Have you ever noticed...

Posted by Sheldon

Listening to the radio on the way home the other day, I noticed (not for the first time, surely) that almost any song that uses the word "baby" mangles it terribly. So, musicians everywhere, I have a few questions for you:

1. Why is "bay-beh" the way to sing it? Why not "bee-bee" or "bibby"?
2. Why is "bay-beh" invariably rhymed with other words which then catch the same disease - "lay-deh", "cray-zeh", etc.?
3. What's so special about "baby" that you get to funkify its vowels? Can you do the same with other words, e.g. "Bay-beh, when I thank aboat yo, I thank aboat luve..."?

We've got questions, musicians. We want answers.