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.
The Real Thing
Betty Everett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doo da doo, m doo da do ba do do do
Doo da doo, m doo da do ba do do do
Looking forward to seein' you
But it's been such a long, long time
Looking forward to feelin' your
Love, its been so heavy on my mind
On my mind, all the time
On my mind
Had a chance to look forward
To be part of your loving my dreams
But I can't be happy with
Fantasizing instead of the real thing
The real thing, not my dreams
The real thing
There are no words that can express the way I feel today
Cos I feel today, like no other day, longing more and more for your loving
There are no songs that I can sing to ease my troubled mind
Cos my troubled mind will be troubled blue
Until you say you're coming home to me, hooo, hooo
Let me hear you say baby, let me hear you say the words
Sing your love in a hurry
Send it's melody via love bird
A love bird, send your word,
By a love bird
There are no words that can express the way I feel today
Cos I feel today, like no other day, longing more and more for your loving
There is no other someone that can ease my aching heart
Cos my aching heart told my troubled mind, the only remedy to this pain is your love
Let me hear you say baby, everything's gonna be alright
Stop my heart from aching
Stop my eyes from crying through the night
Through the night, I won't cry
Through the night
Doo, doo doo, doo doo doo doo
The real thing, not my dreams,
The real thing, not my dreams
The real thing, not my dreams
The real thing
In "The Real Thing," Betty Everett sings about the longing she feels for a former lover. She is excited to see him again after such a long time but knows that he is only a figment of her imagination because he is not yet back in her life. The singer's thoughts are consumed by thoughts of him, and she yearns for him to come back and make her fantasies real. There are no words or songs that can describe the deep desire she feels for him, and she is willing to take any steps possible to rectify the ache in her heart. She longs for him to come back to her and make everything right again.
"The Real Thing" is an evocative song that draws on the themes of desire and longing that resonate with listeners across generations. It is a vintage R&B soul track that is characterized by its jazzy rhythms and the emotional intensity of Everett's soulful voice. The song speaks to universal human experiences of heartbreak and yearning that are felt deeply in times of separation from a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking forward to seein' you
Anticipating the joy of meeting you
But it's been such a long, long time
It has been an immensely lengthy period
Looking forward to feelin' your
Eager to experience your
Love, its been so heavy on my mind
It has been constantly occupying my thoughts
On my mind, all the time
Occupying my thoughts, constantly
Had a chance to look forward
Was given an opportunity to eagerly await
To be part of your loving my dreams
To experience affection within my fantasies
But I can't be happy with
However, I cannot feel content with
Fantasizing instead of the real thing
Merely imagining instead of actuality
The real thing, not my dreams
Genuine occurrences not idealistic fantasies
There are no words that can express the way I feel today
No vocabulary can convey my emotions exactly as they are today
Cos I feel today, like no other day, longing more and more for your loving
As I experience certain feelings today, which I haven't on any other day, I yearn for your affection increasingly more
There are no songs that I can sing to ease my troubled mind
No melody can provide solace for my anxieties
Cos my troubled mind will be troubled blue
Due to my mental distress, I will feel very unhappy
Until you say you're coming home to me, hooo, hooo
Only when you inform me that you will return to me, hooo, hoo, will I feel at ease
Let me hear you say baby, let me hear you say the words
Express fondness by communicating the terms of endearment to me
Sing your love in a hurry
Urgently narrate your ardor
Send it's melody via love bird
Transmit your emotion's tune via a bird of love
A love bird, send your word,
A bird in love, transmission required,
By a love bird
Via a bird deeply enamored
There is no other someone that can ease my aching heart
No other individual is capable of alleviating my sorrowful heart
Cos my aching heart told my troubled mind, the only remedy to this pain is your love
Because my sorrowful heart perceived that the sole cure for the ache is your affection
Let me hear you say baby, everything's gonna be alright
Verbally reassure me that everything will be fine, my beloved
Stop my heart from aching
End the suffering of my heart's distress
Stop my eyes from crying through the night
End the tears streaming from my eyes through the night
Through the night, I won't cry
Enduring the night without tears
The real thing, not my dreams
Genuine events, not mere fantasies
The real thing, not my dreams
Actual experiences, not wishful fantasies
The real thing, not my dreams
True encounters, not fictitious dreams
The real thing
Authentic events
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVIE WONDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Old-school Daze
Great Ashford and Simpson track. Bettye Everett does a good job here. Check out Tina Britt's , her's gives a nod to Martha and the Vandellas ' Heat Wave. I love both versions.
Moutton Noir
Early Ashford & Simpson! Just think if A&S had stayed at VeeJay those amazing Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell duets would never have happened- the alternative reality? Betty & Jerry Butler singing Ain't No Mountain High Enough!
James Maddox
They were originally signed to Scepter/Wand Records. After they wrote a hit for Ray Charles, Motown recruited them to come to Detroit.
Elevator Here
If A & S stayed at VeeJay....they would have continued to be seriously ripped off
giano56
They weren't attached to Vee Jay