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.'

I Can't Afford To Dream
Artie Shaw and His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Dream on, dream on)

I can see
No matter how near you'll be
You'll never belong to me
But I can dream, can't I?
Can't I pretend that I'm locked in the bend of your embrace?
For dreams are just like wine

And I am drunk with mine

I'm aware
My heart is a sad affair
There's much disillusion there
But I can dream, can't I?
Can't I adore you
Although we are oceans apart?
I can't make you open your heart
But I can dream, can't I?

I'm aware
My heart is a sad affair
There's much disillusion there
But I can dream, can't I?
Can't I adore you
Although we are oceans apart?
I can't make you open your heart
But I can dream, can't I?

(Dream on, dream on, dream on)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Artie Shaw and His Orchestra's song "I Can't Afford To Dream" depict a bittersweet longing for a love that can never truly be obtained. The singer acknowledges that no matter how close they may be to their beloved, they will never belong to them. Despite this reality, they cling to the hope and comfort of their dreams, pretending that they are in the arms of their lover. The comparison of dreams to wine emphasizes the intoxicating and all-consuming nature of this desire.

The second verse reveals a deeper sadness in the singer's heart, acknowledging that there is much disillusionment and disappointment when it comes to love. Despite this, they continue to dream and adore from afar, acknowledging that they cannot control the other person's feelings. The repeated phrase "But I can dream, can't I?" speaks to the power of longing and the human need for hope even in the face of impossible odds.

Line by Line Meaning

I can see
I understand the situation clearly

No matter how near you'll be
Even if you are physically close to me, you are emotionally distant

You'll never belong to me
We cannot have a romantic relationship

But I can dream, can't I?
I can daydream about being with you, right?

Can't I pretend that I'm locked in the bend of your embrace?
Can't I imagine you holding me in your arms?

For dreams are just like wine
Dreams have the same intoxicating effect as alcohol

And I am drunk with mine
I am caught up in my own fantasies

My heart is a sad affair
I am unhappy with my current situation

There's much disillusion there
I am disappointed with the way things are

Can't I adore you
Can't I love you from afar?

Although we are oceans apart?
Even though we are separated by distance