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.
Don
Benny Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you!
I thought at last I'd found you, but other lovers surround you
And "I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you!"
If you'd surrender just for a tender kiss or two
You might discover, that I'm the lover meant for you
And I'd be true, but what's the good of scheming
I know I must be dreaming
The lyrics to Benny Carter's song "Don" express the singer's deep longing for love and the frustration of feeling like they have no chance with the person they love. The first two lines express the desperation the singer feels for their beloved's affection and how much they love them. However, in the next few lines, the singer admits to not having much hope for their love because they feel like they're surrounded by other potential suitors. The line "I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you" emphasizes the hopelessness the singer feels in this situation.
The singer then suggests that if their beloved were to give them a chance and let them show their love with a kiss or two, they might realize that the singer is the perfect lover for them. However, in the last line, the singer seems to accept that this is just a dream and that their love is unlikely to be reciprocated.
The song captures the bittersweet feeling of unrequited love, and the sense of longing and hopelessness that comes with it. The lyrics are simple but powerful, conveying the feelings of love and loss in a relatable and poignant way.
Line by Line Meaning
I need your love so badly, I love you, oh, so madly
I crave your affection desperately, my love for you is intense
But I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you!
I have no hope of winning your heart
I thought at last I'd found you, but other lovers surround you
I believed you were the one for me, but you have many other suitors
And "I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you!"
I am fully aware of my lack of chances with you
If you'd surrender just for a tender kiss or two
Perhaps if I could win your affection with some kisses...
You might discover, that I'm the lover meant for you
You could realize that I am the perfect suitor for you
And I'd be true, but what's the good of scheming
I would be faithful to you, but there's no point in plotting
I know I must be dreaming
I recognize that my hopes of being with you are unrealistic
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BING CROSBY, NED WASHINGTON, VICTOR POPULAR YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
rloomis3
Stumbling across something like this is a big part of what makes YouTube so great.
ohjajohh
This is what's happening to me right now.
MARKMANIATT
rloomis3
Your not wrong their.Eyeball gold dust!!!
SurrenderPink
rloomis3 It's what makes people who post gems like this so great; not YouTube who monetizes their efforts.
jibsmokestack1
Amen bro!!
emilianoturazzi
I play saxophone, Coleman Hawkins is a sort of god for me (and Eldridge and Benny Carter are all great musicins), but here the man is Jo Jones... an unbelivable solo.
bindella
Papa Jo was so unique, the greatest of them all.
BluJay
I've been playing drums for over 40 years. I can't say who is the greatest but Papa Jo is my favorite.
Omar Eltanany
Pppp0pppplp
Trombonology Erstwhile
Masterful playing, as always, from Jo; the man had complete command of his drums. Benny Carter's and Sam Jones' spots are fine, as well.