Pretty Baby (song)

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For other uses, see Pretty Baby.

Pretty Baby is an old song written by Tony Jackson during the Ragtime era. The song was remembered as being prominent in Jackson's repertory before he left New Orleans in 1912, but was not published until 1916. The song and lyrics apparently referred to one of Jackson's male lovers.

The 1916 sheet music credits Jackson along with Gus Kahn and Egbert Van Alstyne. It is not clear what their actual role in developing Jackson's tune was; Tin Pan Alley practice at the time often gave partial author credit to staff writers to keep more of the royalty payments within the company. However Kahn may have rewritten some of Jackson's lyrics (the original was said to have been rather risque), and Van Alstyne may have had a hand in arranging the song's bridge.

The song has been covered by many singers including Al Jolson, Doris Day (in Young Man with a Horn), and Dean Martin, inspiring his album Pretty Baby. The song also inspired the 1978 Louis Malle film Pretty Baby, on whose soundtrack it appears.

Here is the way it was covered by early recording star Billy Murray in 1916:

Verse 1

You ask me why I'm always teasing you
You hate to have me call you Pretty Baby
I really thought that I was pleasing you
For you're just a baby to me
Your cunning little dimples and your baby stare
Your baby talk and baby walk and curly hair
Your baby smile
Makes life worthwhile
You're just as sweet as you can be

Verse 2

Your mother said you were the cutest kid
No wonder, Dearie, that I'm wild about you
And all the cunning things you said and did
Why, I love to fondly recall
And just like Peter Pan it seems you'll always be
The same sweet cunning little baby dear to me
And that is why
I'm sure that I
Will always love you best of all

Chorus

Everybody loves a baby that's why I'm in love with you
Pretty baby, pretty baby
And I'd like to be your sister, brother, dad and mother too
Pretty baby, pretty baby
Won't you come and let me rock you in my cradle of love
And we'll cuddle all the time
Oh, I want a lovin' baby, and it might as well be you
Pretty baby of mine

[edit] External Links

[edit] References

Billy Murray Anthology: The Denver Nightingale, Archeophone Records, 2002


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