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.
Laugh! Clown! Laugh!
Benny Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lover, the dreamer, the clown
The dreamer and lover are always in tears
The clown spreads sunshine around
The life with a smile is the life worthwhile
The clown till the curtain comes down
Even though you're only make believing
Even though something inside is grieving
Laugh, clown, laugh!
Don't let your heart grow too mellow
Just be a real punchinello, fellow
You're supposed to brighten up a place
And laugh, clown, laugh!
Paint a lot of smiles around your face
And laugh, clown, don't frown
Dressed in your best colored humor
Be a pallietto and laugh, clown, laugh!
The lyrics of Benny Carter's song “Mary Lou” present a metaphor for life as a play, where each person has a role to play, such as the lover, the dreamer, and the clown. The dreamer and the lover often experience sadness and tears, while the clown spreads joy and laughter. The song suggests that a life with a smile is worth living, and that the clown should continue to spread happiness until the very end, even when they are experiencing pain inside.
The chorus of the song provides a call to action for the clown: to keep laughing, even when they are feeling sorrow. The lyrics advise the clown not to let their heart become too sentimental, but to maintain their humorous persona and keep the audience entertained. The song encourages the clown to bring joy and laughter to those around them, not to frown, and to wear colorful clothing to enhance the experience.
Overall, “Mary Lou” is a song that pays tribute to the art of being a clown, providing the listeners with a metaphor for how to approach challenges in life. The song encourages listeners not to take life too seriously and to find joy in everything they do.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is a play and we all play a part
Comparing life to a theatre play where every individual plays a unique role.
The lover, the dreamer, the clown
Categorizing people into three roles - lovers, dreamers, and clowns.
The dreamer and lover are always in tears
Implying that individuals who love and dream suffer heartbreak and pain.
The clown spreads sunshine around
Stating that the clown brings happiness and positivity to others.
The life with a smile is the life worthwhile
Believing that life becomes meaningful only when one stays happy and optimistic.
The clown till the curtain comes down
The clown's responsibility is to bring joy until the end of the play (life).
Even though you're only make believing
Acknowledging the illusionary nature of the clown's performance.
Laugh, clown, laugh!
Requesting the clown to keep entertaining and spreading joy.
Even though something inside is grieving
Despite the emotional pain, the clown should continue making others laugh.
Don't let your heart grow too mellow
Alerting the performer not to become too sentimental and lose their positivity.
Just be a real punchinello, fellow
Encouraging the performer to be an excellent clown and make others happy.
You're supposed to brighten up a place
Emphasizing the fact that the clown's responsibility is to enlighten the environment.
And laugh, clown, laugh!
Repeatedly urging the performer to keep spreading joy.
Paint a lot of smiles around your face
Asking the performer to create happiness around them.
And laugh, clown, don't frown
Reminder to the performer to stay cheerful and positive all the time.
Dressed in your best colored humor
Referring to the clown's costume, which should reflect positivity and humor.
Be a pallietto and laugh, clown, laugh!
Using Italian to say, 'Be a good clown and keep spreading happiness.'
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TED FIORITO, SAM M. LEWIS, JOE YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind