Be My Baby | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| N.C | N.C | E | E |
Verse 1
| E | E | F#m | B7 |
The night we met I knew I, needed you so.
| E | E | F#m | B7 |
And if I had the chance I’d, never let you go.
Bridge 1
| G#7 | G#7 | C#7 | C#7 |
So won’t you say you love me, I’ll make you so proud of me.
| F#7 | F#7 | B7 | B7 |
We’ll make ’em turn their heads, every place we go.
Chorus 1
| E | E |
So won’t you please (be my, be my baby).
| C#m | C#m |
Be my little baby (my one and only baby).
| A | A |
Say you’ll be my darlin’ (be my, be my baby).
| B7 | B7 |
Be my baby now (my one and only baby). Wha-oh-oh-oh.
Verse 2
I’ll make you happy baby, just wait and see.
For every kiss you give me, I’ll give you three.
Bridge 2
Oh, since the day I saw you, I have been waiting for you.
You know I will adore you ’til eternity.
Chorus 2
So won’t you please (be my, be my baby).
Be my little baby (my one and only baby).
Say you’ll be my darlin’ (be my, be my baby).
Be my baby now (my one and only baby). Wha-oh-oh-oh.
Solo
| E | E | F#m | B7 |
| E | E | F#m | B7 |
Chorus 3
So come on and be (be my, be my baby).
Be my little baby (my one and only baby).
Say you’ll be my darlin’ (be my, be my baby).
Be my baby now (my one and only baby). Wha-oh-oh-oh.
Breakdown
| N.C | N.C |
Chorus 4
(Be my, be my baby) Be my little baby.
(My one and only baby) Ooh-oh-oooh.
(Be my, be my baby) Ooh-oh-oooh.
(My one and only baby) Wha-oh-oh-oh.
Chorus 5
(Be my, be my baby) Ooh-oh-oooh.
(My one and only baby) Ooh-oh-oooh.
(Be my, be my baby) Be my baby now.
(My one and only baby).
Be My Baby Chords: Learn the progressions
Be My Baby’s verse chords are:
||: E (I) | E | F#m (II) | B7 (V) :||
In the key of E, using Roman Numerals, this means I – II – V on repeat.
As it’s repeated, it’s tempting to refer to this as the legendary chord progression II – V – I.
This is not the first time a II – V – I has been played on the radio so this little twist of starting with the I chord is a great play on the familiar.
The bridge starts on chord IIIx, the most common variation we have, classical folk call this the mediant major. Its purpose is to point more clearly towards chord VI, a minor chord.
In Be My Baby, that VI chord is also changed to a major (IIx), and then as we continue up the cycle of 4th, the II chord is also a major (IIx), like this:
| G#7 (IIIx) | G#7 | C#7 (VIx) | C#7 |
| F#7 (IIx) | F#7 | B7 (V) | B7 |
After making so many changes from minor to major, Be My Baby’s chorus chords use the most common chord progression around, the Stand By Me changes.
| E (I) | E | C#m (VI) | C#m |
| A (IV) | A | B7 (V) | B7 |
Apart from a re–intro, which is just drums and a solo over the verse chords, that’s all there is to Be My Baby’s chords.
Here’s a chord chart I made for you.
Be My Baby Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
The chord chart you see above is not 100% perfect. When writing charts, there is always a balance between accuracy and not making it too complicated.
To me, a chart needs to first and foremost be simple so I can glance at it, should I have forgotten, for example, what chord the bride starts on.
In Be My Baby, if I put in the perfect structure, I’ll sacrifice the spacing I’ve made in the chart.
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Be My Baby Chord Chart PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro, here’s a link to that file: Be My Baby iReal Pro.
You can change the key using this and the iRealPro app, should the singer in your band request this last minute. You can also have a go at changing the chart into something that can be read from top to bottom.
The downside of making a complicated but perfectly accurate chord chart is that you may end up staring at it when playing live.
In the course, we look at TAB and play along to loops to learn Be My Baby in extreme depth, below is a preview of the verse.
To me, it’s better to learn Be My Baby in great depth and then have a simple chart to glance at. Below is a preview of how we in the course go deep, using play–along loops and TAB.
Be My Baby TAB | Course Preview
To recreate the feeling of Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound production live in a regular band, I use big open-position chords and long sweeping rhythms to sound as big as possible.
Above, you can see a play-along TAB video of example 1 from the verse lesson in the course where we look at two more examples.
Here’s that loop as TAB only.
All sections of Be My Baby are relatively easy, as long as you practice with the loops supplied in the course. The challenge lies in playing the verse, bridge, chorus, and solo without getting stuck.
To play Be My Baby well, you need to make it sound natural as you improvise your way through the chord changes.
Don’t aim to have a set part, instead, keep changing it, playing in the same way, not necessarily the same thing. Doing this will make playing Be My Baby’s chords more fun.
In the course, you get several ideas for each section. Here’s a link to the 8 step-by-step guitar lessons: Be My Baby – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Be My Baby was Phil Spector’s first Wall Of Sound production!
Be My Baby is a tune by The Ronettes. Released as a single in 1963, it was to become Phil Spector’s first big hit as a writer and producer, showcasing his “wall of sound” recording technique.
For most Motown & Soul songs, I would recommend using small chord shapes and choppy rhythms but not so when it comes to Be My Baby.
To get anywhere near the huge-sounding soundscape of the original Phil Spector recording, you need big barre chord shapes and long, sweeping rhythms.
For effects, I used a delay, tremolo, and reverb. Experimentation is the mother of all inventions so do experiment with your effect pedals. As the band is playing relatively sparsely, there’s lots of room for your guitar.
Since there is no real guitar part to copy from the original, first copy what I do, then develop it to make it your own. When it comes to the solo, simply play the melody, adding some Major Pentatonic licks.
Be My Baby Chords | Related Pages
Be My Baby | 8 Step-by-step Guitar Lessons + TAB
Each section of Be My Baby is relatively easy, as long as you practice with the live band loops, you’ll learn them quickly.
The challenge lies within playing the verse, bridge, chorus, and solo without getting stuck, and making it all sound natural when you play with the band in step 8.
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
The Ronettes tunes
The Ronettes are the 60s vocal group behind one of Phil Spector’s biggest wall of sound hits, Be My Baby.
The lead singer, Veronica Bennett, later known as Ronnie Spector, eventually married the eccentric producer who locked her up in his mansion.
The Ronettes on the web
Phil Spector tunes
Phil Spector is a guitarist, record producer, and songwriter who found fame working with The Crystals, The Ronettes, Tina Turner, and The Beatles.
His biggest hits include River Deep, Mountain High, Unchained Melody, Be My Baby, The Long And Winding Road, My Sweet Lord, Let It Be, and Imagine.
Phil Spector on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about Be My Baby chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
