"Babe" is a song by the American rock band

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, ...

. It was the lead single from the band's 1979 triple-platinum album ''

Cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

''. The song was Styx's first, and only, US number-one single, spending two weeks at No. 1 in December 1979, serving as the penultimate number-one single of the 1970s. "Babe" also went to No. 9 on the

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

chart. It additionally held the number-one spot for six weeks on the

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

'' RPM'' national singles chart, charting in December 1979 and becoming the opening chart-topper of the 1980s. It was also the band's only UK Top 40 hit, peaking at No. 6. It also reached No. 1 in South Africa.

Background and content

The song was written by member

Dennis DeYoung Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a founding member of the rock band Styx, and served as its primary lead vocalist and keyboardist from 1972 until 1999. DeYoung was th ...

as a birthday present for his wife Suzanne. The theme of the song is "the separation of two people." DeYoung stated of it that "If they've figured out what's more important than a relationship between two people, I don't know what it is. The finished track was recorded as a demo with just DeYoung and Styx members

John Panozzo John Anthony Panozzo (September 20, 1948 – July 16, 1996) was an American drummer best known for his work with rock band Styx. Early life and career Panozzo grew up in the Roseland neighborhood, the south side of Chicago, Illinois, with his ...

and

Chuck Panozzo Charles Salvatore Panozzo (born September 20, 1948) is an American musician best known as a co-founder of the rock band Styx. He is currently a part-time bass player in the band, sharing bass duties with Ricky Phillips. Panozzo suffers from HIV ...

playing on the track, with DeYoung singing all of the harmonies himself. The song was not originally intended to be a Styx track, but Styx members James "J.Y." Young and

Tommy Shaw Tommy Roland Shaw (born September 11, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for his tenure in the rock band Styx (band), Styx as co-lead vocalist. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with other groups includi ...

convinced DeYoung to put the song on ''Cornerstone''. As a result, DeYoung's demo was placed on ''Cornerstone'' with Shaw overdubbing a guitar solo in the song's middle section.

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' said it has "crystalline singing and airy electric piano leads" but that the "high harmonies are the highlight." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' called it a "melodic pop number" that should break the band into

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

playlists. Eric Hegedus of ''The Morning Call'' considered it one of the best examples of Styx's "newfound mastery of the techniques needed to perform slow love songs" and highlighted the "deceptively simple lyrics." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' critic David Fricke described it as a lush ballad. The track became a major hit, reaching No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was their only major UK hit single, reaching No. 6. The song also won a People's Choice Award as the best song in 1980.

In popular culture

In 1999, "Babe" was included in the soundtrack to the film '' Big Daddy'', starring

Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1995, before going on to star in numerous Hollywood films, those of wh ...

, whose character is a huge fan of Styx.

Personnel

– lead and backing vocals, Fender Rhodes electric piano, synthesizer *

– lead guitar *

– bass *

– drums

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

Caught in the Act version

In 1997 Dutch boy band Caught in the Act covered "Babe" on their album ''Vibe''. The song's success was modest.

Music video

In the music video, the band members play soldiers and perform the song both in a barracks and on patrol. They take a look at a waitress.Music video on Youtube.de
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Track listing

CD maxi # "Babe" (Radio Mix) – 4:28 # "Babe" (Cloud 9 Mix) – 4:25 # "Babe" (Gee Extended Mix) – 6:42 # "Don't Just Leave Me Now" (Radio Version) – 4:46

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Babe (Song) 1979 songs 1979 singles 1997 singles Songs written by Dennis DeYoung Styx (band) songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles RPM Top Singles number-one singles Number-one singles in South Africa A&M Records singles ZYX Music singles American soft rock songs