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.
Open The Door
Betty Carter Lyrics
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I must get in your heart!
You're making it hard
To be true
So please, come open the door, dear
And then, perhaps, you'll find
You've had me on your mind.
No matter
How you tried to avoid me,
You can't get away so easy
If you will not come to me I'll come
To you
Open the door, please.
Why make me beg and beg?
Why torture me
Like this?
Can't you see,
I've got love,
Plenty love to give you.
I've got love,
Lots of
Love to give to you.
I've got love
In Betty Carter's song "Open the Door," she pleads with her love interest to open up his heart and let her in. She acknowledges that he is making it difficult for her to be true, which suggests that he may be hesitant to fully open up to her. She urges him to open the door so that he can see that she has been on his mind and that she has a lot of love to give him. The repetition of the phrase "open the door" emphasizes her desire to be let into his heart and for him to let down his guard.
Throughout the song, Carter asserts that avoiding her will not work and that she will not give up easily. By saying that she has plenty of love to give, she is highlighting that she is committed to the relationship and that she will not run away when things get difficult. The passion in her delivery conveys the urgency of the situation and the importance of being open and honest with one's partner.
In summary, "Open the Door" is a song about love and the importance of open communication in a relationship. Carter's plea for her love interest to let her in and accept her love reflects the vulnerability and trust necessary for a healthy relationship. The repetition of the phrase "open the door" emphasizes her desire for honesty and transparency.
Line by Line Meaning
Open the door, dear.
I need to enter your heart and connect with you deeply.
I must get in your heart!
My aim is to enter your heart so that I can be with you and express my love for you.
You're making it hard to be true
It's challenging to stay committed and faithful to you when you're keeping me at a distance.
So please, come open the door, dear
Please make an effort to let me into your life so that we can have a relationship based on love and trust.
And then, perhaps, you'll find you've had me on your mind.
Once we connect and become closer, you'll realize that I've always been on your mind and in your heart.
No matter how you tried to avoid me,
Even if you've been trying to keep your distance from me, it's impossible to escape the love and connection between us.
You can't get away so easy
It's not as simple as just trying to avoid me - we have a deeper connection that can't be ignored.
If you will not come to me I'll come to you
If you're not willing to make the effort to let me into your life, I'll do everything I can to get closer to you.
Open the door, please.
Please allow me to enter your life so that we can build something meaningful and special together.
Why make me beg and beg?
It's hurtful and frustrating to have to keep asking you to let me into your life and heart.
Why torture me like this?
It feels like you're intentionally keeping me at a distance and causing me pain by doing so.
Can't you see, I've got love, plenty love to give you.
I have an abundance of love and affection to give you if you just give me the chance to connect with you.
I've got love, lots of love to give to you.
I'm overflowing with love for you and I want to share it with you in every way possible.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRAD GERMAIN, IAN ALEXANDER SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind