Betty Everett (born November 23, 1939 - died August 19, 2001) was an Africa… Read Full Bio ↴Betty Everett (born November 23, 1939 - died August 19, 2001) was an African-American R&B singer and pianist born in Greenwood, Mississippi. She began singing gospel and playing piano in her church at the age of 9 and continued until 1957, when she moved to Chicago to pursue a recording career.

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.

I Can't Stand It
Betty Everett Lyrics

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I can't stand the pain of love
When you get all the love
I can't stand the pain of life
I can't even stand the shock.
But when I hear you say
That you will go away
And leave me someday
I can't stand itI can't stand it

I can't stand itI can't stand it
When you stand close to me
You makes me kind of weak
And when you hold me tight
My poor heart skips a beat
And when I hear you say
That you will go away
And leave me someday
I can't stand it
When you're standin' close to me
You make me kinda weak
And when you hold me tight
My poor heart skips a beat
And when I hear you say
That you will go away

And leave me someday
I can't stand it

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Betty Everett and Jerry Butler's song "I Can't Stand It" are emotional and straightforward in expressing the pain and heartache of love. The song is a duet between the two singers conveying the sentiments of being vulnerable, weak, and hurt when love is at its peak. The lyrics suggest that the overwhelming sensation of love is something that is hard to bear, and it is even harder when one is unsure of the reciprocation of love or is under the threat of losing it.

The song's chorus "I can't stand it" is a repetitive phrase that exemplifies the intensity of emotions, particularly when the one you love threatens to leave. As the lyrics state, "When you stand close to me, you make me kind of weak, and when you hold me tight, my poor heart skips a beat." This vividly reveals the physical and emotional effects that love can have on an individual. The lyrics also highlight the fear of losing one's love and the desperation to hold onto it, which makes the pain of love seem unbearable.

In summary, the song's lyrics express the pain of love and the difficulty of letting go of something that one holds dear. It is an emotional ode to the intensity of love, the fear of losing it, and the difficulty of coping with its ups and downs.

Line by Line Meaning

I can't stand the pain of love
I cannot bear the emotional agony that comes with being in love.

When you get all the love
When you receive all the affection and attention that I long for.

I can't stand the pain of life
I cannot tolerate the difficulties and challenges that life throws my way.

I can't even stand the shock.
I cannot handle any more surprises or unexpected events that upset me.

But when I hear you say That you will go away And leave me someday I can't stand it
But when I hear you express the possibility of leaving me in the future, I cannot endure the thought of living without you.

When you stand close to me You makes me kind of weak
Your proximity makes me feel vulnerable and powerless.

And when you hold me tight My poor heart skips a beat
When you embrace me firmly, my heart races with excitement and anticipation.

And when I hear you say That you will go away And leave me someday I can't stand it
And when you mention the possibility of leaving me at any point in the future, I simply cannot bear the thought of losing you.

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: LOU REED

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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