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.
Walkin Up The Road
Betty Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
tomorrow who's knows I'm gonna feel
but tonight I wish I had someone besideme
but in the meantime I don't have no-one that i can make love to
I don't have no-one to satisfy me
but in the mean time I'll make do what i have
tomorrow who's knows how I'm gonn a feel
but today I'm glad there's no tears and no sorrow
but in the meantime I don't have no-one that I can tal to
I don't have no-one to understand me
but in the meantime I'll make do what i have
and in the meantim I'll make do what I have
The lyrics of Betty Davis's song Walkin Up The Road reveal a sense of loneliness and longing for companionship, yet the singer is also resigned to their current situation. The opening lines express a desire for someone to love, but with uncertainty about how they will feel in the future. The repetition of "in the meantime" reflects a sense of waiting and temporary fulfillment. Despite this yearning, the singer is also accepting of their aloneness, finding happiness in being free from sadness and tears.
The second verse of the song continues the theme of wanting connection, specifically in the form of someone to talk to and understand them. However, the singer is once again accepting of their situation, making do with what they have. The repetition of this phrase reinforces the idea of self-reliance and making the best of a less than ideal situation.
Overall, the lyrics of Walkin Up The Road convey a complex mix of emotions about the desire for companionship and the acceptance of being alone. The repetition of "in the meantime" reflects an acknowledgement of impermanence and the need to find contentment in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
tonight I wish I had someone to love me
I desire companionship and affection tonight.
tomorrow who's knows I'm gonna feel
I am uncertain about my emotional state tomorrow.
but tonight I wish I had someone beside me
I long for physical closeness and comfort tonight.
but in the meantime I don't have no-one that I can make love to
I do not have a sexual partner at this time.
I don't have no-one to satisfy me
I am lacking someone who can fulfill my needs and desires.
but in the mean time I'll make do what I have
I will find ways to cope with my current situation.
today I'm glad that I'm alone
I am content with being by myself today.
tomorrow who's knows how I'm gonna feel
I am uncertain about my emotional state tomorrow.
but today I'm glad there's no tears and no sorrow
I am relieved that there are no negative emotions or experiences today.
but in the meantime I don't have no-one that I can talk to
I do not have anyone who I can share my thoughts and feelings with.
I don't have no-one to understand me
I am lacking someone who can empathize with me.
and in the meantime I'll make do what I have
I will find ways to manage without the things I am missing.
Contributed by Peyton W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ChandraNYC
Rest in Power, Queen!! 🖤💔🖤
@moforisingmusic
July 26, 1945 - February 9, 2022. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent with us, Betty. A true pioneer light years ahead of your time. We weren't worthy. Rest in peace, dear soul. Fly on... 💜
@garycasperjones9112
Yeah ! Your sound is amazing !!!
@easythename2769
This is the early blueprint for Rufus and Chaka Khan - "You Got The Love"or am I just hearing this wrong she's got that fire of funk that can't be contained
@jasbigj
HOW THE FUNK HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF HER BEFORE???
@DrannonMoore00
Unfortunately Betty Davis never received the recognition she deserved. Although she dated Jimi Hendrix and was married to Miles Davis (hence her last name) she never saw stardom herself. That's why you can't find videos of her anywhere... Being a huge fan of funk, she is one of my favorite musicians of all time. If I could find her today I would marry her and be her slave even though she's older than my grandma lol.
@leonholt6075
Jason Jordan I Feel Ya!!
@luisaseabra5205
It's called patriarchy.
@Apollo_Blaze
She did not get much radio play in those days, (due to lyrics) so most people did not hear of her...A shame...she is incredible
@chrisreed3022
'cos she is a woman. https://www.artsy.net/artwork/guerrilla-girls-the-advantages-of-being-a-woman-artist