I loved this song before I even saw Ridgemont High. It charted #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1982.
I always associated Baby as girlfriend
Lyrics
It’s like they are saying she’s gorgeous and she’s got to be somebody’s gf. In other words, she’s taken and not available. The best looking girls are almost always somebody’s gf.
But then I watched the movie. Where Jennifer Jason Leigh playing an under aged girl gets deflowered to this song. That scene sort of gives the song a Pervy feel. Like Somebody’s baby is some Father’s daughter.
Was this song forever ruined by the movie? Or is it still ok to perform and enjoy?
She’s horny and needs a stud. Look at later lyrics:
*I heard her talkin’ with her friend when she thought nobody else was around.
She said she’s got to be somebody’s baby; she must be somebody’s baby.
Cause when the cars and the signs and the street lights light up the town,
Side question. What grade would you say Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character was in? Maybe 9th or 10th? The dude she had a crush on was probably a High School Senior. They made it clear he was older and able to manipulate her. He was a real a-hole. Dumping her after he scores.
I agree she was horny and ready to lose her virginity. So really she was manipulating him too. LOL
It wouldn’t have been so bad if Jennifer Jason Leigh didn’t look so darn young in that movie. She looked like a 14 year old. The guy looked 20. yeech
I admit that in 1982, I thought this was the hottest movie I’d ever seen. I was in college and not that much older than the characters. I was amazed they managed to get an R rating. They were pushing the limits for R.
Watched it again a few weeks ago and felt a bit uncomfortable. Jennifer Jason Leigh’s early career was based on her baby face. She looked so innocent and did these really raunchy movies. At my current age it seems a bit odd to see her movies. Even though I know she actually was 19 or 20 when she did them. She was born in 1962 and Ridgemont was made around 1981.
I’d never considered any other interpretation but that it describes her internal monologue; her main goal is to belong to someone / be someone’s baby. I never thought of as the girl in question being a slut or anything; more so kind of desperate.
And even though I remember damn well in what scene the song was played, I never looked at the “some father’s daughter angle”. That adds another, kind of sad layer to that scene. Awesome song, by the way.
Well, the people have spoken. I can, learn and perform this song without fear of people freaking out. That’s a relief.
You ought to see the youtube comments on You’re Sixteen (Ringo Starr). Idiots don’t realize it’s about two teen lovers. Not some adult. I was really worried people today had the same twisted reaction to Somebody’s Baby. I love the song and look forward to performing it. There’s a lot of great teen love songs out there to learn and perform.