verse 4 (key change)
| Db | Db7/B | Bb7 | Ebm |
Need to hold you, once again, my love. Feel your warm embrace, my love.
| Ebm | Db | Gb | Db |
Don’t throw our love away, please don’t do me this way.
| Gb | Db | Gb Db/F | Ebm7 Ab |
Not happy like I used to be, loneliness has got the best of me.
Verse 5
| Db | Db7/B | Bb7 | Ebm |
My love, my baby love, I need you, oh how I need you.
| Ebm | Db | Gb | Db |
Why you do me like you do? After I’ve been true to you.
| Gb | Db | Gb Db/F | Ebm7 Ab |
So deep in love with you, baby, baby (baby).
Outro
| Db | Db7/B | Bb7 | Ebm |
‘Til it’s hurtin’ me, ’til it’s hurtin’ me, baby love
| Ebm | Db | Gb | Db |
||: Don’t throw our love away (don’t throw our love away. :||
Baby Love’s chords and progressions
The way Baby Love’s chords move during the intro makes the listener unsure of what the key center is.
Starting with Dm Bb G, stopping on a C, we can be either in the key of F, with the G being a IIx chord. Or we can be in the key of C, with the Bb being a bVIIx chord.
As the verse starts, and we move C – C7/Bb – A7 – Dm, we are none the wiser, although now it does start to smell like F is the key, with A7 a IIIx chord.
During the middle of the verse, this all settles down as we are going between Dm, C, and F. VI – V – I in the key of F.
Ironically, during this part of the verse, the lyrics for Baby Love are the most uncertain with phrases like, “all you do is treat me bad”, “breaking up”, “break my heart”, “I never loved no one but you”, and “don’t throw our love away”.
It’s details like this that make a great song, you must somehow have contrast, even if it is only speaking to your subconscious.
After two and a half verses we get a solo, then another verse followed by a key change, up a semitone.
Motown’s first #1
Written by Holland-Dozier-Holland, performed by The Supremes, and backed by house band The Funk Brothers, Baby Love was released in 1964. It quickly reached #1 in the U.K., and the U.S., making it The Supremes and Motown’s first #1 record.
This clearly made Berry Gordy put all his attention on the group as what happened next was a very busy schedule for what was to become the most successful American vocal group of all time.
Baby Love is featured on The Supremes’ second album, where one more #1 is to be found in Where Did Our Love Go?
Following this album, the band would release a Beatles covers album, also in 1964.
The following year they released a country and western album, a Sam Cooke tribute as well as one entitled, More Hits By The Supremes. This album ironically contained only one hit in Stop! In The Name Of Love.
Before 1965 had ended, they managed to also squeeze in a Xmas album. In total, The Supremes recorded six albums in just two years!
Baby Love chords | Related pages
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The Supremes
The Supremes are the most successful American vocal group of all time, at their peak, they were as big as The Beatles.
Led by Diana Ross, they had #1’s with Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love, Stop! In the Name of Love, You Can’t Hurry Love, and You Keep Me Hangin’ On.
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