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 Wonder
Betty Carter Lyrics
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Where can you be this moment of night?
Are you holding someone tight? I wonder
My heart is aching, I′m a fool to let it go hungry again
Maybe I'll awake and find that I′m mistaken, I wonder
Baby, since we're through, every true lovers' lane, but in my heart is all pain
You went travelling, but will it last while I′m travelling away fast?
Sweetheart, I wonder, little baby, if this new love dies, where will you be?
Will your heart come running back to me? I wonder
I wonder well, well, well, little baby, will you think of me again today?
Though I may be a million miles away, I wonder, I wonder
In Betty Carter's song "I Wonder," the lyrics express the singer's deep longing and uncertainty about the whereabouts and feelings of their former lover. The song opens with the singer questioning where their darling could be at that very moment, wondering if they are in the arms of someone else. It showcases the singer's vulnerability and heartache, as they admit to being a fool for letting their heart go hungry once again. The lyrics also reveal a sense of self-doubt, with the singer hoping that they might wake up and discover that their assumptions were wrong.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the aftermath of their breakup. They express the pain they feel when they see other couples in love, contrasting it with the emptiness in their own heart. They acknowledge that their former lover has moved on, but the singer questions if this new love will last or if their heart will eventually come running back. The repetition of the word "wonder" throughout the song accentuates the singer's tormented state of mind and their desire for answers.
Overall, "I Wonder" captures the universal theme of longing and questioning in the aftermath of a lost love. It reflects the emotional journey of someone trying to come to terms with a breakup while grappling with feelings of uncertainty, regret, and the hope for reconciliation.
Line by Line Meaning
I wonder, my little darling
I am curious, my dear, about something
Where can you be this moment of night?
Where are you right now, in the late hours of the night?
Are you holding someone tight? I wonder
Are you embracing someone closely? I am curious about it
My heart is aching, I'm a fool to let it go hungry again
I feel emotional pain, and I realize I have been foolish to neglect my heart once more
Maybe I'll awake and find that I'm mistaken, I wonder
Perhaps I will wake up and discover that I have been wrong, and I am curious about it
Baby, since we're through, every true lovers' lane, but in my heart is all pain
My dear, since our relationship ended, every path of love seems empty, but within me, there is only suffering
You went travelling, but will it last while I'm travelling away fast?
You started a journey, but I wonder if it will endure while I am quickly going away
Sweetheart, I wonder, little baby, if this new love dies, where will you be?
Darling, I am curious, my dear, if this newfound love fades away, where will you be?
Will your heart come running back to me? I wonder
Will your heart return to me eagerly? I am curious about it
I wonder well, well, well, little baby, will you think of me again today?
I am quite curious, my dear, if you will remember me today
Though I may be a million miles away, I wonder, I wonder
Even though I may be extremely far away, I am still curious, very curious
Writer(s): Raymond Leveen, Cecil Gant
Contributed by Michael J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.