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.
Just You Just Me
Benny Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's find a cozy spot
To cuddle and coo
Just us, just we
I've missed an awful lot
My trouble is you
What are your charms for?
What are my arms for?
Use your imagination!
Just you, just me
I'll tie a lover's knot
'Round wonderful you!
The lyrics "Just you, just me, let's find a cozy spot to cuddle and coo" in Benny Carter's song 'Just You Just Me' seems to indicate that the singer is looking for some quality time with their beloved. They want to find a comfortable and intimate place where they can express their love for each other. The lyrics continue with "just us, just we, I've missed an awful lot, my trouble is you" which suggests that the singer has been craving the company of their lover, and they have been feeling incomplete without them. It's evident in the song that the singer is deeply in love with their partner and that they want to spend as much time as possible with them.
The lyrics then go on to say "Oh, gee! What are your charms for? What are my arms for? Use your imagination!" which is a very romantic statement, highlighting the beauty and attraction of his lover. It also creates a sense of mystery and intrigue that fuels the romantic atmosphere of the song. Finally, the lyrics conclude with "Just you, just me, I'll tie a lover's knot 'round wonderful you!" which once again reiterates the deep love and connection that the singer feels towards their significant other.
Line by Line Meaning
Just you, just me
It's only you and me in this moment
Let's find a cozy spot
Let's search for a comfortable location to be together
To cuddle and coo
To hold each other close and express our affection
Just us, just we
It's only us, just the two of us
I've missed an awful lot
I've missed spending time with you a lot
My trouble is you
You're the only problem I have
Oh, gee!
Surprise or amazement
What are your charms for?
What makes you attractive to me?
What are my arms for?
What's the point of having arms if not for holding you
Use your imagination!
Think creatively and let your mind wander
I'll tie a lover's knot
I'll make a romantic commitment
'Round wonderful you!
Around you, who I think is wonderful and special
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEFFREY DAVID STEVENS, MARV GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind