Davis was born as Betty Mabry in Durham, North Carolina, USA. Mabry's debut was as a songwriter, with The Chambers Brothers's Uptown (1967, Columbia). When Betty turned sixteen, she moved to New York and met several musicians including Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. She met Miles Davis in 1967 and married him in 1968. As he stated in his autobiography, in addition to creating turmoil in his personal life, his wife helped him to explore music by introducing him to psychedelic rock guitarist Hendrix and funk innovator Stone. There is plenty of circumstantial evidence, though seemingly no credible documentation, to support the idea that Miles Davis named his masterpiece jazz-fusion album Bitches Brew after Betty.
After the breakup of her marriage, Davis moved to London to pursue her modelling career. She wrote music - a passion since childhood - while in the U.K. and returned to the U.S. with the intention of recording songs with Santana and The Commodores. When those projects didn't work out, she organised a group of talented West Coast funk musicians and recorded the songs under her own name.
Her first album, Betty Davis, was released in 1973 and her band included members of Sly and the Family Stone, Graham Central Station, The Pointer Sisters, Tower of Power, and Neil Schon who came from Santana, but went on to form Journey. Davis released two more studio albums: They Say I'm Different (1974) and Nasty Gal (1975). Her backing band, Funkhouse,consisted of her cousin, Larry Johnson on bass, Fred Mills on keyboards, double-platinum artist Carlton Morales on guitar, and Nikki Neal on drums. None of the three albums was a commercial success, and Davis's 1976 album Is It Love or Desire remained unreleased until 2009.
Davis remained a cult figure as a singer, due in part to her open sexual attitude, which was controversial for the time and remains so thirty years later. Some of her shows were boycotted and her songs not played on the radio due to pressure by religious groups. With the passage of time her records have become highly regarded by collectors of soul and funk music. Davis eventually stopped making music and returned to the city where she had attended high school, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She continues to live there as a recluse from the music industry.
Material from a 1979 recording session,which was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, where Kevan Tynes attended, and Alfonse Mouson was the drummer, with Carlton Morales on guitar, and Davis's 1979 material was eventually used for two further albums: Hangin' Out in Hollywood (1995) and Crashin' from Passion (1996). A greatest hits album, Anti Love: the Best of Betty Davis, was released in 2000.
He Was a Big Freak
Betty Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I used to beat him with a turquoise chain, yeah
When I was his woman, I pleased him
I’d lead him to the tip
When I was his mistress, oh oh
I gave him cheap thrills
When I was his princess, silk and satin and lace
He was a big freak!
flim, flam, floozy, fantasy
When I was his housewife
I’d scrub him, I’d love him, I’d cook his meals
When I was his geisha, oh oh
I got down and (?)
When I was his flower
I’d answer to the name of Rosie May
He was a big freak!
I used to say all kinds of dirty thangs
When I was his mother
I’d hold him like a baby in my arms
When I was his lover
Oh, I drive him out of his mind
When I was his daydream
Ain’t no need to tell you what that means
I’d tie him up with my turquoise chain
I used to tie him up
Yeah, he couldn’t get enough
Nah, he’d be on the floor
Oh, begging me for more
He was a big freak!
I used to say all kinds of dirty thangs
He was a big freak!
Film, flam, floozy, fantasy
He was a big freak!
Kept his mind entertained all the time
I’d get him off with my turquoise chain
I used to whip him
I used to beat him
Oh, he used to dig it
Yeah, he used to really dig it
He was a big freak!
Pain was his middle name
He was a big freak!
He used to laugh when I’d make him cry
He was big freak!
A big freak, yes he was!
I used to whip him with my turquoise chain
The song "He Was a Big Freak" by Betty Davis is both provocative and controversial. The lyrics explore the relationship between two lovers where the man is referred to as a "big freak." The woman in the song talks about the different roles she played in his life and how she pleased him in different ways. The song is a tribute to sexual freedom and the exploration of desires in relationships. The song's lyrics are graphic, but they also convey a strong message about female empowerment and sexual liberation.
The lyrics describe the woman's power in the relationship, where she is the one taking control and dominating the man by whipping and beating him with a turquoise chain. The different roles that she plays in his life, such as his mistress, housewife, flower, and daydream, show her versatility and adaptability to his needs. The song is an ode to sexual empowerment and liberation, where she is free to explore and express her desires in the relationship.
The lyrics of the song were considered too explicit and controversial for the time, which led to the album's failure to get popularly recognized. However, as time passed, the song has gained a cult following among feminists and people who advocate for sexual liberation. The song's message resonates with people who seek to break free from traditional gender roles and societal expectations in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
He was a big freak!
The subject of the song was a unique individual who lived his life differently than the norm.
I used to beat him with a turquoise chain, yeah
As his partner, she engaged in BDSM activities with him, using a turquoise chain as a tool for impact play.
