Introduction:
“Baby, Let’s Play House” is one of the early recordings that helped shape Elvis Presley’s career, placing him firmly on the road to rock and roll stardom. Released in 1955 by Sun Records, the song was originally written and recorded by Arthur Gunter, an African-American blues musician, in 1954. Elvis’s version, however, brought the song into the mainstream and redefined its sound, blending rockabilly and rhythm & blues in a way that was becoming Presley’s signature style at the time.
The song was recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, in February 1955, and it became Elvis’s fourth single with Sun Records. “Baby, Let’s Play House” is often categorized under the rockabilly genre, which is a blend of rhythm and blues, country, and western swing—one of the foundational styles in the development of rock and roll. The song was released as the A-side to “I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone” on the single. Elvis’s version was notable for his raw vocal energy and innovative approach, including his use of echo effects and his blending of country twang with the punch of rhythm and blues.
“Baby, Let’s Play House” achieved significant success regionally, particularly in the southern United States, where Elvis was rapidly gaining popularity. The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Country Singles chart, which was an impressive feat for a young, relatively unknown artist at the time. Though it didn’t make the pop charts, its impact was immense in helping Presley attract attention from major record labels, and it was part of the momentum that eventually led to his signing with RCA Victor in late 1955.
Presley’s version of the song is also remembered for its memorable line: “You may have a pink Cadillac, but don’t you be nobody’s fool,” which inspired his love for the iconic pink Cadillac that became one of his trademarks. Today, “Baby, Let’s Play House” stands as one of the key recordings from Elvis’s Sun Studio years, embodying the raw, untamed energy that made him a cultural phenomenon in the mid-1950s.
Video:
Lyrics:
“Baby, Let’s Play House”
Oh, baby, baby, baby, baby baby.
Baby, baby baby, b-b-b-b-b-b baby baby, baby.
Baby baby baby
Come back, baby, I wanna play house with you.Well, you may go to college,
You may go to school.
You may have a pink cadillac,
But don’t you be nobody’s fool.Now baby,
Come back, baby, come.
Come back, baby, come.
Come back, baby,
I wanna play house with you.Now listen and I’ll tell you baby
What I’m talking about.
Come on back to me, little girl,
So we can play some house.Now baby,
Come back, baby, come.
Come back, baby, come.
Come back, baby,
I wanna play house with you.
Oh let’s play house, baby.Now this is one thing, baby
That I want you to know.
Come on back and let’s play a little house,
And we can act like we did before.
Well, baby,
Come back, baby, come.
Come back, baby, come.
Come back, baby,
I wanna play house with you.Yeah.
Now listen to me, baby
Try to understand.
I’d rather see you dead, little girl,
Than to be with another man.
Now baby,
Come back, baby, come.
Come back, baby, come.
Come back, baby, I wanna play house with you.Oh, baby baby baby.
Baby baby baby b-b-b-b-b-b baby baby baby.
Baby baby baby.
Come back, baby, I wanna play house with you.