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.'

Day After Day
Artie Shaw and His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was a stranger in the city
Out of town were the people I knew
I had that feeling of self-pity
What to do, what to do, what to do
The outlook was decidedly blue

But as I walked through the foggy streets alone
It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known

A foggy day, in London town
Had me low, had me down
I viewed the morning, with much alarm
British Museum, had lost its charm

How long I wondered,
Could this thing last
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
For suddenly, I saw you there
And through foggy London town,
The sun was shining everywhere

For suddenly, I saw you there
And through foggy London town,
The sun was shining everywhere

Everywhere

Everywhere
Everywhere

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Artie Shaw's song "A Foggy Day" poetically describe the feelings of loneliness and self-pity that a stranger experiences in a foreign city. The singer is out of their comfort zone and unsure of what to do in the unfamiliar surroundings. They feel blue and disheartened because they are far from the people they know and love. Nevertheless, as they are walking through the foggy streets alone, they happen to see someone who brightens up their day. Suddenly, everything feels more manageable, and even the foggy weather of London town can't put a damper on their newfound happiness.

Artie Shaw's "A Foggy Day" is both a romantic and atmospheric composition that is emblematic of the American jazz age. The song has some interesting facts attached to it, some of which are listed below:

1) It was written by George Gershwin and his brother Ira for the film "A Damsel in Distress" in 1937
2) The song was first performed by Fred Astaire in the film mentioned above.
3) The song has been covered by several artists, including Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra.
4) The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.
5) The song has been featured in several films, including "Manhattan", "An American Werewolf in London", and "The Talented Mr. Ripley".
6) In 1952, an instrumental version of the song by Artie Shaw's band became a hit.
7) Several jazz musicians also recorded the song, including Miles Davis and Charlie Parker.
8) The song's title was changed to "A Foggy Day (In London Town)" after it became a hit for Shaw.
9) The song is known for its haunting melody and memorable chorus.
10) The song has been cited as an example of Great American Songbook and a timeless classic of American popular music.

The chords to "A Foggy Day" for guitar are as follows:

Intro: Em7 A7
Verse 1: Dmaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7 Gmaj7
Chorus: Cmaj7 C6 A7 A7
Verse 2: Dmaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7 Gmaj7
Chorus: Cmaj7 C6 A7 A7
Outro: Em7 A7.

Line by Line Meaning

I was a stranger in the city
Being unfamiliar with the people and place around me

Out of town were the people I knew
The people I was familiar with were not within proximity

I had that feeling of self-pity
Feeling sorry for myself

What to do, what to do, what to do
Being uncertain of how to proceed

The outlook was decidedly blue
Assuming a negative or pessimistic viewpoint

But as I walked through the foggy streets alone
Traveling through the misty roads without accompaniment

It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known
Realizing later that it was a serendipitous event

A foggy day, in London town
Experiencing a misty day in the city of London

Had me low, had me down
Made me feel sad and depressed

I viewed the morning, with much alarm
Regarded the start of the day with great concern

British Museum, had lost its charm
The British Museum no longer held its appeal

How long I wondered,
Curiously questioning

Could this thing last
Would the situation extend indefinitely

But the age of miracles, hadn't past
Hope that miraculous events could still occur

For suddenly, I saw you there
Witnessing the unexpected appearance of someone familiar

And through foggy London town,
Traveling through the misty roads of London

The sun was shining everywhere
Basking in happiness and warmth

Everywhere
In all directions

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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