Clarence Carter (born 14 January 1936, Montgomery, Alabama) is a singer and… Read Full Bio ↴Clarence Carter (born 14 January 1936, Montgomery, Alabama) is a singer and musician.

Carter's earliest releases were as half of the duo Clarence And Calvin. Also known as the "C And C Boys", the blind duo made seven singles, the last of which was recorded at Fame's Muscle Shoals studio. When his partner, Calvin Thomas (aka Scott), suffered serious injuries in a car accident in 1966, Carter became a solo act (Calvin himself later reappeared as a solo act to record two Dave Crawford-produced Atco Records singles in 1969/70 and a Clarence Paul-produced 1971 album for Stax Records, I'm Not Blind ... I Just Can't See, from which two singles were also taken). "Tell Daddy", released in January 1967, began a fruitful spell of Fame-produced hits by Carter, released on the Atlantic Records label. Noteworthy were "Thread The Needle", "Looking For A Fox" and "Slip Away", where the singer combined his outstanding voice with his skill as an arranger and musician.

"Patches", first recorded by Chairmen Of The Board, was a UK number 2 and a US number 4 in 1970, but despite further strong offerings, Clarence was unable to sustain the momentum. He remained with Fame until 1973, where he also helped guide Candi Staton, who was now his wife, before moving to ABC Records the subsequent year.

Further recordings on Venture and Big C took Carter's career into the 1980s and later the artist found a sympathetic outlet with the Ichiban Records label. Despite being blinded as a child, he developed a distinctive guitar style that complemented his earthy delivery, and was just as comfortable on keyboards, writing songs or arranging sessions. The first two albums, This Is Clarence Carter and The Dynamic Clarence Carter show off his versatile talent to good effect.

Clarence returned in the late Eighties with the album Dr. CC, which spawned the bawdy, comedic single "Strokin'", which has evolved into a favorite at clubs and weddings. He later followed it up with a sequel, "Still Strokin'", in 1989.

Got a Thing About You Baby
Clarence Carter Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got something to tell you
That I think you ought to know
That my eyes are on you baby
Since a long time ago
And now I fin'ly got the nerve
And I'm gonna make my move
Now don't you try to turn me off
Cause it's gonna be hard to do

I've got a thing about you baby
Ain't nothing I can do
I've got a thing about you baby
A thing about lovin' you

Ain't it just like a woman
When she knows she's got a man
She'll wring you out and turn you 'bout
In the palm of her hand
And then she starts to thinkin'
Then maybe she's put you in a blind
She'll give you just a little lovin'
It'll drive you out of your mind

I've got a thing about you baby
Ain't nothing you can do

I've got a thing about you baby
A thing about lovin' you

Overall Meaning

In Clarence Carter's song "I've Got A Thing About You Baby," the lyrics speak of the singer's intense attraction towards the woman he's singing about. He confesses that he's been looking at her for a long time and has finally gained the courage to make his move. He warns her not to try to turn him off because he's too determined to give up. The chorus emphasizes his deep feelings for her, stating that he has a "thing" about her no matter what she does.

The second verse paints a picture of the woman as a typical tease, using her power over men to control them. Carter suggests that she may be playing games with him, pretending to be interested in him to gain an upper hand. However, he acknowledges that even if it's just a little bit of affection, it drives him crazy. The chorus is repeated, emphasizing that no matter what she does, he is drawn to her irresistibly.

Overall, the lyrics speak of a one-sided attraction, with the singer being helplessly drawn to this woman while she may or may not reciprocate his feelings. However, the chorus's repetition emphasizes the singer's intense and unyielding passion despite the woman's actions.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got something to tell you
I have some important information that I want to share with you

That I think you ought to know
I believe that you should be aware of this information

That my eyes are on you baby
I have been watching you for a long time

Since a long time ago
For a significant period of time in the past

And now I fin'ly got the nerve
I have finally built up the courage to do something

And I'm gonna make my move
I am going to take action

Now don't you try to turn me off
Do not try to dissuade me from pursuing you

Cause it's gonna be hard to do
It will be difficult to change my mind

I've got a thing about you baby
I am deeply infatuated with you

Ain't nothing I can do
There is nothing I can do to change the way I feel about you

A thing about lovin' you
I have a strong attraction towards you