She grew up in Arcadia, Louisiana, one of 14 children, and moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1963. Although some sources state that she was in a vocal group known as The Fawns who recorded for Money Records in 1964, she has refuted this, saying that she sang with a trio in Arcadia by that name.
In 1964 she started a solo singing career, as Bettye Swann, at the prompting of local DJ Al Scott, who became her manager. After a minor hit with the self-penned "Don’t Wait Too Long". her big breakthrough came with "Make Me Yours", which topped the Billboard R&B charts in July 1967, and also made #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1968 she split with Scott, moved to Georgia, won a new contract with Capitol Records and had another hit in 1969 with "Don't Touch Me" (#14 R&B, #38 Hot 100).
In 1972 she transferred to Atlantic Records and had a couple of minor hits with "Victim of a Foolish Heart" (later revived by Joss Stone), and Merle Haggard’s "Today I Started Loving You Again". She continued to record until the mid-1970s, but with little commercial success. Her last public performance as Bettye Swann was in 2013, live in Cleethorpes.
As Betty Barton, she then worked in the education sector in the Las Vegas, Nevada area, and became a Jehovah's Witness. She is now retired and, according to a 2005 interview, suffers from a degenerative spinal condition. After leaving Money Records she lived for a short time in Athens, Georgia.
Ain't That Peculiar
Bettye Swann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stay away too long and I can't do without you
Every chance you get you seem to hurt me more and more
But each hurt makes my love stronger than before
I know flowers go through rain
But how can love go through pain
Ain't that peculiar
Ain't that peculiar baby
Peculiar as can be
You tell me lies that should be obvious to me
I've been so much in love with you baby til I don't want to see
That things you do and say are designed to make me blue
It's a doggone shame my love for you makes all
Your lies seem true
But if the truth makes love last longer
Why do lies make my love stronger
Ain't that peculiar
Peculiar as can be
Ain't that peculiar baby
A peculiar-arity
I cried so much just like a child that's lost its home
Maybe baby you think these tears I cry are tears of joy
A child can cry so much until you do everything they say
But unlike a child my tears don't help me to get my way
I know love can last through years
But how can love last through tears
Now ain't that peculiar baby
A peculiar-arity
Ain't it peculiar baby
Peculiar as can be
Said I don't understand it baby
It's so strange sometimes
The lyrics to Bettye Swann's song Ain't That Peculiar are about a person who is in love with someone else who keeps hurting them with lies and staying away for long periods of time. This person acknowledges that every time they are hurt, their love for the person only grows stronger. The metaphor of flowers going through rain compares the pain in their relationship to the challenges flowers face, but questions how love can go through pain. The lyrics also convey confusion and frustration, as the person cannot understand how their love remains strong despite the lies and tears they shed.
The repetition of the line "Ain't that peculiar" emphasizes the peculiarity of the situation and the strange nature of their love. The use of the word "peculiar-arity" adds to the uniqueness of their experience. The final line, "Said I don't understand it baby, it's so strange sometimes," highlights their confusion and inability to comprehend why they continue to love this person.
Line by Line Meaning
Honey you do me wrong but still I'm crazy about you
Despite the fact that you consistently mistreat me, I am still deeply in love with you
Stay away too long and I can't do without you
When you're gone for too long, I feel incomplete without you and need you in my life
Every chance you get you seem to hurt me more and more
With each opportunity, you hurt me even more than before
But each hurt makes my love stronger than before
Strangely, each time you cause me pain, my love for you only grows stronger
I know flowers go through rain
Just like how flowers must endure rain to flourish, relationships also have their difficult moments
But how can love go through pain
But it's difficult to understand how love can survive the pain and struggles that come with it
You tell me lies that should be obvious to me
You tell me lies that are easily noticeable and should be obvious to me
I've been so much in love with you baby til I don't want to see
I am so infatuated with you that I refuse to acknowledge the truth
That things you do and say are designed to make me blue
Your actions and words are intentionally meant to make me feel sad
It's a doggone shame my love for you makes all
Your lies seem true
It's unfortunate that my strong feelings for you make me believe your deceitful words
But if the truth makes love last longer
Why do lies make my love stronger
If honesty is the key to a lasting relationship, then why do your lies make my love for you grow stronger
I cried so much just like a child that's lost its home
I have cried so much that I feel like a child who has lost their home and is in distress
Maybe baby you think these tears I cry are tears of joy
Perhaps you mistake my tears for tears of happiness or pleasure when in reality they are tears of sadness
A child can cry so much until you do everything they say
A child's incessant crying can compel adults to do whatever they want
But unlike a child my tears don't help me to get my way
Unlike a child, my tears do not manipulate you to do what I ask
I know love can last through years
I am aware that love can endure for years
But how can love last through tears
But it's hard to see how love can withstand so much pain and suffering
Said I don't understand it baby
It's so strange sometimes
I am at a loss and can't comprehend how our love can be so complicated and irrational at times
Ain't that peculiar
Isn't that strange
A peculiar-arity
A strange and unique quality or characteristic
Ain't that peculiar baby
Isn't that strange, my dear
Peculiar as can be
Extremely unusual and bizarre
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Warren Moore, Smokey Robinson, William Robinson Jr., Robert Rogers, Marvin Tarplin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind