He was born in New York City (but grew up in New Haven, Connecticut) and began learning the saxophone when he was 15 and by age 16, had begun to tour with a band. He reached Hollywood the first time, as a sideman with Irving Aaronson's band in 1931, performing at the famous Orange Blossom Room (site of the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929). Returning to New York City in1932, he became a highly in-demand session musician, working for example as one of just a handful of accompanists to Bing Crosby's first signature radio show for William S. Paley's already powerful and influential CBS radio network. Ultimately, Artie (who was known strictly as "Art" Shaw until his fortuitous Summer, 1938 contract with RCA Victor records' Bluebird label commenced) organized and led five, full-time touring orchestras that were all extremely popular -save the last, from 1949, with its be-bop oriented book. Ironically, that final Shaw-led big band (populated with players like Al Cohn), is considered by most jazz critics to have been Artie's best. With time out to lead a Navy service band (in the Pacific combat theater) during WWII, Shaw's actual big band- leading career lasted less than a decade overall -yet, it was a remarkably productive one, populated with some fourteen "Gold" records. These included such mega-hits as "Begin the Beguine", "Stardust", "Frenesi", "Moonglow", "Temptation", "Dancing In The Dark" and "Summit Ridge Drive" -the latter by his famous quintet billed as the Gramercy 5.
Shaw was known for being an innovator in the big band idiom, pioneering strings with jazz and using unusual instrumentations. His Summer, 1935 piece "Interlude in B-flat" was one of the earliest examples of what would be later dubbed "third stream". In 1938 he convinced Billie Holiday to be his band's vocalist, becoming the first white bandleader to hire a full-time black female singer. This 1938-1939 orchestra became phenomenonally successful and appeared in the movie "Dancing Co-ed" which also featured one of his future wives, Lana Turner, in the cast. Artie's clarinet playing, had by now reached a level that was arguably the greatest in jazz, easily rivaling that of Benny Goodman. Longtime Duke Ellington clarinetist Barney Bigard, himself a highly talented musician -cited Shaw (in 1940) as his "favorite" clarinet player. Literally abandoning his famous 1938-1939 band at the absolute peak of its' fame and earning power (Artie, just himself alone pulling down more than $10K per week) in late November, 1939, Shaw "abdicated" to Acapulco, Mexico. Returning to the U.S. he organized an entirely new orchestra, with full string section in the Summer of 1940. A truly stellar aggregation, it lasted until mid-1941, featuring stars Billy Butterfield, Johnny Guarneiri, Nick Fatool and Ray Conniff as principal arranger. This outfit can be prominently seen in the RKO film "Second Chorus" starring Fred Astaire and Paulette Goddard. The final pre-war Shaw band, started in late, 1941, had Davey Tough and Hot Lips Page and big hits on St. James Infirmary Blues and Blues In The NIght. Artie broke this outstanding unit up shortly after Pearl Harbor so he could "enlist" in the Navy -refusing an offered commission. Back from the Navy, Shaw put together a new band that featured Roy Eldridge and an ambitious library stocked with arrangements by Eddie Sauter, Buster Harding, Ray Conniff and others. Hit records for this band included "Little Jazz" and "S'Wonderful" and by now Artie was married to Ava Gardner. His final public performances (as a clarinetist) took place in 1954, including with a sublime quartet in an extended Las Vegas booking. Apparently, he last picked up and played his fabled clarinet in about 1960 at his beach house in Spain (as recounted in final wife actress Evelyn Keyes' autobiography) and resisted all lucrative offers to return to the stage until finally fielding a "ghost" band under the highly capable aegis of outstanding clarinetist Dick Johnson in 1985. For about the first year, Artie often appeared on stage with this very fine orchestra at certain, prestigious bookings, but soon tired of the "grind" -and not to Dick Johnson's dismay. This now true "ghost" band is still appearing during Summer seasons (with much of the original Shaw "books"), principally in the New England area (Johnson lives in Boston) and is well worth seeing. Although he had more wives (8) than bands, Artie fell one wife short of Charlie Barnet's record (for a famous bandleadrer) of nine.
All God's Chillun Got Rhythm
Artie Shaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All God's chillun got swing
Maybe haven't got money
Maybe haven't got shoes
All God's chillun got rhythm
For to push away their blues
All God's chillun have trouble
When they start to go ho-ho
Trouble's bound to go 'way, say
All God's chillun got swing
The song "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" by Artie Shaw is a powerful proclamation of unity, celebrating the universality of rhythm and swing among all people, regardless of creed, class, or clothes. The opening lines state, "All God's chillun got rhythm, all God's chillun got swing, maybe haven't got money, maybe haven't got shoes." The simple and repetitive lyric underscores the message of the song, that rhythm and swing are innate to human beings and not restricted to any particular social or economic class. The chorus proclaims that all these chillun have rhythm, and that they use it to push away their blues. The uplifting message of the song is that no matter how bad things may seem, the power of music and rhythm can bring joy and positivity to anyone.
The second verse in the song makes reference to the commonality of human struggle. "All God's chillun have trouble, trouble don't mean a thing, when they start to go ho-ho, trouble's bound to go 'way, say, all God's chillun got swing." This verse encapsulates the core message of the song. It suggests that no matter the troubles humans face, the unifying power of rhythm and music can transport them to a better place. The verse in the song is a call for everyone to dance and to embrace the joy that comes with being one of God's chilluns.
Line by Line Meaning
All God's chillun got rhythm
All human beings possess an inherent natural sense of rhythm
All God's chillun got swing
All human beings have a natural inclination to enjoy and express themselves through music
Maybe haven't got money
Some individuals may not possess material wealth
Maybe haven't got shoes
Some individuals may lack the basic necessities for life
All God's chillun got rhythm
Despite individual differences and hardships, all human beings have a natural sense of rhythm
For to push away their blues
This sense of rhythm and music can be used to alleviate sadness or depression
All God's chillun have trouble
All individuals experience difficulties or hardships in life
Trouble don't mean a thing
These difficulties do not define a person's worth or value
When they start to go ho-ho
When people begin to sing or dance joyfully
Trouble's bound to go 'way, say
Their troubles will inevitably dissipate or become less significant
All God's chillun got swing
All individuals have a natural inclination to enjoy and express themselves through music
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Thomas "Fats" Waller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind