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.'
St. James Infirmary
Artie Shaw and His Orchestra Lyrics
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They were serving drinks as usual, and the usual crowd was there
On my left stood Big Joe McKennedy, and his eyes were bloodshot red
And he turned his face to the people, these were the very words he said
I was down to St. James infirmary, I saw my baby there
She was stretched out on a long white table,
So sweet, cool and so fair
Let her go, let her go, God bless her
Wherever she may be
She may search this whole wide world over
Never find a sweeter man as me
When I die please bury me in my high top Stetson hat
Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain
The gang'll know I died standing pat
Let her go, let her go God bless her
Wherever she may be
She may search this wide world over
Never find a sweeter man as me
I want six crapshooters to be my pallbearers
Three pretty women to sing a song
Stick a jazz band on my hearse wagon
Raise hell as I stroll along
Let her go Let her go
God bless her
Wherever she may be
She may search this whole wide
World over
She'll never find a sweeter
Man as me
The song "St. James Infirmary" is about a man who visits the hospital ward where his lover is laying on a long white table after dying of some mysterious illness. The man, Big Joe McKennedy, is highly emotional and can barely handle the sight of his sweetheart laying before him. He reflects on the memories they shared together, and laments the fact that she won't find a better man than him, even if she searched the whole world. The song then takes on a more upbeat tone as he begins planning for his own funeral, stating that he wants a jazz band playing as his hearse wagon rolls by, and that six crapshooters should carry his coffin, along with three pretty women singing a song.
The lyrics are heavy with melancholy and despair, and they evoke a sense of loss and heartbreak that is still relatable today. The song has become a classic jazz standard, and it has been covered by numerous artists over the years. It's one of those songs that captures a moment in time and tells a story that everyone can appreciate.
Line by Line Meaning
It was down by old Joe's barroom, on the corner of the square
The scene of the song is set on a street corner, at a bar called Old Joe's.
They were serving drinks as usual, and the usual crowd was there
The bar was serving drinks like it always did, and the people who usually frequented the bar were present.
On my left stood Big Joe McKennedy, and his eyes were bloodshot red
The singer noticed Big Joe McKennedy standing on his left, and his eyes were noticeably red and bloodshot.
And he turned his face to the people, these were the very words he said
Big Joe McKennedy addressed the other people at the bar with these words.
I was down to St. James infirmary, I saw my baby there
The artist went to the St. James Infirmary and saw his lover lying on a table.
She was stretched out on a long white table, So sweet, cool and so fair
The singer's lover was lying on a white table, looking peaceful and beautiful.
Let her go, let her go, God bless her
The singer is saying goodbye to his lover, and wishing her well.
Wherever she may be
The artist is unsure where his lover will end up.
She may search this whole wide world over
It is suggested that the artist's lover may end up searching for someone like him, but she will never find anyone as sweet as him.
Never find a sweeter man as me
The artist believes he is a sweet person, and that his lover will never find anyone better than him.
When I die please bury me in my high top Stetson hat
The singer is giving instructions for his burial, asking to be buried in a specific hat.
Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain
The artist wants to be buried with a gold piece on his watch chain.
The gang'll know I died standing pat
The singer wants his friends to know that he didn't back down in life.
I want six crapshooters to be my pallbearers
The singer wants six gamblers to carry his coffin.
Three pretty women to sing a song
The singer wants three attractive women to sing at his funeral.
Stick a jazz band on my hearse wagon
The artist wants a jazz band to play music as his funeral procession goes by.
Raise hell as I stroll along
The artist wants his funeral procession to be a lively and joyous event.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Irving Mills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind