Baby Bitch
"Baby Bitch" is a song by Ween from the 1994 album Chocolate and Cheese.
Song Details[edit | edit source]
Meaning[edit | edit source]
Dean Ween explained in an interview that Gene wrote the song about an old girlfriend, who was also the subject of "a lot" of other Ween songs including "Birthday Boy". Gener had initially been heartbroken when they broke up. After he later started dating his future wife, the ex-girlfriend moved back into their area, which inspired Gener to write "Baby Bitch".[1] Introducing "Birthday Boy" at the 2004 Bonnaroo Music Festival, Gene Ween said, "This song's about Barrett Christy, a famous snowboarder, in case you all didn't know. She's a lovely girl."[2] Barrett Christy is in fact a professional snowboarder from New Hope, Pennsylvania.
The song contains the lyric, "Wrote 'Birthday Boy' for you, babe." Gene Ween has stated that this lyric was inspired by the Bob Dylan song "Sara", which contains the line: "Stayin' up for days in the Chelsea Hotel / Writing 'Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands' for you."[3]
Recording and Composition[edit | edit source]
Due to tape speed manipulation, the studio version of "Baby Bitch" revolves around the chord progression of F#m, A, E, Bm, F#m, A, E. Live performances transpose the progression down to Em, G, D, Am, Em, G, D.
The song's lead vocals are sung by Gene Ween, and the drums on the album version are played by Pat Frey.[4] According to Frey, there is a mistaken "dropped beat" in her performance due to her not fully understanding the song's unusual time signature, but it was left in the final recording because the band didn't want to record more than two takes.[5] Unlike most of Chocolate and Cheese, "Baby Bitch" was recorded at Greg Frey's Graphic Sound Studios during the summer of 1992, and was not re-recorded for the final album.[6]
Alternate Versions[edit | edit source]
A separate demo recording, with a different vocal take and no drums, can be heard on the bootleg Boognish Rising: Thanksgiving 2014 Sampler.
Live Performances[edit | edit source]
Upon the release of the Chocolate and Cheese album, Ween began playing "Baby Bitch" live, and it has remained a common live song ever since, in every era of Ween. It was even adapted with country instrumentation during the 1996 country tour.[7] A recording from 11/7 or 11/9/2003 on the Quebec tour can be heard on the album Live in Chicago.
In addition, Gene Ween has frequently played the song at solo performances, whether solo acoustic or with his bands Gene Ween Band and Freeman.[8]
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
Official lyrics were printed in the Chocolate and Cheese liner notes:
It's been a while since I've seen you smile
But now you've come back again
Came into the room and you saw my girl
And you asked her how long it's been
"A year," she said, and you shook your head
Said, "I'm surprised it's gone on that long"
Baby, baby, baby bitch
For words I am at [a] loss
Baby, baby, baby bitch
I'm better now please fuck off
What else you gonna say while you're back on your stay?
Maybe something, maybe nothing, we'll see
It's just too bad, you're beatiful I guess
I wasn't for you and you weren't for me
Baby, baby, baby bitch
Please slip back into yourself
Baby, baby, baby bitch
Go conquer someone else
People say, "How beautiful, how sweet, how kind"
You're perfect, you've got nothing to hide
But I, for one, have seen the sun
And the bitch that you've locked up inside
Got fat, got angry, started hating myself
Wrote "Birthday Boy" for you, babe
Now I'm skinny and sick and paranoid
Without a cent to my name
Baby, baby, baby bitch
Fuck you, you stinkin'-ass ho
Most beauty I've seen, you come from a dream
But I can't close my eyes anymore
No, I can't close my eyes anymore[9]
Song Themes[edit | edit source]
Fat, Love, Profanity/Swearing, Sung by Gene Ween, Tape Speed Manipulation
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, p.89
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp3GDgia8f8&list=PLCFkKHx7uMC8hgi2v01bd_LMCUC3816Zr&index=21
- ↑ H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, pp.84–85
- ↑ H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, p.85
- ↑ H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, p.87
- ↑ H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, p.85
- ↑ https://brownbase.org/every_time_played.php?band=all%20bands&song_id=12
- ↑ https://brownbase.org/every_time_played.php?band=all%20bands&song_id=12
- ↑ From the Chocolate and Cheese liner notes.