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.
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Benny Carter Lyrics
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Now she seems quite out of place, like a fallen star
Draped around my kitchen sink , Happy as can be
I just have to stop and think, Why she fell for me.
I'm not much to look at, nothing to see
Just glad I'm livin' and lucky to be
I got a woman crazy for me
I can't save a dollar, ain't worth a cent
She doesn't holler she'd live in a tent
I got a woman crazy for me
She's funny that way.
Tho' she loves to work and slave for me ev'ry day
She'd be so much better off if I went away.
But why should I leave her, why should I go
She'd be unhappy without me I know
I got a woman crazy for me
She's funny that way.
She should have the very best, Anyone can see
Still she's diff'rent from the rest, satisfied with me.
While I worry plan and scheme, Over what to do
Can't help feeling it's a dream, Too good to be true.
Never had nothin'; no one to care
That's why I seem to have more than my share,
I got a woman, crazy for me,
She's funny that way.
When I hurt her feelings, once in a while,
Her only answer is one little smile,
I got a woman crazy for me.
She's funny that way.
I can see no other way and no better plan,
End it all and let her go to some better man;
But I'm only human, coward at best
I'm more than certain she'd follow me west,
I got a woman crazy for me,
She's funny that way.
The song "He's Funny That Way" by Benny Carter is a romantic ballad that tells the story of a man who cannot believe that he has found love with his partner. The lyrics seem to present the idea that the man is undeserving of the love he has received, as he is poor and unremarkable. However, his partner is happy to be with him despite his flaws and her own affluence.
The first verse describes the change in the woman's circumstances, from owning luxurious items like silks, lace, and a Rolls Royce, to feeling out of place and like a fallen star. She is now in a humble setting, draped around the kitchen sink, but still happy to be with the man she loves. The man reflects on the irony of the situation, wondering what could have compelled such a woman to fall for someone like him.
In the second verse, the man expresses his own disbelief that he has found someone who cares for him deeply. He acknowledges that he has nothing to offer materially, but his partner remains devoted to him. He wishes he could provide more for her, but she is content with what they have. He admits to worrying about how to make their relationship work, but feels lucky to have found someone who loves him for who he is.
Overall, "He's Funny That Way" is a touching tribute to a loving relationship. The man's self-doubt and humility are endearing, while his partner's unwavering affection is heartwarming. The song celebrates the idea that love is not about what one can offer materially, but rather about the connection between two people who understand and appreciate each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Once she dressed in silks and lace, Owned a Rolls Royce car
She used to have a luxurious lifestyle with fancy clothes and a fancy car.
Now she seems quite out of place, like a fallen star
But now she looks uncomfortable and misplaced, like a star that has lost its shine.
Draped around my kitchen sink , Happy as can be
She feels content and happy doing mundane household chores like being draped around the kitchen sink.
I just have to stop and think, Why she fell for me.
The artist is amazed that she fell in love with him and wonders why.
I'm not much to look at, nothing to see
The artist thinks he is not physically attractive.
Just glad I'm livin' and lucky to be
But he is happy to be alive and feels lucky.
I got a woman crazy for me
He has a woman who is crazy in love with him.
She doesn't holler she'd live in a tent
She doesn't complain even if they have to live in a tent.
Tho' she loves to work and slave for me ev'ry day
Even though she works and slaves for him every day.
She'd be so much better off if I went away.
The artist feels that she would be better off without him.
But why should I leave her, why should I go
But he wonders why he should leave her.
She'd be unhappy without me I know
He thinks that she would be unhappy without him.
She should have the very best, Anyone can see
The singer thinks that she deserves the best.
Still she's diff'rent from the rest, satisfied with me.
But she is different from others and content with him.
While I worry plan and scheme, Over what to do
While he worries and plans about their future.
Can't help feeling it's a dream, Too good to be true.
He feels that his life with her is too good to be true.
Never had nothin'; no one to care
He never had anything or anyone to care for him.
Her only answer is one little smile
When he hurts her feelings, her only response is a small smile.
I can see no other way and no better plan,
He sees no other way or a better plan.
End it all and let her go to some better man;
He thinks of ending his relationship with her and letting her find a better man.
But I'm only human, coward at best
But he realizes that he is only human and a coward at best.
I'm more than certain she'd follow me west,
He is sure that she would follow him if he were to go west.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Neil Moret, Richard Whiting
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind