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.

Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love
Betty Carter Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Most gentlemen, they don't like love
They just like to kick it around
Most gentlemen can't take love
'Cause most gentlemen can't be profound

As Madam Sappho in some sonnet said
A slap and a tickle
Is all that the fickle

Male ever has in his head

Most gentlemen don't like love
I've been in love
So, I know what I'm talking of
And, oh, to my woe I have found
You just like to kick it around

So, just remember, girls
When you get that glance
A romp and a quickie
Is all little Dickie
Needs when he's fixed on romance

Most gentlemen, they don't like love
They just like to kick it around
I'm sorry, ladies, but every man, they're all the same
A pounce in the clover
And then when it's over
Bye!

MostHey, wait a minute, baby! What's your name?
How soon we forget
Ladies, listen
We don't have to take it

Spoken:
If your boyfriend some fine night should take you in his arms, and he looks in your eyes, and he says, Baby, you know I love you, don't you? I said it! And I'll never leave you! Yeah right. You get your foot ready and you kick him.

Most gentlemen, they don't like love
I've been in love
So, I know what I'm talking of
And, oh, to my woe, to my woe I have found
You just like to kick it, you just like to kick it

You just like to kick it around
And round, and round, and round, and round

Overall Meaning

In Betty Carter's song Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love, the singer discusses the idea that most men are not capable of true love or commitment. She believes that men are only interested in physical pleasure and do not want to take the time to develop a deeper emotional connection. The lyrics suggest that men are incapable of profundity, echoing the belief that men are not capable of being sensitive or understanding the nuances of complex feelings. The chorus repeats the idea that men simply want to "kick love around" rather than engage in a meaningful relationship.

The lyrics reference Madam Sappho, an ancient Greek poet who wrote about love and relationships. Carter suggests that even in ancient times, women understood that men were not capable of true emotional connection. The use of the name "Madam Sappho" adds a layer of sophistication and intelligence to the song, as well as a sense of history and tradition.

Throughout the song, Carter uses humor and sarcasm to underscore her point. She refers to men as "little Dickie" and suggests that all they need for romance is a "romp and a quickie." She also uses the refrain "Hey, wait a minute, baby! What's your name?" to poke fun at the idea that men will forget about a woman as soon as they've had their fun.

Overall, Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love is a witty and insightful commentary on gender and relationships. It suggests that women should be wary of men who claim to be in love, and that men are inherently incapable of true emotional connection.

Line by Line Meaning

Most gentlemen, they don't like love
Many men don't truly value love

They just like to kick it around
They treat love carelessly, as something to pass the time with

Most gentlemen can't take love
Most men can't handle the depth and responsibility of love

'Cause most gentlemen can't be profound
They lack the capacity for profound thought and emotion

As Madam Sappho in some sonnet said
As the poet Sappho once wrote

A slap and a tickle
Physical pleasure without emotional connection

Is all that the fickle
The indecisive and unreliable

Male ever has in his head
Can think about

Most gentlemen don't like love
Many men don't truly value love

I've been in love
I have experienced love

So, I know what I'm talking of
I have insight into this topic

And, oh, to my woe I have found
Unfortunately, I have discovered

You just like to kick it around
Men treat love carelessly, as something to pass the time with

So, just remember, girls
Remember this, ladies

When you get that glance
When a man shows interest in you

A romp and a quickie
A brief sexual encounter

Is all little Dickie
Is all little Richard (a slang term for a man)

Needs when he's fixed on romance
Requires when he's wanting a romantic relationship

Most gentlemen, they don't like love
Many men don't truly value love

I'm sorry, ladies, but every man, they're all the same
Unfortunately, women, all men are alike in this regard

A pounce in the clover
A sexual encounter

And then when it's over
And once it's finished

Bye!
They will leave

Most Hey, wait a minute, baby! What's your name?
Some men will try to sweet-talk you initially

How soon we forget
How easily we forget

Ladies, listen
Listen carefully, women

We don't have to take it
We don't have to accept this behavior

If your boyfriend some fine night should take you in his arms, and he looks in your eyes, and he says, Baby, you know I love you, don't you? I said it! And I'll never leave you! Yeah right. You get your foot ready and you kick him.
If your partner tries to manipulate you by making grand promises, get ready to leave him

Most gentlemen, they don't like love
Many men don't truly value love

I've been in love
I have experienced love

So, I know what I'm talking of
I have insight into this topic

And, oh, to my woe, to my woe I have found
Unfortunately, I have discovered

You just like to kick it, you just like to kick it
Men treat love carelessly, as something to pass the time with

Around and round, and round, and round
Repeatedly and without end

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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