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.
My Favourite Things
Betty Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
White copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with string these...
are a few of my favorite things
Cream colored ponies and crisp apple struedel
Door bells and sleigh bells and shcnitzel with noodles
wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings these...
Girl in white dresses and blue satin sashes
snowflakes that fall on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into spring these...
are a few of my favorite things.
When the dog bites and the bee stings
when I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
and then I don't feel so sad
In Betty Carter's "My Favorite Things," the singer presents an idyllic world filled with comforting objects and experiences that bring her joy. The lyrics are a list of things she loves, from raindrops on roses to wild geese that fly with the moon.
The song uses imagery to create a cozy and cheerful atmosphere. The use of colors, for example, cream-colored ponies and white snowflakes, adds to the dreamy, romantic quality of the lyrics. The repetition of the phrase "my favorite things" emphasizes the importance of these small moments of pleasure in life.
However, the final verse brings a twist to the sunny disposition of the song. When faced with difficulties like dog bites and bee stings, the singer suggests that she can find solace in the memory of her favorite things. The lyrics suggest that even in dark or difficult times, the things we love can offer comfort and a way to escape.
Overall, "My Favorite Things" is a whimsical and uplifting song that celebrates simple joys in life. The lyrics create a world filled with beauty and comfort, providing a refuge from life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Raindrops on roses and Christmas on kittens
I find joy in the simple things in life, like raindrops on roses and Christmas on kittens.
White copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
I appreciate the warmth and comfort of white copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.
Brown paper packages tied up with string these...
are a few of my favorite things
Even something as ordinary as brown paper packages tied up with string can make me happy. These are just a few of my favorite things.
Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudel
I enjoy the beauty of cream colored ponies and the delicious taste of crisp apple strudel.
Door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Hearing the sound of door bells and sleigh bells, and the taste of schnitzel with noodles, bring me pleasure.
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings these...
are a few of my favorite things
Observing the beauty of wild geese flying with the moon on their wings is just one example of the things that I enjoy.
Girls in white dresses and blue satin sashes
I admire the elegance of girls wearing white dresses and blue satin sashes.
Snowflakes that fall on my nose and eyelashes
Feeling the gentle touch of snowflakes on my nose and eyelashes is a delight to me.
Silver white winters that melt into spring these...
are a few of my favorite things.
The transition from silver white winters to the beauty of spring is another example of what brings me happiness.
When the dog bites and the bee stings
when I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
and then I don't feel so sad
When things go wrong and I feel sad or upset, I remind myself of my favorite things to bring myself comfort and happiness.
Writer(s): Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers
Contributed by Isaiah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mikerophone235
Ive never, ever seen someone who can sing a song and transform it the way Betty Carter can. Genius
@jameswise6110
Why am I, at the age of eighty-four, just now learning about this fabulous voice ???
@absentmindstate
Better late than never ! Thanks to the internet I have found her at 21 years old
@ThePublicHealthHeaux
πβ€ great question!!! She and sooo many of there should be better known!!!
But at any rate WELCOME!!!
@GarthAstrology
Long Live Betty Carter and John Hicks!
@carlossander6576
I remember seeing Betty Carter sing at my favorite speakeasy Steve Paul's The Scene in N.Y.C. in 1969
@carlossander6576
She was fantastic!
@Cosmic_Messenger
WOW!!!!
@davidholiday4494
one of the most magnificent singers that ever lived
@dynasticlight1073
YES for surety is ...