Artie lived a long and full life. He was born in 1910 and died in 2004. Enj… Read Full Bio ↴Artie lived a long and full life. He was born in 1910 and died in 2004. Enjoyed huge success in the dance band era and was thought to be technically superior as a clarinettist to Benny Goodman. A handsome ladies man Artie couldn't resist marriage and went to the altar no less than eight times. He met Lana Turner one night, took her for a drink, and they got hitched next morning. Also counted the peerless Ava Gardner among his wives. Was a very witty guy. One day, at a concert at a theater in New York, an hysterical young fan leaped from the mezzanine and landed on the stage spraining his ankle. Artie walked up to him and said, "John Wilkes Booth I presume." Private life aside, a great, great figure in the history of jazz. Headed up a small group, The Grammercy Five, with Johnny Guarneri on harpsichord, one of the first, if not THE first, use of the instrument in a jazz combo. It's been estimated that his recording of Frenensi, with brass and strings, was one of the most danced-to numbers ever.

Azure
Artie Shaw & His New Music Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Driftin' Dreamin'
In an Azure mood,
Stardust gleamin'
Thru my solitude:
Here in my seclusion,
You're a blue illusion
While I'm in this Azure interlude.
I'm not wanted I'm so all alone;

Always haunted
By the dreams I own;
But, though Im tormented
I must be contented
Driftin' Dreamin'
In an Azure mood!
Driftin' Dreamin'
In an Azure mood,
Star dust gleamin'
Thru my solitude:
Here in my seclusion,

You're a blue illusion
While I'm in this Azure interlude!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Azure" by Artie Shaw & His New Music convey a state of mind that is characterized by a deep longing for a lost love. The singer is in an introspective and contemplative mood as he drifts and dreams through his thoughts. His feeling of isolation and loneliness is heightened by the haunting memories of the love he once had. The imagery of star dust and blue illusions suggest that his thoughts are ethereal and surreal, but also elusive and distant. The singer knows that he cannot turn back time, and he must be content to exist in his present state, even if it is one of pain and heartache. The melancholic melody of the music adds to the dreamlike quality of the lyrics, and one can almost imagine being transported to another time and place through the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Driftin' Dreamin'
Traveling and imagining

In an Azure mood,
Feeling a tranquil shade of blue

Stardust gleamin'
Tiny particles shining

Thru my solitude:
In my aloneness

Here in my seclusion,
In my private space

You're a blue illusion
You, my imaginary companion, are a serene mirage

While I'm in this Azure interlude.
While I'm in this period of peaceful contemplation.

I'm not wanted I'm so all alone;
I feel unneeded and abandoned.

Always haunted
Continuously troubled

By the dreams I own;
By the aspirations that are mine alone.

But, though Im tormented
But, in spite of my suffering