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 Time The Dream's On Me
Artie Shaw and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll be close together, wait and see
Oh by the way,
This time the dream's on me
You'll take my hand
And you'll look at me adoringly
But as things stand
It would be fun
To be certain that I'm the one
To know that I, at least, supply the shoulder you cry upon
To see you through
Till you're everything you want to be
It can't be true, but
This time the dream's on me
It can't be true, but,
This time the dream's on me.
It would be fun
To be certain that I'm the one
To know that I, at least, supply the shoulder you cry upon
To see you through
Till you're everything you want to be
It can't be true, but
This time the dream's on me
The lyrics to Artie Shaw and His Orchestra's song "This Time The Dream's On Me" describe a hopeful dream of two individuals who are not yet together but wish to be someday. The singer suggests that they will be close together eventually, and that this time, the dream of being together is on the singer. The singer wants to be the one to hold the other person's hand, to be adored, to be the shoulder they cry on, and to see them through everything until they become everything they want to be.
The use of the word "dream" throughout the song is significant, as it suggests that the idea of these two people being together may not yet be a reality. However, the singer insists that this time, the dream is on them, indicating that they are willing to make it happen. The repeated phrase "It can't be true" adds a bittersweet tone to the song, with the singer recognizing the obstacles that may stand in the way of their dream but still holding onto hope.
Overall, "This Time The Dream's On Me" is a romantic and optimistic song about the possibility of being with someone and supporting them through everything. It speaks to the universal desire for love and companionship, and the hope that those dreams can eventually become a reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere, someday
At some point in the future, we will be in close proximity to each other.
We'll be close together, wait and see
We will have a close physical distance between us in the future, just be patient.
Oh by the way,
By the way,
This time the dream's on me
I will be responsible for making our shared dream come true this time.
You'll take my hand
You will grab my hand.
And you'll look at me adoringly
You will gaze at me with love and admiration.
But as things stand
The current situation is this:
This time the dream's on me
Once again, I will be responsible for making our shared dream come true.
It would be fun
It would bring me pleasure.
To be certain that I'm the one
To know for certain that I am the person you want to be with.
To know that I, at least, supply the shoulder you cry upon
To be assured that I am the one you turn to in times of emotional distress.
To see you through
To support you until the end.
Till you're everything you want to be
Until you achieve everything you desire.
It can't be true, but
Although it seems impossible,
This time the dream's on me
Once again, I will take responsibility for making our shared dream a reality.
It can't be true, but,
Although it seems hard to believe,
This time the dream's on me.
Once again, I will be responsible for fulfilling our shared dream.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bugleboy 452
Arties sound is brilliant, so dreamy
Jason Platt
I love this song, with such a great lyric and melody! Thank you for posting this less familiar version of the song.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Woody Herman had a nice version too.
Nansi
Artie's cute.