Why Baby Why

Infobox Single
Name = Why Baby Why


Cover size =
Border =
Caption =
Artist = George Jones
Album = Grand Ole Opry's New Star
Released = 1955
Format = Single
Recorded =
Genre = Country
Length = 2:16
Label = Starday
Writer = Darrell Edwards
George Jones
Producer = Pappy Daily
Last single =
This single = "Why Baby Why"
(1955)
Next single = "What Am I Worth"
(1956)
Misc = "Why Baby Why" is the title of a country music song co-written and originally recorded by George Jones. Released in late 1955 on Starday Records, and produced by Starday co-founder and Jones manager Pappy Daily,cite book | author=Nathan Brackett, Christian Hoard (eds.) | title="The New Rolling Stone Album Guide" (4th edition) | publisher=Simon and Schuster | year=2004 | isbn=0743201698 | pages=438] it peaked at #4 on the "Billboard" country charts that year.cite web |url=http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wifyxql5ldse~T1 |title=George Jones biography |accessdate=2008-09-11 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |authorlink=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |work=Allmusic] It was Jones' first chart single, following several unsuccessful singles released during the prior year on Starday.cite book | author=Irwin Stambler, Grelun Landon | title=Country Music: The Encyclopedia | publisher=Macmillan Books | year=2000 | isbn=0312264879 | pages=223]

The single's early airplay occurred in Jones' home state of Texas, with Houston's country music station KIKK ranking it number one locally.cite book | last=Jones | first=George | authorlink=George Jones |coauthors=Carter, Tom | title=I Lived to Tell It All | publisher=Villard | year=1996 | isbn=0-679-43869-6 | pages=41–42] Their charts were sent to stations around the country, who began to pick it up as well, partially overcoming Starday's regionally-limited distribution. However, its progress on the chart was blunted by Red Sovine and Webb Pierce's cover duet, which benefited from Decca Records' major label status and national distribution and rose to number one on the chart over the 1955–1956 Christmas holiday period. Jones's rendition was later included as the first track on his 1957 debut album "Grand Ole Opry's New Star".

Content

In the lyric, the singer relates how his woman has done him wrong many times, but he still cannot leave her:

:"Lord, I can't live without you and you know it's true:"But there's no livin' with you so what'll I do:"I'm goin' honky tonkin', get as tight as I can:"And maybe by then you'll 'preciate a good man:"Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby why:"You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby cry

The arrangement is upbeat honky tonk, led by a fiddle that plays throughout the song. Overall, the song has been described as a classic of the "finger-pointin' cheatin' song".cite book | last=Holland | first=Richard | chapter='It All Began the Day My Conscience Died': The Cheatin' Song From Prototype to Post-Modern | title=2001: A Texas Folklore Odyssey | editor=Francis Edward Abernethy (ed.) | publisher=University of North Texas Press | year=2001 | isbn=1574411403 | pages=138,142]

Covers

Since the release of Jones' rendition, "Why Baby Why" has been covered by several other artists, many of whom have charted with it as well. Two different versions of the song have reached Number One on the country charts, making it one of the only country songs to hold that distinction. Artists who have had country chart hits with renditions of this song include the following:

*Red Sovine and Webb Pierce, #1 in 1956 [cite web |url=http://www.redsovine.com/redsovinebio.html |title=Red Sovine biography |accessdate=2008-09-11 |work=Red Sovine website]
*Hank Locklin, #9 later in 1956cite book |title=The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |pages=512 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=eKicir5sZr4C&pg=PA512&dq=%22Charley+pride%22+%22george+jones%22+%22why+baby+why%22+-lyrics&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U0OFOIpXIXmlW0cb6FNF9xy_fZrtg]
*Warren Smith and Shirley Collie, #23 in 1961
*Charley Pride, #1 in 1983
*Palomino Road, #46 in 1992cite web |url=http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Palomino-Road.html |title=Palomino Road biography |accessdate=2008-08-10 |work=Oldies.com]

A cover was also released by the Canadian group The Good Brothers, whose version peaked at #20 on the "RPM" Country Tracks chart in Canada. [ [http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.1434&volume=53&issue=10&issue_dt=February%2009%201991&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=jn5agqeivqgdi8198ubcnp3ss6 RPM Country Tracks - Volume 53, No. 10, February 09 1991] ]

Patty Loveless also covered it in 2008 for her album "Sleepless Nights", from which it was released as a single.

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
before = "Sixteen Tons"
by Tennessee Ernie Ford
title = Billboard Hot Country Singles
number one single (Red Sovine/Webb Pierce)
years = February 11-February 25, 1956
after = "I Forgot to Remember to Forget"
by Elvis Presleysuccession box
before = "Faking Love"
by T. G. Sheppard and Karen Brooks
title = Billboard Hot Country Singles
number one single (Charley Pride)
years = February 26, 1983
after = "If Hollywood Don't Need You (Honey I Still Do)"
by Don Williams

References