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.
This Is Always
Betty Carter Lyrics
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This is always
This isn't maybe, this is always
Yes, it′s love, the real beginning of forever
This isn't just midsummer madness
A passing glow, a moment's gladness
This is love
You tied a string around my heart
How can I forget you?
With every kiss, I know that this is always
This isn′t just midsummer madness
You tied a string round my heart
How can I forget you?
With every kiss, yeah, I know that this is always
The lyrics of "This is Always" by Betty Carter express a deep and unwavering devotion to love. The repetition of the phrase "This isn't sometimes, This is always" emphasizes the permanence and constancy of the feeling being described. The singer wants to make it clear that their love is not fleeting or temporary; it is enduring and everlasting.
The lyrics contrast this eternal love with the notion of "midsummer madness" or passing infatuation. It suggests that what they feel goes beyond a momentary attraction or temporary fling. The reference to a "passing glow" and "moment's gladness" implies that the singer has experienced such fleeting emotions before but now recognizes the true depth and significance of their current love.
The line "Yes, it's love, the real beginning of forever" reinforces the sentiment that this love is not just a fleeting infatuation but the foundation for a lasting and meaningful relationship. It symbolizes the start of something greater, something that will endure and go beyond the present moment.
The repetition of phrases like "You tied a string around my heart" and "With every kiss, I know that this is always" accenteduate the overwhelming impact the beloved has had on the singer. The string around the heart implies a deep emotional connection and an inability to forget the beloved. Each kiss serves as a constant reminder of the perpetuity and certainty of their love.
Overall, these lyrics convey the message of a love that is unwavering, permanent, and transformative. The singer is declaring that what they feel is not just a passing fancy but a love that will persist always.
Line by Line Meaning
This isn't sometimes
This is not a temporary or occasional occurrence
This is always
This is a constant and perpetual state
This isn't maybe, this is always
This is not a possibility or uncertainty, but an absolute certainty
Yes, it's love, the real beginning of forever
It is indeed love, the true and everlasting start
This isn't just midsummer madness
This is not a brief and fleeting infatuation
A passing glow, a moment's gladness
A transient illumination, a fleeting joy
This is love
This is genuine and profound affection
I knew it on the night we met
I realized it from the moment we first encountered each other
You tied a string around my heart
You secured a strong hold on my emotions
How can I forget you?
How could I possibly erase you from my memory?
With every kiss, I know that this is always
Through each tender embrace, I am certain that this love is everlasting
You tied a string round my heart
You secured a strong hold on my emotions
How can I forget you?
How could I possibly erase you from my memory?
With every kiss, yeah, I know that this is always
Through each tender embrace, yes, I am certain that this love is everlasting
Writer(s): Harry Warren, Mack Gordon
Contributed by Cooper R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.