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.'
This Is Romance
Artie Shaw and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What can it be that suddenly came over me?
What is this thing called love?
This funny thing called love?
Is there anybody who can solve this mystery?
Tell me why should it make a fool of me?
You took my heart and threw it away
And that's why I ask the Lord in Heaven above
What is this thing called love?
It's hard to bear, looked everywhere, asked everyone under the sun
They turn away each time I say, "What is this thing called love?"
In Artie Shaw's song "What Is This Thing Called Love", the singer is struggling to understand and define the intense feeling that has come over him after being kissed by "lovely you". He is bewildered and frustrated by this mysterious sensation that has made a fool of him. He saw the object of his affection one day, and she took his heart and threw it away. This heartbreak intensifies his confusion about what this thing called love is. Despite seeking answers from others, no one seems able to offer any helpful insight into this inexplicable emotion that has entranced and confounded him.
The song captures the universal experience of falling in love, and the many questions it raises, such as the nature of attraction, the pain of heartbreak, and the wonder of discovering a new depth of feeling. The melody of the song is plaintive and hauntingly beautiful, conveying a sense of longing and introspection. The lyrics are simple but profound, capturing the feeling of being swept up in a powerful emotion that is difficult to understand or control. Ultimately, the song suggests that love is a mystery that can never be fully understood, but which nevertheless holds a powerful fascination for us all.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in a mystery, 'cause I've been kissed by lovely you
I am puzzled because I have been touched by an enchanting person like you, and I cannot comprehend what it means or how it is affecting me
What can it be that suddenly came over me?
What is this thing that is having a sudden impact on me?
What is this thing called love?
What is this emotion known as love?
This funny thing called love?
This strange and comical emotion called love?
Is there anybody who can solve this mystery?
Does anyone have the answer to this enigma?
Tell me why should it make a fool of me?
Explain why love is causing me to behave foolishly?
I saw you there, one wonderful day
One day, I saw you and you were truly wonderful
You took my heart and threw it away
You captured my heart and then discarded it
And that's why I ask the Lord in Heaven above
This is why I am seeking guidance from a higher power
What is this thing called love?
I am questioning the nature of this emotion called love
It's hard to bear, looked everywhere, asked everyone under the sun
It is burdensome to endure, I have searched far and wide, and asked every possible person for a solution
They turn away each time I say, "What is this thing called love?"
Every person I ask seems to avoid answering my question about love
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alexis Pasquier
One of my favorite Artie Shaw’s songs! Can’t stop listening to it!
Bill
Muito bom ❤️🇧🇷
Samuel Morais
2022 e eu ouvindo isso aqui
KE7SFR
Jack Jenney's solo is something else! Too bad his own band was so short lived..
Alexis Pasquier
This is one of my favorite Artie Shaw's songs! Thank you for posting it!
Emmett Hoops
I can't listen to it without whistling. Absolutely one of my 10 desert island songs.
Alexis Pasquier
I can't stop listening to this; I absolutely love it!!!
Swing Band Heaven
What an intriguing melody... haunting yet at the same time uplifting!
Alexis Pasquier
One of my favorites!
albert peckham
Wow! What a wonderful performance! Love it!