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.
The Good Life
Betty Carter Lyrics
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Full of fun, seems to be the ideal
Yes, the good life lets you hide all the sadness you feel
You won't really fall in love, you can't take the chance
Don't try to fake romance
It's the good life to be free and explore the unknown
Like the heartaches when you learn you must face them alone
Remember I love you and in case you wonder why
Oh, the good life,
To be free and explore the unknown
Like the heartaches when you learn you must face them alone
Remember I love you and in case you wonder why
Wake up and kiss the good life goodbye
Wake up and kiss
Wake up and kiss the good life goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye
And in case you wonder why
Wake up and kiss the good life goodbye
Goodbye (x9)
The song "The Good Life" by Betty Carter is full of metaphors and symbolic expressions through which the artist celebrates life in all its aspects. The lyrics "Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven" are thought-provoking and philosophical in nature. They symbolize how life can be unpredictable and how small things can often have a profound impact on us. The idea of pennies from heaven can be likened to tiny surprises and moments of beauty that we experience in life. These small moments may seem insignificant, but they can bring us joy and happiness, just like finding a penny on the street can make us smile.
Moreover, the song encourages listeners to embrace life with all its ups and downs, and to find the good in every situation. The lyrics "Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers, if you want the things you love, you must have showers" suggest that we must be willing to endure the storms in life in order to appreciate the beauty and light that follows. It is also a reminder to be grateful for what we have and to appreciate the small pleasures in life, like sunshine and flowers.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time it rains
Whenever it rains
It rains pennies from heaven
We get unexpected and pleasant surprises when it rains
Don't you know each cloud contains
Do you realize that every cloud has
Pennies from heaven
Unexpected and pleasant surprises
You'll find your fortune
You will discover good surprises
Fallin' all over town
Happening everywhere
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down
Make sure you are ready to catch the good things that come your way
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
Exchange them for something beautiful and happy
If you want the things you love
If you desire the things that make you happy
You must have showers
You must go through tough times and challenges to get to the good parts
So when you hear it thunder
So when you encounter difficulties
Don't run under a tree
Don't seek refuge in the wrong place
There'll be pennies from heaven
There will be good things coming your way
For you and me
For us all
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, PROSADIS, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jack Reardon, Jean Broussolle, Alexandre Sacha Distel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind