Starting singing gospel with the family group, the Echoes of Joy, Wright began switching to R&B music in 1965 when she was only 11. In 1968, she released her first album, My First Time Around, at the age of 15, and scored her first hit, "Girls Can't Do What Guys Can Do".
It was not until the end of 1971 that Wright's most successful phase of her career took place. The song, "Clean Up Woman", became a Top 5 pop and R&B hit, and would later influence a remix of Mary J. Blige's "Real Love" single with the sample of its guitar riffs; R&B girl group trio SWV's "I'm So Into You" also featured a sample from "Clean Up Woman", as did Afrika Bambaataa's song "Zulu War Chant". In 1974, Wright scored big with the songs "Tonight is the Night" (about a real-life love affair that happened with Wright when she was a teenager) and "Where is the Love" (which won her a Grammy for Best R&B Song).
After experiencing a brief slump in the early 1980s, she rebounded founding her own record label, Ms. B Records, and in 1988 made music history by being the first woman to have a gold record on her own label, with the release of Mother Wit, which featured two of her biggest hits in years, "No Pain (No Gain)" and the "After The Pain". On both songs, Wright displays her powerful upper register capabilities and five-octave range. In 1989, Wright released 4u2njoy which features the hit songs "From Pain To Joy", "Quiet Storm" and "Keep Love New". Her subsequent albums Passion and Compassion, B-Attitudes and Fit For A King kept her fanbase satisfied.
By 2001, a compilation album, The Very Best of Betty Wright, was released. In 2007, Wright scored her most successful single in over a decade with "Baby", a duet with fellow Soul singer, Angie Stone. The song peaked at #22 on the R&B chart and #2 on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
Wright mentored several young singers, and did vocal production for the likes of Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez and Joss Stone.
In December 2010, Wright was given another Grammy Award nomination for the song, "Go", for the Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.
In January 2011, Wright released her first album in ten years, Betty Wright: The Movie, and was credited to Betty Wright & The Roots .
On May 10, 2020, Wright sadly passed away due to cancer at age 66.
Dance With Me
Betty Wright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You gotta keep on makin' me high
You gotta keep on makin' me high
You gotta keep on makin' me high
If you're feeling sad and blue
Come on and dance with me
I can make your dreams come true
Ladies get up off your seats
Come on and dance with me
Gentlemen get on your feet
Come on and dance with me
Say the word and I'll summon the band
With my hand
Let your mind and your body be free
Dance with me
You gotta keep on makin' me high
You gotta keep on makin' me high
If you feel that you like what you see
Dance with me
You gotta keep dancin'
Cause it's makin' me high
You gotta keep, keep dancin'
You gotta keep dancin'
Cause it's makin' me high
You gotta keep, keep dancin'
You gotta keep on makin' me high
You gotta keep on makin' me high
You gotta keep on makin' me high
You gotta keep on makin' me high
If you're feeling sad and blue
Come on and dance with me
I can make your dreams come true
Come on and dance with me
Say the word and I'll summon the band
With my hand
Let your mind and your body be free
Dance with me
You gotta keep on makin' me high
You gotta keep on
You gotta keep on makin' me high
You gotta keep on
Let your mind and your body be free
Dance with me
The lyrics to Betty Wright and Peter Brown's song "Dance with me" tells the story of a person who is feeling down and out and their partner is trying to lift their spirits by encouraging them to dance. Throughout the song, the partner repeats the phrase, "You gotta keep on makin' me high" emphasizing the power of dancing to bring joy and happiness. They invite everyone to join them on the dance floor, encouraging women to get up and men to get on their feet to let loose and let their bodies and minds be free. When we dance, we feel light, happy and free, and it can be the ideal escape from the stresses of life. The chorus repeats several times, solidifying the connection between dancing, happiness, and making the partner feel good, urging them to keep on dancing.
Line by Line Meaning
You gotta keep on makin' me high
Please continue to do things that make me happy and excited, so that I stay interested and engaged.
If you're feeling sad and blue
If you're feeling down, depressed or unhappy.
Come on and dance with me
Join me in a physical activity that will make you feel better and boost your mood.
I can make your dreams come true
I can help you achieve your goals and aspirations.
Ladies get up off your seats
Women, please stand up and start dancing with me.
Gentlemen get on your feet
Men, please stand up and start dancing with me.
Say the word and I'll summon the band
Tell me what you need, and I'll make sure it happens.
With my hand
I will use my power, strength, and influence to make things happen.
Let your mind and your body be free
Relax your thoughts and movements, and enjoy the moment as it is happening.
Dance with me
Join me in expressing our joy, energy, and passion through the art of dancing.
If you feel that you like what you see
If you are attracted to my physical appearance, personality, or aura.
You gotta keep dancin'
If you want to continue feeling happy and excited, you need to keep dancing with me.
Cause it's makin' me high
Dancing with you is making me feel ecstatic and euphoric.
You gotta keep, keep dancin'
Don't stop moving and grooving, because it's keeping us both happy and energized.
You gotta keep on makin' me high
I need you to continue making me feel happy and excited, so that we both enjoy this moment.
You gotta keep on
Don't give up or stop now, keep doing what you're doing.
Let your mind and your body be free
Relax your thoughts and movements, and enjoy the moment as it is happening.
Dance with me
Join me in expressing our joy, energy, and passion through the art of dancing.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PETER BROWN, ROBERT RANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kimmie_kimm_kimm
How can you not want to get up and dance? So glad I grew up in an era when you had to be able to really SING and you had to actually have TALENT!
@ShelleyMagner
YES!
@micheleferran9391
Real Instruments were played and no auto tune. Real Raw Talent! I so miss those days!
@junejones9819
I was 18yrs and Danced my Butt off.😷💖. At 61yr. Yes I still can Shake my Groove thing..I Love Music. 💖💖🎼🎵🎶
@michaelglickman1300
For those wondering, the musicians are lead vocalist-synthesist-drummer-electric pianist-pianist Peter Brown; backing vocalists Betty Wright, Pat Hurley, and Wildflower; bassist-guitarist Tom Dziallo; piano soloist Robert Rans; and string and horn arranger and conductor Bert Dovo.
@macmiles278
Thanks👍
@lanceschnurr7927
Betty Wright just died 66, sang on this classic song! Goodbye Clean Up Woman!! RIP.
@TimothyForbesXXI
My go-to song in mid-1978!!!!!
@adriengadson3544
This was a time when I was young and a person could lose themselves in the music. This is good fun dance music that will live forever.
@eduardoponce8375
Yeah, bring back memories, it was 1978, block party bunch friends, I was only 16 years old, so this song just came out, it was a radio number one hit, beautiful years