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.
Nothing More to Look Forward To
Betty Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why were you so sweet?
Nothing more to be living for
No longer can we meet, can we meet
Never again to lie so close
I can see myself in your eyes
Never again to kiss goodbye
Nothing more to look forward to
Why were you so sweet?
Nothing more to be living for
No longer can we meet, can we meet
Nothing more to be living for
No longer can we meet, can we meet
No longer can we meet, can we meet
No longer can we meet, can we meet
The lyrics of Betty Carter's song "Nothing More to Look Forward To" convey a sense of loss, longing, and the end of a relationship. The opening line, "Nothing more to look forward to, why were you so sweet?" reflects the singer's realization that there is nothing left to anticipate or hope for, possibly due to the sweetness and joy that the other person brought into their life. It suggests that their relationship had a positive and fulfilling aspect that made it special and worthwhile.
The repeated phrase "No longer can we meet, can we meet" emphasizes the finality and impossibility of reconnecting with the person they are addressing. It implies that the singer and the other person have parted ways for good, no longer able to see each other or continue their relationship.
The second verse continues the theme of loss and the absence of intimate moments shared between the singer and the other person. The lines "Never again to lie so close, I can see myself in your eyes" evoke a profound intimacy and vulnerability that the singer will never experience again. The mention of kissing goodbye as the sun rises adds a bittersweet tone to the lyrics, indicating a farewell and the start of a new day without the other person.
Overall, "Nothing More to Look Forward To" captures the feelings of heartbreak, reminiscence, and acceptance of the end of a cherished relationship. It speaks to the pain of losing someone who brought joy and sweetness into one's life, and the void that remains once they are gone.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing more to look forward to
I have lost all hope and anticipation for the future
Why were you so sweet?
I am questioning why you were so kind and loving towards me
Nothing more to be living for
There is nothing left that gives my life meaning
No longer can we meet, can we meet
We can no longer see each other and be together
Never again to lie so close
We will never have the intimate closeness we once shared
I can see myself in your eyes
I used to see my reflection and happiness in your eyes
Never again to kiss goodbye
We will never have the chance to say goodbye with a kiss again
As the sun is starting to rise
At the moment the sun begins to ascend in the sky
Nothing more to look forward to
I have lost all hope and anticipation for the future
Why were you so sweet?
I am questioning why you were so kind and loving towards me
Nothing more to be living for
There is nothing left that gives my life meaning
No longer can we meet, can we meet
We can no longer see each other and be together
Nothing more to be living for
There is nothing left that gives my life meaning
No longer can we meet, can we meet
We can no longer see each other and be together
No longer can we meet, can we meet
We can no longer see each other and be together
No longer can we meet, can we meet
We can no longer see each other and be together
Writer(s): Richard Adler
Contributed by Declan W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.