Timothy James Curry (born April 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, a district of Warr… Read Full Bio ↴Timothy James Curry (born April 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, a district of Warrington, England) is an English actor, vocalist and composer perhaps best known for his role as mad scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). He also had a later career as a rock musician. He studied Drama and English at Birmingham and then at Cambridge. His list of roles is extremely extensive, in both TV and movies, live-action and voice-acting for animated features, and it is notable that he almost always plays a villain of one kind or another. He currently resides in Los Angeles, though for the past year or so has been in Chicago and New York with the current Broadway hit Monty Python's Spamalot.

In 1978, A&M Records released Tim Curry's debut solo album. Entitled Read My Lips, the album featured an eclectic range of songs (mostly covers) performed in diverse genre. Highlights of the album are a reggae version of the Beatles song "I Will", a rendition of "Wake Nicodemus" with full bagpipe backing, and an original bar-room ballad, "Alan".

The following year, Curry's second and most successful album was released. Titled Fearless, the LP was more rock-oriented than Read My Lips and mostly featured original songs rather than cover versions. The record included Tim Curry's only US charting songs: "I Do the Rock" and "Paradise Garage".

Curry's third and final album, Simplicity, was released in 1981, again by A&M Records. This record did not sell as well as the previous offerings, due in part to a less appealing, more maudlin sound. This record combined both original songs and cover versions, and is commonly held to be the weakest of the three albums.

In 1989, A&M released The Best of Tim Curry on CD and cassette, featuring songs from his albums (including a live version of "Alan") and a previously-unreleased song, a live cover version of "Simple Twist of Fate".

Curry toured America with his band through the late 1970s and the first half of the 1980s.

Curry's first full-time role was as part of the original London cast of the musical Hair in 1968. Here he first met Richard O'Brien, who went on to create his next full-time and perhaps still most famous role, that of Frank N. Furter in the Rocky Horror Show.

Originally Curry rehearsed the character with a German accent and peroxide blonde hair, but the character evolved into the sly, very upper-class English (He says 'dine' instead of down, 'brine' instead of brown etc) drag-wearing mad scientist incarnation that carried over to the movie version and made Curry both a star and a cult figure. He continued to play the character in London, Los Angeles and New York until 1975.

For many years, Curry was reluctant to talk about Rocky Horror, feeling that it was a trend that had gone too far and had distracted attention away from his later roles. However, in recent years he has been much more open about discussing the show and now recognises it as a "rite of passage" for many young people.

Betty Jean
Tim Curry Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh way, I'm in love with Betty Jean, oh yea
Oh way, every time I see her standing there
She's the toughest girl for seven blocks
Yellow sweater, fluorescent socks, yea
Oh way, I'm in love with Betty Jean, oh yea
Oh way, I'm in love with Betty Jean's brown hair
She's a lady, but I don't care
How she talks, I love the way she walks, yea

Oh way, she's so warm and good to me, oh yea
I'm in love, oh, I'm in love, oh, I'm in love, oh
Oh way, I'm in love with Betty Jean, oh yea
Oh way, she's so warm and good to me, oh yea
When she's near I act so awkwardly
Maybe some day she will talk with me, yea
Oh way, I'm in love with Betty Jean, oh yea

I'm in love, oh, I'm in love, oh, I'm in love
[Timmy loves Betty, Timmy loves Betty]

Overall Meaning

The song "Betty Jean" by Tim Curry is a playful and innocent love song about a boy, Timmy, who is head-over-heels for a girl named Betty Jean. The lyrics describe Betty Jean as a tough but fashionable girl, with her yellow sweater and fluorescent socks. Timmy is enamored with her brown hair and loves the way she talks, but most of all, the way she walks. He feels so warm and good around her and hopes that someday she will talk to him.

The song is a nostalgic ode to first love and the nervous and awkward feelings that come with it. Timmy is infatuated with Betty Jean and can't help but gush about her in the lyrics. However, he also feels shy and unsure around her, hoping that someday she will notice him and talk to him.

Overall, "Betty Jean" is a charming and lighthearted song about young love, filled with catchy melodies and endearing lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh way, I'm in love with Betty Jean, oh yea
Tim Curry is expressing his love for Betty Jean

Oh way, every time I see her standing there
Tim Curry gets excited every time he sees Betty Jean

She's the toughest girl for seven blocks
Betty Jean is known as the strongest girl in their area

Yellow sweater, fluorescent socks, yea
Betty Jean stands out with her unique style of wearing a yellow sweater and fluorescent socks

Oh way, I'm in love with Betty Jean's brown hair
Tim Curry finds Betty Jean's brown hair attractive

She's a lady, but I don't care
Even though Betty Jean is a lady, Tim Curry still loves her

How she talks, I love the way she walks, yea
Tim Curry likes Betty Jean's mannerisms and her style of walking

Oh way, she's so warm and good to me, oh yea
Betty Jean is kind and caring towards Tim Curry

When she's near I act so awkwardly
Tim Curry feels nervous and awkward around Betty Jean

Maybe some day she will talk with me, yea
Tim Curry hopes that Betty Jean will eventually have a conversation with him