As a youth, Carter lived in Harlem around the corner from Bubber Miley who was Duke Ellington's star trumpeter. Carter was inspired by Miley and bought a trumpet, but when he found he couldn't play like Miley he traded the trumpet in for a saxophone.
Carter began playing professionally at 15. He first recorded in 1928 and formed his first big band the following year. He played with Fletcher Henderson in 1930 and 1931, then briefly led McKinney's Cotton Pickers before returning to lead his own band in 1932. The few recordings his band made between 1933 and 1934 are considered by most jazz scholars to be milestones in early swing arranging. They were sophisticated and very complex arrangements, and a number of them became swing standards which were performed by other bands ("Blue Lou" is a great example of this.) He also arranged for Henderson and Duke Ellington during these years and wrote two hits, "Blues in My Heart" and "When Lights are Low." By the early 1930s he and Johnny Hodges were considered the leading alto players of the day. Carter also quickly became a leading trumpet soloist, having rediscovered the instrument. He recorded extensively on trumpet in the 1930s. Also, in 1933, Carter took part in an amazing series of sessions that featured the British band leader Spike Hughes, who came to New York specifically to organize a series of recordings featuring the best Black musicians available. These 14 sides were only issued in England at that time, though they are available on CD and worthwhile looking for. (The musicians were mainly made up from member of Carter's band and from Luis Russell's.)
In 1935 he moved to Europe, where he became staff arranger for the British Broadcasting Corporation dance orchestra and made several records. He returned to the United States in 1938 and led a big band and sextet before moving to Los Angeles in 1943 to write for movie studios. Carter continued writing and performing into his 90s. He arranged for Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, and Sarah Vaughan, among many others.
His biggest hit was "Cow Cow Boogie", a song he co-wrote with Don Raye and Gene DePaul, which was a hit for Ella Mae Morse in 1942.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Carter was one of the first black men to compose music for films. He was an inspiration and a mentor for Quincy Jones when Jones began writing for television and films in the 1960s. Also in the 1940s, Carter's successful legal battles in order to obtain housing in then-exclusive neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area made him a pioneer in an entirely different area.
He also appears uncredited in the 1952 film, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, as a sax player.
Carter was admired for his ability to write saxophone solis, which are sections of music that the entire section plays as one unit in the manner of a solo.
Carter was a member of the music advisory panel of the National Endowment for the Arts. He was also a member of the Black Film Makers' Hall of Fame and in 1980 received the Golden Score award of the American Society of Music Arrangers. Carter was also a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1996 and received honorary doctorates from Princeton, Harvard, Rutgers, and the New England Conservatory.
He died, aged 95, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles of what is thought to have been bronchitis.
Bewitched
Benny Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But a fool can have her charms
I'm in love and don't I show it
Like a babe in arms
Love's the same old situation
Lately I've not slept a wink
Since this crazy situation
I'm wild again, beguiled again
A whimpering, simpering child again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
Couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep
Love came and told me, shouldn't sleep
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
I lost my heart, but what of it
She is cold I agree
She might laugh, but I love it
Although the laugh's on me
I'll sing to her, bring spring to her
And long, for the day when I'll cling to her
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
Benny Carter's song Bewitched is a story of a man in love with someone who isn't reciprocating the same feelings. He acknowledges that she is a fool, but he can't help but be charmed by her. He is deeply in love with her, and it shows. Love is a situation that hasn't allowed him to sleep or be at ease. He is constantly in a state of confusion - unable to comprehend everything that is happening. He feels wild, beguiled, whimpering, and simpering. He is completely bewitched, bothered, and bewildered by her.
Despite knowing that she may not feel the same way, he cannot help but love her. Her coldness towards him doesn't affect his emotions for her. He loves her even if she laughs or makes fun of him. He is determined to sing to her and bring spring to her life. He longs for the day when he can finally be with her and cling to her - no longer bewitched, bothered or bewildered.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a fool and don't I know it
I am well aware that she may not be the most intelligent or sensible woman, but I can't help but find myself attracted to her.
But a fool can have her charms
I acknowledge that someone who is not very wise, like she is, can still possess qualities that make her appealing to me.
I'm in love and don't I show it
I am unabashedly in love with her and it's quite clear to anyone who looks at me.
Like a babe in arms
In my love-struck state, I feel like a helpless and innocent child who needs her attention and care.
Love's the same old situation
This is another instance of me experiencing the same old cycle of falling in love and being vulnerable to heartbreak again.
Lately I've not slept a wink
I am constantly thinking about her and our situation-- so much so that I can't even get a good night's sleep.
Since this crazy situation
Because of how much I am enamored with her and how uncertain our relationship is, I feel like I am in the middle of a chaotic and unpredictable emotional experience.
Has me on the blink
This situation has left me feeling disoriented and unsure of myself.
I'm wild again, beguiled again
Meeting her has reignited a passionate and almost reckless side of myself.
A whimpering, simpering child again
I feel like a helpless young child who has no control over his emotions and actions.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
All of these conflicting feelings have left me feeling confused, hurt, and under her spell involuntarily.
Couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep
I am so consumed with thoughts of her that I physically and mentally cannot allow myself to rest at night.
Love came and told me, shouldn't sleep
My love for her has become so all-consuming that it's as if love itself is telling me that I can't afford to rest and lose any time.
I lost my heart, but what of it
I have been so deeply affected by her that I feel there's no going back or reversing my feelings-- even if it's apparent that she's not treating me in the same way.
She is cold, I agree
I am fully cognizant of the fact that she is distant and unaffectionate to me.
She might laugh, but I love it
Even her callousness, which might seem cruel or mocking, is endearing to me.
Although the laugh's on me
As much as I'm enjoying this strange emotional experience, I'm well aware that I'm the one bearing the brunt of the emotional turmoil.
I'll sing to her, bring spring to her
Despite how unresponsive she may seem, I will still try to do everything in my power to make her happy and feel my love for her.
And long, for the day when I'll cling to her
I eagerly await for the moment when she will actually reciprocate my feelings and become affectionate with me.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
I'm still completely under her spell and feel distressed and confused by this situation.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind