Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky in New York City) grew up in New Ha… Read Full Bio ↴Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky in New York City) grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, where his natural introversion was deepened by local antisemitism according to Shaw's autobiography. Shaw began learning the saxophone when he was 13 years old, and by the age of 16, he switched to the clarinet and left home to tour with a band. Returning to New York, he became a session musician through the early 1930s. From 1925 until 1936, Shaw performed with a variety of bands and orchestras, including those of Johnny Caverello and Austin Wylie. In 1929 and 1930 he played with Irving Aaronson's Commanders, where he was exposed to symphonic music which he would later incorporate into his arrangements.

Shaw first gained critical acclaim with his "Interlude in B-flat" at a swing concert at the Imperial Theater in New York in 1935. During the Swing Era, Shaw's big band was popular with hits like "Begin the Beguine" (1938), "Stardust" (with a legendary trumpet solo by Billy Butterfield), "Back Bay Shuffle", "Moonglow", "Rosalie" and "Frenesi." He was an innovator in the big band idiom, using unusual instrumentation; "Interlude in B-flat", where he was backed with only a rhythm section and a string quartet, was one of the earliest examples of what would be later dubbed third stream.

In addition to hiring Buddy Rich, he signed Billie Holiday as his band's vocalist in 1938, becoming the first white bandleader to hire a full-time black female singer. However, after recording "Any Old Time" she left the band due to hostility from audiences in the South, as well as from music company executives who wanted a more mainstream singer. His band became enormously successful, and his playing was eventually recognized as equal to that of Benny Goodman: Longtime Duke Ellington clarinetist Barney Bigard cited Shaw as his favorite clarinet player. In response to Goodman's nickname, the "King of Swing", Shaw's fans dubbed him the "King of the Clarinet." Shaw, however, felt the titles were reversed. "Benny Goodman played clarinet. I played music," he said.

Artie Shaw and his band playing "Everything's Jumping" from Second Chorus (1940)Shaw did in fact prize innovation and exploration in music more highly than popular success and formulaic dance music, despite a string of hits which sold more than 100 million records. He fused jazz with classical music by adding strings to his arrangements, experimented with bebop, and formed "chamber jazz" groups that utilized such novel sounds as harpsichords or Afro-Cuban music.

The long series of musical groups Shaw formed included such talents as vocalists Billie Holiday, Helen Forrest and, Mel Tormé; drummers Buddy Rich and Dave Tough, guitarists Barney Kessel, Jimmy Raney, and Tal Farlow and trombonist-arranger Ray Conniff, among countless others. He composed the morose "Nightmare", with its Hassidic nuances, for his personal theme, rather than more approachable songs. In a televised interview of the 1970s, Shaw derided the often "asinine" songs that bands were compelled to play night after night even though he did write the anthem for Rav Meir Kahane's' JDL . In 1994, he told Frank Prial (The New York Times), "I thought that because I was Artie Shaw I could do what I wanted, but all they wanted was 'Begin the Beguine.'

Dancing On the Ceiling
Artie Shaw and His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He dances overhead
On the ceiling, near my bed
In my sight, through the night
I try to hide in vain
Underneath my counter pane
There's my love up above
I whisper "go away my lover
It's not fair"

But I'm grateful to discover
He's still there
I love my ceiling more

Since it is a dancing floor
Just for my love

Overall Meaning

The song "Dancing on the Ceiling" by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra paints a vivid image of a person who is unable to escape the presence of their love interest. The lyrics "He dances overhead, On the ceiling, near my bed, In my sight, through the night" shows the individual experiencing the surreal sensation of their love "dancing on the ceiling." They attempt to hide from their love interest but are unsuccessful, demonstrating the power of their love.

The phrase "underneath my counterpane" implies an attempt to avoid looking at their love interest dancing on the ceiling. However, despite their attempts to resist, they can't resist their love. They whisper, "go away, my lover, It's not fair," but they are grateful for the presence of their love interest, showing how love doesn't always follow logic but emotional desires. The lyrics further state, "I love my ceiling more, Since it is a dancing floor, Just for my love," suggesting that even the world itself is transformed by their love.

Overall, "Dancing on the Ceiling" is a whimsical and romantic song that captures the power and intensity of love in a unique way. It describes a person being transformed by the sheer force of their love to the point where even the world around them changes.

Line by Line Meaning

He dances overhead
My love, though not physically present, dances in my mind and heart as if he is just above me.

On the ceiling, near my bed
This mental image of my love takes the form of a dancer on the ceiling, close to where I rest.

In my sight, through the night
I am comforted by the constant presence of my imaginary love, who remains in my thoughts throughout the night.

I try to hide in vain
Despite my attempts to push away thoughts of my love, they persist and cannot be hidden.

Underneath my counter pane
Even though I am physically covered by my bed linens, my thoughts of my love are always with me.

There's my love up above
The image of my love on the ceiling is a constant reminder of his presence and my deep affection for him.

I whisper "go away my lover
Although I am grateful for the comfort and warmth of my love's image, I sometimes wish I could push it away and forget about him.

It's not fair"
It is unfair to constantly be tormented by thoughts of my love, especially when he is not physically present.

But I'm grateful to discover
Despite my struggles to reconcile my feelings, I ultimately find solace in the presence of my imaginary love.

He's still there
No matter what happens, my love remains a constant fixture in my life and my thoughts.

I love my ceiling more
Because my love is represented by an image on my ceiling, I now have a newfound appreciation for this previously overlooked aspect of my bedroom decor.

Since it is a dancing floor
The presence of my imaginary love has turned my ceiling into a magical dance floor where we can be together in spirit.

Just for my love
This imaginary dance floor exists solely for my love, who remains in my thoughts and heart no matter what.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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