Maybe Your Baby

Album: Talking Book (1972)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Stevie Wonder follows the heartfelt "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" on his 1972 Talking Book album with a much different song: "Maybe Your Baby," where he has a bad feeling his girl is cheating on him with his best friend. He calls his doctor for help and gets the diagnosis: "Maybe your baby done made some other plans."
  • Wonder assumes different voices on this song, essentially having a conversation with himself. He could control his voice so well that he could sound like different singers (check out his Songs In The Key Of Life track "As"), but on "Maybe Your Baby" he got some help from technology, pitching his vocals up in places.
  • Wonder had earned complete creative control from his label, Motown Records, this time, and he certainly used it. He had a band of ace musicians that he used to perform live and record at various studios spread among his tour stops, but he ended up playing most of the parts himself on the recordings. He had a custom-built synthesizer dubbed TONTO that allowed him to be essentially a one-man band, something Prince would do years later. The main instrument on "Maybe Your Baby" is Wonder's Clavinet, also heard prominently on "Superstition."

    The only other musician on the track is Ray Parker, Jr. on guitar, later known for his hit "Ghostbusters."
  • Around this time, Wonder was constantly coming up with song ideas that he would toy around with at soundchecks and in the studio. David Sanborn, who played saxophone in his band, told the New York Times: "I remember us working on ideas for that song on the road. I remember the chorus — "Maybe your baby done made some other plans" — and just the funky underbed of the tune. A lot of these were free-floating ideas that he later formulated in the songs. We'd go into a soundcheck and he would sit down and start playing a groove or something."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger

Kelly Keagy of Night RangerSongwriter Interviews

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.

Adam Duritz of Counting Crows

Adam Duritz of Counting CrowsSongwriter Interviews

"Mr. Jones" took on new meaning when the song about a misguided view of fame made Adam famous.

Psychedelic Lyrics

Psychedelic LyricsMusic Quiz

Whoa man! Do you know which band came up with these cosmic lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Yacht Rock Quiz

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.

Kevin Godley

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.