In Chicago, she began recording for small soul labels and worked with soon-to-be big name producers Ike Turner and Curtis Mayfield until 1963, when she was picked up by Vee-Jay Records. While recording for Vee-Jay, she released several minor hits including "You're No Good" and the catchy "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" which was her biggest solo hit. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was #1 on the Cashbox R&B chart.
Her other hits included "I Can't Hear You", "Getting Mighty Crowded", and several duets with Jerry Butler, including "Let It Be Me" which made the US Top 5 in 1964 and was another Cashbox R&B number 1. After Vee-Jay folded in 1966, she recorded for several other labels including Uni, Fantasy, and ABC.
She had another major success in 1969 with "There'll Come A Time", which rose to #2 on the Billboard R&B charts and topped the Cashbox chart. While most of her later work could not match the success she had with Vee-Jay, there were other R&B hits with "It's Been A Long Time" and "I Got To Tell Somebody" in 1970. Her final recording came out in 1980. Her awards include the BMI Pop Award, both for 1964 and 1991, and the BMI R&B Award for 1964.
Chained to Your Love
Betty Everett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
has got a hold on me
This yearning, burning feeling
Won't let me be
Oh I know it shows
And I don't suppose
That I'll ever free myself
I just can't help myself
Chained to your love
Your kiss
Is ecstasy
The shocking emotion I recieve
Electrifys me
Oh, you know darn well
I'm under the cast of your spell
Don't ever let me go
I want the world to know
I am your slave
I can't go straight
Chained to your love
ph oh oh oh
Kiss by kiss
Oh I was drawn to you
Yes I was
You changed my ways
Made me do things
I vowed I would never never do
Your love
Made a change in my plan
I stop feeling small
I feel ten feet tall
Holding your hand
Oh, having you close to me
Brings to reality
A paradise for two
That when I belong to you
You made me your slave
But that's okay
Chained to your love
Oh I'm gonna stay
That's okay
chained to your love
The lyrics of Betty Everett's song, Chained to Your Love, convey the idea of being captivated by someone's love and feeling helpless to break free from it. The first verse states that the singer is unable to free herself from the yearning and burning feeling. She accepts that she is a slave chained to the person's love. The second verse reveals that the electrifying emotion she receives from the person's kiss causes her to be under the cast of the person's spell. She begs the person never to let her go, and she wants the world to know that she is a slave to the person's love.
The chorus expresses the idea of being chained to the person's love, and the singer doesn't want to be set free. Instead, she wants to remain chained to the person's love. The bridge describes how the person has changed the singer. The person's love has drawn her close and changed her ways, even making her do things that she had vowed never to do. The singer feels ten feet tall, happy to be holding the person's hand because it brings to her the reality of a paradise for two. She accepts that she is chained to the person's love, and that's okay, as she wants to stay in that feeling of being captivated.
Overall, the song portrays the concept of being in love so intensely that one becomes a slave to the other's love. The lyrics are straightforward and honest and express the singer's feelings of being captive and ecstatic towards the person. The melody is catchy and upbeat with a touch of soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Your love
The love you have for me
has got a hold on me
I'm trapped in your love and can't escape
This yearning, burning feeling
My strong desire for you
Won't let me be
I can't ignore or push away my feelings for you
Oh I know it shows
Others can see how much I want you
And I don't suppose
I don't think
That I'll ever free myself
I'll never be able to break away from my love for you
I just can't help myself
I can't control my feelings for you
I'm just a slave
I'm completely under your control
Chained to your love
I'm bound to you forever
Your kiss
The affection you show me with your lips
Is ecstasy
It's a feeling of overwhelming pleasure
The shocking emotion I receive
Your love is so intense that it physically affects me
Electrifies me
It makes me feel alive
Oh, you know darn well
You're fully aware
I'm under the cast of your spell
You have complete control over me
Don't ever let me go
Please never leave me
I want the world to know
I want everyone to see how much I love you
I am your slave
I'm completely obedient to you
I can't go straight
I can't resist you
Oh, having you close to me
Being near you
Brings to reality
Makes me realize
A paradise for two
Being together is like being in heaven
That when I belong to you
That I'm completely yours
You made me your slave
You've taken complete control of me
But that's okay
I'm okay with that
Chained to your love
Bound to you forever
Oh I'm gonna stay
I'm never going to leave you
That's okay
I'm happy with this arrangement
chained to your love
Forever bound to you
Contributed by Nora J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
alraizuli
Does this woman have perfect voice? I think so.
MrBugshop
yes i think she has a perfect voice,i thought this back in the day!!!!!
Veronica Mojica
One of my favorite’s
Lizabeth Scott
HER VOICE SOFTLY SINGING 60s 70s80s90s Hell R&B WAS IT THEY NEED TO COME BACK LOVE WAS IN THE AIR R&B SINGER MAKE YOU 😢 WHEN YOU NEEDED TO GET 😠 👌
619SERIA1
I LOVE THIS OLDIES ")
Bootywolfe
Great song, but those lyrics get real dark despite the lovey dovey nature of the melody.
Timothy Hughes
Dark lyrics or not, Everett's voice makes the song soft and soothing.
Carlos Campos
<3
John Benn
I agree 100%
Susan Jackson
This was not the original hit. This was the flip side. The shoop shoop song was the hit. This is pretty too. Don't read so much into it , it's only a song meant for enjoyment. You would have to decipher every love song ever made if you want to analyze and not just enjoy the music. Chill out!!! 😁