luxken27: (Kids Inc - Together forever)
LuxKen27 ([personal profile] luxken27) wrote2012-10-10 08:51 pm

100 Songs That Have Moved Me | Song #012: "I Got You Babe" (1965)

Title: "I Got You Babe"
Artist: Sonny & Cher
Composer: Sonny Bono
Producer: Sonny Bono
Release Date: July 9, 1965
Peak Chart Position: #1 (Hot 100)
Album: Look at Us (1965)





Rolling Stone metadata:
Rank: #451

Blurb: Late one night, while Sonny and Cher were living in their manager's house, Bono woke up Cher and asked her to listen to "I Got You Babe" and to sing the lyrics, which he had written on a piece of shirt cardboard. She thought it was OK but really wanted a song that modulated. So he changed the key at the bridge and woke Cher up again hours later to hear it; she was delighted. (Source)

Words from the artist:
Sonny Bono, a songwriter and record producer for Phil Spector, wrote the lyrics to and composed the music of the song for himself and his then-wife, Cher, late at night in their basement. Session drummer Hal Blaine performed the drums for the song. Bono was inspired to write the song to capitalize on the popularity of the term "babe," as heard in Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" which was a hit for The Turtles.

Upon recording and releasing the song, "I Got You Babe" became the duo's biggest single, their signature song, and a defining recording of the early hippie countercultural movement. (Source)

How this song moves me:

♥ ♥ ♥ Talk about the ultimate, defining song of young love - I think that's why this song has transcended its time, and I *know* that's why I, personally, love it. There is so much conviction in the lyrics (and in the voices singing them) - so much youthful confidence that all you need is the person you love to make it in this world. It's an ideal that I often try to capture in my stories, because its one of my favorites. I think this is why I'm so fascinated with writing about young people falling in love (i.e., my KI fic) as well as bringing together emotionally scarred characters (*eyes Sesshoumaru*).

If but that this ideal could be met in real life, but alas...this is why we have art ♥

And since I'm such a Golden Girls fangirl, this song rates in one of my favorite clips from the series (and, apparently, one of Bea Arthur's as well!):



Oh, childhood... *happy sigh*

[identity profile] replicantangel.livejournal.com 2012-10-11 02:45 am (UTC)(link)
Um, best Golden Girls moment ever. Best Sonny and Cher impression I've seen ever too, lol! That's a cute story about how the song came to be too. I'm always amazed how things inspire songwriters - I can literally not conceive of having a previously unwritten tune pop into your head though. It's amazing to me.

[identity profile] snarky-imp.livejournal.com 2012-10-11 07:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Song that first introduced me to the concept of an ear-worm! Annnnnnd I love that GG clip. ♥

[identity profile] landofthekwt.livejournal.com 2012-10-12 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
This song reminds me of two things 1.At the time Sonny wrote this song he was manipulative and Cher was very young naive and in love. 2. Every time Bill Murray woke up in Ground Hog's Day to I got you Babe