When I was his woman, I pleased him
I’d lead him to the tip
She enjoyed sexually satisfying him and would take the lead during their intimate encounters.
When I was his mistress, oh oh
I gave him cheap thrills
As his mistress, she fulfilled his sexual desires in a way that he found exciting, but perhaps unconventional or taboo in nature.
When I was his princess, silk and satin and lace
I'd wear for him
As his princess, she dressed up in fancy lingerie or other clothing that pleased him.
flim, flam, floozy, fantasy
These words refer to different aspects of sex work or sexual exploration, and suggest that the subject may have engaged in these things with her partner.
When I was his housewife
I’d scrub him, I’d love him, I’d cook his meals
She took care of him in traditional ways of a housewife, cooking and cleaning for him, as well as showing him love and affection.
When I was his geisha, oh oh
I got down and (?)
As his geisha, she may have engaged in sexual acts beyond traditional expectations to please him.
When I was his flower
I’d answer to the name of Rosie May
She took on a submissive role as his flower, allowing him to name her and perhaps treating her as a delicate object of affection.
I used to say all kinds of dirty thangs
She talked dirty during sex with her partner.
When I was his mother
I’d hold him like a baby in my arms
She fulfilled a motherly role by holding him intimately in a nurturing way.
When I was his lover
Oh, I drive him out of his mind
As his lover, she was able to arouse him intensely and bring him pleasure.
When I was his daydream
Ain’t no need to tell you what that means
She was the subject of his sexual fantasies, perhaps in a way that was taboo or unconventional.
I’d tie him up with my turquoise chain
I used to tie him up
Yeah, he couldn’t get enough
Nah, he’d be on the floor
Oh, begging me for more
She engaged in BDSM activities involving bondage, and her partner enjoyed it immensely, often begging for more.
Kept his mind entertained all the time
I’d get him off with my turquoise chain
In addition to physical pleasure, she also provided mental or emotional stimulation to her partner, using her turquoise chain to do so.
I used to whip him
I used to beat him
Oh, he used to dig it
Yeah, he used to really dig it
She engaged in BDSM activities involving impact play with her partner, and he enjoyed it a lot.
Pain was his middle name
He used to laugh when I’d make him cry
Her partner enjoyed pain in their BDSM activities and would even laugh when she made it hurt more.
Contributed by Sarah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mer bz
He was a big freak!
I used to beat him with a turquoise chain, yeah
When I was his woman, I pleased him
I’d lead him to the tip
When I was his mistress, oh oh
I gave him cheap thrills
When I was his princess, silk and satin and lace
I'd wear for him
He was a big freak!
Flim, flam, floozy, fantasy
When I was his housewife
I’d scrub him, I’d love him, I’d cook his meals
When I was his geisha, oh oh
I got down and hips
When I was his flower
I’d answer to the name of Rosie May
He was a big freak!
I used to say all kinds of dirty thangs
When I was his mother
I’d hold him like a baby in my arms
When I was his lover
Oh, I drive him out of his mind
When I was his daydream
Ain’t no need to tell you what that means
I’d tie him up with my turquoise chain
I used to tie him up
Yeah, he couldn’t get enough
Nah, he’d be on the floor
Oh, begging me for more
He was a big freak!
I used to say all kinds of dirty thangs
He was a big freak!
Film, flam, floozy, fantasy
He was a big freak!
Kept his mind entertained all the time
I’d get him off with my turquoise chain
I used to whip him
I used to beat him
Oh, he used to dig it
Yeah, he used to really dig it
He was a big freak!
Pain was his middle name
He was a big freak!
He used to laugh when I’d make him cry
He was big freak!
A big freak, yes he was!
I used to whip him with my turquoise chain
Stefan Predoi
Mad respect to Betty for breaking boundaries in the 70s. We wouldn't have Adina Howard, Foxy Brown, or Megan Thee Stallion without Mrs. Davis. RIP to a legend.
Steve Charlemagne
RIP the original and irreplaceable big freak. An underrated legend. The 2 Just Sunshine albums are her masterworks.
Steve Charlemagne
@Jax nevile She is dead
Thomas Roberts
A legend, rest in peace....🙏🏽💙
Shinysides Music
When I first discovered Betty I was in awe! Nasty Girl. Just love it. This song makes me make shapes with my body. Her albums are fantastic.
Bubble Gum
The first time I heard this was on Spotify discover weekly, it was the first song and I had full volume and when she said “he was a big freak” I got genuinely terrified and unsettled but than I was like damn this is good
UNcutMAMA
Lmmfaoooo
Blossom Hicks
This is for real grown folks boo.
Charles Burns
Heard it when it came out in 70s when music was definitely music
Thomas Dauphin
It does have a catchy riff .. It does paint a kind of a scary picture in your mind .. Most of us normal people are not into all of that .. RIP Betty Davis.