Carter was born Lillie Mae Jones on 16th May 1929 in Flint, Michigan and grew up in Detroit, where her father led a church choir. She studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory. She won a talent contest and became a regular on the local club circuit, singing and playing piano. When she was sixteen, she sang with Charlie Parker. She later performed with Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis and toured with Lionel Hampton (from whom she received the nickname "Betty Bebop"), when she perfected her scat singing of bebop.
Her career was eclipsed somewhat during the 1960s and 1970s, though a series of duets with Ray Charles in 1961, including the R&B-chart-topping "Baby, It's Cold Outside", brought her a measure of popular recognition. She recorded for various labels during this period, including Peacock, ABC-Paramount, and Atco, but was rarely satisfied with the resulting product. An episode in which a record company A&R man tried to abscond with a set of her master recordings led her to establish her own record label, Bet-Car, in 1970. Some of her most outstanding recordings were first issued on Bet-Car, including the double album The Audience with Betty Carter (1980). She was well-received at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1977 and 1978. In 1987 Carter signed with Verve Records. She won a Grammy in 1988 for her album Look What I Got! and sang in a guest appearance on The Cosby Show in that year.
She died on 26th September 1998.
For You
Betty Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, bar-room eyes shine vacancy
To see her you gotta look hard
Wounded deep in battle, I stand stuffed like some soldier undaunted
To her Cheshire smile I'll stand on file
She's all I ever wanted
You let your blue walls stand in the way of these facts, honey
Get your carpet baggers off my back
You said, "Here's your mirror and your ball and jacks"
But they're not what I came for
Oh I came for so much more
And I know you that too
And I know you know that's true
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you
For you
I came for you
Crawl into my ambulance
Your pulse is getting weak
Reveal yourself all to me now
While you've got the strength to speak
'Cause they're waiting for you at Bellevue
With their oxygen masks
But I could give it all to you now
If only you could ask
Don't call for your surgeon
Even he says it's late
It's not your lungs this time
But your heart holds your fate
Don't give me my money back
Don't want it anymore
It's not that nursery mouth I came back for
It's not the way you're stretched out on the floor
I've broken all your windows
And I've rammed through all your doors
Who am I to ask you to fight my wars
And you should know that's true
You should know that too
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you
For you
I came for you
Don't call for your surgeon
Even he says it's late
It's not your lungs this time
But your heart holds your fate
Don't give me my money back
Don't want it anymore
It's not that nursery mouth I came back for
It's not the way you're stretched out on the floor
I've broken all your windows
And I've rammed through all your doors
Who am I to ask you to fight my wars
You should know that's true
You should know that too
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you
For you
I came for you
The lyrics to Betty Carter's song For You are complex and open to interpretation, but they seem to describe a tumultuous and complicated relationship between two people. The singer describes the various obstacles and challenges they face, from the blue walls that stand in the way of the "facts," to the wounds "deep in battle" that leave them feeling "stuffed like some soldier undaunted." Despite these challenges, the singer is clearly deeply in love with the other person, whom they describe as "all I ever wanted." The repeated refrain of "I came for you" reinforces this idea.
The second half of the song takes a darker turn, as the singer begs the other person for honesty and openness about their feelings. They describe crawling into an ambulance together and confronting the seriousness of the situation - the other person's pulse is weak and their heart holds their fate. And yet, even in this moment of crisis, the singer seems to be searching for something more, something deeper than just physical survival. They don't want their money back, they don't want the other person's "nursery mouth" - they want the truth, even if it is painful. The final lines of the song suggest that the two people are inextricably linked, with the singer asking "Who am I to ask you to fight my wars?" even as they continue to pledge their love and devotion.
Overall, the lyrics to "For You" are a powerful meditation on love, honesty, and vulnerability. The references to battle and wounded soldiers suggest that the relationship is fraught with pain and difficulty, but the repeated refrain of "I came for you" emphasizes the singer's unshakeable commitment to the other person. The song is a reminder that even in the midst of great struggle, love and connection can give us the strength to keep going and hold on to what really matters.
Line by Line Meaning
Princess cards she sends me with her regards
She sends me cards and greets me like royalty, trying to maintain a cordial engagement with me.
Oh, bar-room eyes shine vacancy
Her eyes look hazy and empty like a bar space where people just drink and forget their worries.
To see her you gotta look hard
She's not easily visible and you need to make an effort to find her.
Wounded deep in battle, I stand stuffed like some soldier undaunted
I feel hurt and exhausted like a soldier, but I remain brave and steadfast in her presence.
To her Cheshire smile I'll stand on file
I will gladly wait in line to see her grin like a Cheshire cat, which is mysterious and elusive.
She's all I ever wanted
I desire only her and have no interest in anything else.
You let your blue walls stand in the way of these facts, honey
You're allowing your stubbornness and pride to blind you from accepting the truth, my dear.
Get your carpet baggers off my back
Stop interfering and meddling in my affairs, you opportunists.
Girl give me time to cover my tracks
Please be patient and give me some time to conceal my actions and intentions from others.
You said, "Here's your mirror and your ball and jacks"
You offered me childish toys and distractions instead of what I actually wanted from you.
But they're not what I came for
Those things don't satisfy me or fulfill my desires.
Oh I came for so much more
I came to have a deeper and more meaningful connection with you.
And I know you that too
I know you understand this and feel the same way.
And I know you know that's true
I'm aware that you recognize the sincerity of my feelings.
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you
For you
I came for you
My sole purpose for being here is to be with you.
Crawl into my ambulance
Your pulse is getting weak
Come to me for help, your heart is failing and you're getting weaker.
Reveal yourself all to me now
While you've got the strength to speak
Tell me everything, expose your true self to me while you still can.
'Cause they're waiting for you at Bellevue
With their oxygen masks
The hospital staff is waiting to help you breathe at Bellevue, hoping to save your life.
But I could give it all to you now
If only you could ask
I have the power to heal and save you, if you let me help you.
Don't call for your surgeon
Even he says it's late
It's not your lungs this time
But your heart holds your fate
It's too late for medical intervention, your heart will determine your survival this time.
Don't give me my money back
Don't want it anymore
I don't want the material things you offer me as compensation anymore.
It's not that nursery mouth I came back for
It's not the way you're stretched out on the floor
I didn't come back for your childish behavior and mannerisms or for your vulnerability and weakness.
I've broken all your windows
And I've rammed through all your doors
Who am I to ask you to fight my wars
I've destroyed your defenses and barriers and exposed your vulnerabilities. I have no right to ask you to support me in my struggles.
And you should know that's true
You should know that too
You need to understand and acknowledge the reality of our situation and relationship.
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you
For you
I came for you
I'm here solely because of you and my love for you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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