Arthur Arshawsky (23 May 1910 – 30 December 2004), better known as Artie Sh… Read Full Bio ↴Arthur Arshawsky (23 May 1910 – 30 December 2004), better known as Artie Shaw, was an accomplished jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and author.
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.

Over the Rainbow
Artie Shaw Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

Overall Meaning

Artie Shaw's version of "Over the Rainbow" is a beautiful instrumental interpretation of the classic song from the movie "The Wizard of Oz." The first verse presents the idea of a faraway place beyond the imaginary line of the rainbow. It's a land that the singer has only heard of in a lullaby. However, the place is so magical that the skies there are blue, and the dreams that people imagine can come true. It is a place where there is no worry or trouble, as they all melt away like lemon drops. The next verse continues with the idea of wishing to be in that perfect place, where the clouds are far away, and there is no stress. The song's final verse repeats the idea of the magical land that is beyond the rainbow and further emphasizes that if the bluebirds can fly over the rainbow, then why can't the singer go there too?

The interpretation of this song varies for different people, but in general, it's about hope and a longing for a better place. The place above the rainbow is a metaphor for a life that is free of problems and full of happiness. It may represent finding oneself, or perhaps a quest for something unattainable. As a result, the song has been interpreted in many ways, including as a gay anthem, as a response to the Great Depression, and as a symbol of hope for soldiers during World War II. This is an iconic song that many people interpret as their own.

Line by Line Meaning

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There exists a place in the sky beyond ordinary reach

There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
I have been told of this imaginary place through song

Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
The skies above this place are always pure and clear

And the dreams that you dare to dream, Really do come true.
Aspirations and desires can become a reality in this place

Someday I'll wish upon a star
One day, I will make a wish upon a distant celestial object

And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
I will one day awaken in a place free of earthly hindrances

Where troubles melt like lemon drops, High above the chimney tops, That's where you'll find me.
I will be found in a place where worries vanish at a whim, in the high skies beyond tall structures

Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
In this mythical place, blue birds soar overhead

Birds fly over the rainbow
In an aerial view of this place, birds indeed fly over it

Why then, oh why can't I?
Despite knowing of this place and its wonders, why is it impossible to reach?

If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
If these little birds can reach this magical land on their own

Why, oh why can't I?
Why can't humans achieve the same feat and find this place for themselves?