Betty Carter (1929–1998) was a prominent U.S. jazz singer, renowned for her… Read Full Bio ↴Betty Carter (1929–1998) was a prominent U.S. jazz singer, renowned for her improvisational technique and idiosyncratic vocal style. Carter expanded the role of the vocalist in jazz, to a full, improvising member of the band. Although her voice was not as admired by the public as such vocalists as Sarah Vaughan or Ella Fitzgerald, many consider her to have exercised mastery of the human voice previously unheard in jazz. Carmen McRae once claimed that "there's really only one jazz singer - only one: Betty Carter."

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.

Make It Last
Betty Carter Lyrics

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Hold me close
While we kiss
Let me linger in heaven like this
Love is often over too fast

Make it last x2

Let me stay in your spell

Love is sweet so lets savour it well
All too soon this dream will be past

Make it last x2

If love stays on
My fears weill fade
and each new dawn
I'll start with my heart unafraid

Let the flame linger low
Let the fire burn longer and slow
Till this moment is lost to the past

Make it last x2

Repeat 3rd verse

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Betty Carter's “Make It Last” is a devoted plea to a lover to cherish the moment and make it last. As the song implies, love can be fleeting and often over far too soon. The singer implores her partner to hold her close and to let her linger in heaven as they kiss. The slow, sultry jazz sound of the song mixes well with the emotive message it conveys, as the singer remarks on how sweet love is and how it must be savoured to make the moment last.

The lyrics also suggest that the singer has some significant fears about their relationship not lasting, but she believes that if love remains, so will her courage. She poses a desire for the fire of their love to burn slowly and for the moment to be lost in the past. It's not always clear whether the lyrics refer to the end of the evening or the end of the relationship, but it's clear that the singer wants the moment to last for as long as possible.

Line by Line Meaning

Hold me close
Embrace me tightly

While we kiss
While our lips meet

Let me linger in heaven like this
Allow me to savor this perfect moment

Love is often over too fast
Romantic love often ends too soon

Make it last x2
Extend the duration of this experience

Let me stay in your spell
Keep me captivated by your charm

Love is sweet so lets savor it well
Romantic love is a delightful experience, let's enjoy it to the fullest

All too soon this dream will be past
This euphoric experience will be over before we know it

If love stays on
If romantic love endures

My fears will fade
My apprehensions will dissipate

And each new dawn
And with every new day