Starting as another car racing poem by Christian, who previously wrote "Shut Down", it tells the story of a youth who gets himself into street racing trouble, but is unconditionally comforted by his understanding girlfriend: "She makes me come alive, and makes me want to drive, when she says Don't Worry Baby." Christian gave the lyrics to Brian Wilson in the Los Angeles parking lot of KFWB-AM, where he worked as a disc jockey. Wilson recalled that he went home and finished writing the song "in about an hour-and-a-half." David Howard wrote that "Don't Worry Baby" was a "subtle harbinger for the growing dichotomy within the California Sound. While 'I Get Around' symbolized the sunshine ideal in all its carefree splendor, 'Don't Worry Baby' suggested something entirely more pensive and even slightly dark underneath its pristine facade."
Recording and production
The track was recorded in two eight hour sessions on January 7, 1964, at United Western Recorders, Studio 3, Los Angeles, California. Vocals and guitars were overdubbed one or two days later. Take 12 was used for the master. Brian Wilson cited the song as his attempt to capture the essence of his all-time favorite record, "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes. Wilson estimates he has listened to the latter song "more than 1,000 times."
Personnel
Track details courtesy of session archivist Craig Slowinski. ;The Beach Boys
The stereo mix of the song had been used on Shut Down Volume 2 when it was released in 1990 and 2001. A single mono mix appeared on the 20 More Good Vibrations compilation. On the 2008 Singles box set, a mono album version was used instead of the single mix. The original stereo mix of "Don't Worry Baby" had Brian's lead vocal hard-panned in the left channel, the instrumental track in the centre and backing vocals on the right, and had an uneven fade out with most of the instruments abruptly fading out before the vocals. Thanks to the discovery of the lost multi-track masters in 2009, an alternate stereo mix was created from the analog master with the instrumental track and Brian's lead vocal placed in the middle channel while the backing vocals were shared between the left and right channels with a more finished fade out at the end. This new stereo mix can be found on the 2009 compilation Summer Love Songs and the 2013 boxset Made in California. Lorrie Morgan sang lead vocals on the Beach Boys' 1996 Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 album and was their only venture into the genre of country music to date. This version peaked at number 73 on the BillboardHot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
The production of "Don't Worry Baby" formed the basis of the Byrds' recording of "Mr. Tambourine Man". Garbage's 1998 single, "Push It", contains an interpolation of its chorus, and Wilson/Christian were given songwriting credits.
Cover versions
B.J. Thomas
A cover version of "Don't Worry Baby" was done by B.J. Thomas in 1977. His producer Chris Christian, who had recently produced BJ's gold Contemporary Christian album "Home Where I Belong" had met the MCA Records executives while working the Olivia Newton-Johns album "Don't Stop Believing" in Nashville. Chris presented the idea to the MCA executives to sign BJ to MCA, and record a cover of "Don't Worry Baby". MCA agreed and the following cover went on to become a moderate success, peaking at numbers #17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart as well as reaching number 12 on the pop charts in Canada. This would go on to become Thomas's last major hit in the pop sphere for either nation to date.
