Bettye LaVette (born Betty Jo Haskins, January 29, 1946) is an American sou… Read Full Bio ↴Bettye LaVette (born Betty Jo Haskins, January 29, 1946) is an American soul singer-songwriter who made her first record at sixteen, but achieved only intermittent fame until 2005, with her album I've Got My Own Hell to Raise. Her eclectic musical style combines elements of soul, blues, rock and roll, funk, gospel, and country music.

With one of her first singles turning into a national hit, 1962's "Let Me Down Easy", Detroit-raised LaVette would seem a natural soul star, but she was never able to cut an album deal. In 1972 her album A Child of the Seventies was shelved by Atlantic Records, then thought lost forever in a fire. She eked out a living on the European festival circuit, occasionally surfacing such as with the disco single "Doin' the Best that I Can", but remained obscure until French soul collector Gilles Petard tracked down the lost masters and persuaded Atlantic to let him release them on his vanity label as Souvenirs. A live album and 2005's cover album I've Got My Own Hell to Raise followed.

With the release of The Scene of the Crime, Bettye Lavette inches closer to the mainstream, or at least a much bigger cult following. Backed by The Drive-by Truckers and released on -Anti, The Scene of the Crime is recorded at the legendary FAME studios in Muscles Shoals, Alabama. The same place as her lost album. The connection doesn't end there - Patterson Hood of the Drive-by Truckers is the son of David Hood, who played on the 1972 album.

In 2009, she appeared at President Barack Obama's Inaugural Celebration, singing "A Change Is Gonna Come" with Jon Bon Jovi. It was televised globally.

Wait
Bettye Lavette Lyrics

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It's been a long time
Now I'm coming back home
I've been away now
Oh, how I've been alone

Wait 'til I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we've cried

But if your heart breaks
Don't wait, turn me away
And if your heart's strong
Hold on, I won't delay

Wait 'til I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we've cried

I feel as though
You ought to know
That I've been good
As good as I can be

And if you do
I'll trust in you
And know that you
Will wait for me

It's been a long time
Now I'm coming back home
I've been away now
Oh, how I've been alone

Wait 'til I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we've cried

I feel as though
You ought to know
That I've been good
As good as I can be

And if you do
I'll trust in you
And know that you
Will wait for me

But if your heart breaks
Don't wait, turn me away
And if your heart's strong
Hold on, I won't delay

Wait 'til I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we've cried

It's been a long time
Now I'm coming back home

I've been away now
Oh, how I've been alone

Overall Meaning

The song "Wait" by Bettye Lavette is a love song about a person who has been away from their significant other for a long time and is finally returning home. They are asking their loved one to wait for them to come back to their side and to forget the tears they have cried while apart. The lyrics suggest that if their loved one's heart breaks, they should turn the person away, but if their heart is strong, they should hold on because the person will not delay in coming to them. The song speaks of being good and trusting the other person to wait for them while they've been away. The repeated phrase "Wait 'til I come back to your side, we'll forget the tears we've cried" is the main message of the song and emphasizes the desire to reunite with their loved one.

One possible interpretation of the song is that it could be a message from a soldier who has been away at war and is now returning home to their partner. The lyrics convey a sense of longing to be back with their loved one and a hope that they will be able to pick up where they left off. The song also acknowledges the difficulties of being apart and suggests that the bond between the two is resilient enough to withstand the challenge of distance.

Another interpretation could be that the lyrics are about a person who has been away from their home town or country and is now returning. The message is still one of reuniting with a loved one after an extended absence and the hope that they will still be waiting for them.

Overall, the song Wait by Bettye Lavette is a beautiful expression of the desire to be reunited with a loved one after a long time apart. The lyrics convey a sense of hope and faith in the power of love to survive challenges.

Line by Line Meaning

It's been a long time
I've been gone for a while

Now I'm coming back home
I'm returning to where I belong

I've been away now
I've been gone for some time

Oh, how I've been alone
I've been lonely without you

Wait 'til I come back to your side
Don't move on from me, hold out for me

We'll forget the tears we've cried
Once we're reunited, past sadness won't matter

But if your heart breaks
If I hurt you deeply

Don't wait, turn me away
Don't wait for me to come back, reject me

And if your heart's strong
If you're able to handle the pain

Hold on, I won't delay
I'll come quickly, don't give up on me

I feel as though
I sense that