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.
Guilty
Artie Shaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And think that we should part
It seems as though I have loved you so long
You'll always be in my heart
Is it a sin
Is it a crime
Loving you dear like I do
Guilty of loving you
Maybe I'm wrong dreaming of you
Dreaming the lonely night through
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
Guilty of dreaming of you
What can I do
What can I say
After I've taken the blame?
You say we're through
You'll go your way
But I'll always feel just the same
Maybe I'm right
Maybe I'm wrong
Loving you dear like I do
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
Guilty of loving you
Artie Shaw's song "Guilty" is about an individual who has been told that their love for someone is wrong and that they should part ways. However, the person singing still loved the person they are being told to let go of, and they claim that their love for this person is so strong that it feels like they've loved them forever. Despite their love being considered wrong by others, they cannot help but continue to love this person.
The lyrics ask the question, "Is it a sin? Is it a crime?" to love someone so deeply that it is considered wrong. The individual is aware that they may be dreaming of this person and that it is a crime to love them the way they do. However, they cannot help but feel guilty for their love, as if it is their fault for loving this person so purely.
In this song, the individual has taken the blame and accepts that they are guilty of loving this person. They may have to let go of them, but they will always feel the same. The lyrics touch on themes of love, guilt, and societal norms that dictate what can and cannot be considered acceptable love.
Line by Line Meaning
Though you've decided that our love is wrong
Even though you have decided that our love is immoral
And think that we should part
And believe that we should separate
It seems as though I have loved you so long
It appears that I have loved you for a substantial amount of time
You'll always be in my heart
You will perpetually remain in my heart
Is it a sin
Is it morally wrong
Is it a crime
Is it punishable by law
Loving you dear like I do
To love you as I do
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
If it is against the law, then I am culpable
Guilty of loving you
Culpable for loving you
Maybe I'm wrong dreaming of you
Perhaps I am mistaken to dream of you
Dreaming the lonely night through
Spending the whole night dreaming about you
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
If it is unlawful, then I am responsible
Guilty of dreaming of you
Culpable for dreaming about you
What can I do
What actions can I take
What can I say
What words can I utter
After I've taken the blame?
After I have taken responsibility
You say we're through
You state that we are over
You'll go your way
You will pursue a different path
But I'll always feel just the same
However, I will always feel identically
Maybe I'm right
Perhaps I am correct
Maybe I'm wrong
Perhaps I am incorrect
Loving you dear like I do
To love you as I do
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
If it is illegal, then I am culpable
Guilty of loving you
Culpable for loving you
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Harry Akst, Gus Kahn, Richard A. Whiting
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Great big band sound. Vocal by Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones. DerKlarinette
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