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.
I Can't Help It
Betty Carter Lyrics
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I can't help it
That's the way that I am
I can't help it
I don't know how to share
I tried to do the things I feel inside
And believe me that's a real delight
Have you considered what it does to your soul?
You sell it when you play some other's role
Be yourself dear in what you choose to be
I'll not change you, I need you can't you see?
So try me and maybe you'll love me
'cause I can't help it
That's the way that I am
That's the way that I am
I don't know how to share
I tried to do the things I feel inside
And believe me that's a real delight
Have you considered what it does to your soul?
You sell it when you play some other's role
Be yourself dear in what you choose to be
I'll not change you, I need can't you see?
So try me and maybe you'll love me
'cause I can't help it
That's the way that I am
In "I Can't Help It," Betty Carter sings about her inability to change who she is for anyone else. She admits that she struggles with sharing and doing things that don't feel natural to her. Despite this, she takes pride in being true to herself and following her inner desires.
The lyrics suggest that trying to be someone you're not damages the soul, a theme that is further explored in the line "You sell it when you play some other's role." Betty Carter encourages her lover to be true to themselves and not to change for her, but rather to let her love them for who they truly are. The song ends with a plea for her lover to give her a chance and love her despite her flaws.
Overall, "I Can't Help It" is a declaration of self-acceptance and a call for others to do the same. It encourages the listener to embrace their true selves and not to compromise who they are for anyone else.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't help it
I am unable to change my natural disposition
That's the way that I am
This is an inherent quality that defines me
I don't know how to share
I struggle to distribute or divide my emotions and affections
I tried to do the things I feel inside
I attempted to act on my innermost impulses
And believe me that's a real delight
It brings me immense pleasure and satisfaction
Have you considered what it does to your soul?
Have you thought about the negative effects on your spirit?
You sell it when you play some other's role
When you pretend to be someone else, you sacrifice a part of yourself
Be yourself dear in what you choose to be
Embrace your true self in whatever you decide to do
I'll not change you, I need you can't you see?
I accept you for who you are, don't you understand that I require you?
So try me and maybe you'll love me
Give me a chance, you might develop affection for me
'cause I can't help it
Because it's a fundamental part of my being
That's the way that I am
This quality is deeply ingrained in my personality
Contributed by Leo G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.