Bay-behhh-EHHH-NOoo-OOhh-OOhh-OOhh-OOhh-OOhh-OOhh-OOhh-o o o o o
JANIS JOPLIN, “Cry Baby” | Pearl, 1971
Janis Joplin’s pronunciation of “baby” in the recurring chorus of this song is a example of how singers can alter the word, and also reflect the soul of the tune. In her four-syllable interpretation, one hears cigarettes, a half-empty whiskey bottle, the ache of a spurned heart. But it is in the final chorus, the final “baby,” where all hope collapses. Welp, time to finish this bottle!
