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Don't Worry Baby (PDF)
Don't Worry Baby (WORD)
"Don't Worry Baby" was written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, and Wilson's lead vocal is considered one of his defining performances. He later referred to the song as one of the band's finest records. Inspired by Wilson's admiration for the Ronettes' 1963 single "Be My Baby" - which is also on our BUG website - "Don't Worry Baby" shares a comparable musical structure but diverges in lyrical themes and production. Its narrative centers on a man who boasts his way into a drag race, regrets his decision, and is reassured by his girlfriend repeating the titular refrain. Initially Brian Wilson intended the song for the Ronettes, however, Phil Spector had a general policy against recording songs that he did not write. In 1994, Ronnie Spector (nee Veronica Bennett - one of the Ronettes) recalled that she and Wilson had discussed "Don't Worry Baby" in 1963 on the only prior occasion they had met: "It was the follow-up to 'Be My Baby,' and Brian came running into Gold Star Studios and said, 'I wrote a great song for you!' But of course Phil didn't do the writing on it, so we didn't record it." She would eventually cover the song as a solo performer on the She Talks to Rainbows EP. In a 1970 interview, Wilson opined, "Probably the best record we've done was 'Don't Worry Baby'. It has about the best proportion of our voices and ranges." A cover version by B.J. Thomas surpassed the original's commercial performance, peaking at number 17 in the U.S. and topping Canadian charts.