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.
When Lights Are Low
Benny Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blending in a soft and sweet refrain
As around the floor, dear, we are dancing
Swaying to a fascinating strain
Sweet music soft and mellow
Soothing and slow
Strains of a mellow 'cello
Dear, we're so close together I love you so
Why think about the weather
When lights are low
Two hearts revealing
Music hath charms
Life's so appealing
With inspiration, in your arms
Our lips meeting soft and tender
Love's all aglow
Why shouldn't we surrender
When lights are low
Listen how happy hearts are beating
Like the ocean beats upon the sand
And our feet in rhythm keep repeating
Ev'ry little movement of the band
Sweet music soft and mellow
Soothing and slow
Strains of a mellow 'cello
When lights are low
Dear, we're so close together I love you so
Why think about the weather
When lights are low
Two hearts revealing
Music hath charms
Life's so appealing
With inspiration, in your arms
Our lips meeting soft and tender
Love's all aglow
Why shouldn't we surrender
When lights are low
The lyrics of Benny Carter's song "When Lights Are Low" paint the scene of two people dancing together in a romantic atmosphere. The opening lines set the mood with the "melody entrancing" and the "soft and sweet refrain" of the music. The rhythm of the music matches the rhythm of the dancers on the floor, swaying to the "fascinating strain" of the music.
The chorus describes the feelings of the two lovers, as they come close together in the dimly-lit room. The music is "sweet" and "mellow," with the sound of a "cello" adding to the soothing tone. The lyrics emphasize the notion that the dancers are so close together and in love that they do not care to think about the outside world, even as the weather outside may be inclement. The two hearts "revealing" their love through the "charms" of the music.
In the second verse, the description of the scene becomes even more vivid. The "happy hearts" are beating with the rhythm of the music that repeats "ev'ry little movement" of the band. The two lovers find that life is "appealing" as they are inspired by each other's presence, and their lips meet "soft and tender" in a moment of intimate affection. The final line leaves little room for any further resistance to surrendering themselves to the moment.
Overall, the song depicts a romantic atmosphere where music and dancing provide the perfect setting for falling in love. The lyrics paint a vivid picture that emphasizes the mood set by the melody, and readers can feel the passion and love exuding from the words.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to the melody entrancing
Hear the hypnotic tune
Blending in a soft and sweet refrain
A gentle and pleasing repetition soothing our senses
As around the floor, dear, we are dancing
We're doing a slow dance together around the room
Swaying to a fascinating strain
Moving along with the enticing melody
Sweet music soft and mellow
Pleasant melodies, calm and relaxing
Soothing and slow
Comforting and unhurried
Strains of a mellow 'cello
The sounds of a gentle violoncello
When lights are low
In the darkness, with low light
Dear, we're so close together I love you so
We're near each other, and I deeply cherish you
Why think about the weather
No need to worry about the climate
Two hearts revealing
Two individuals sharing their emotions
Music hath charms
The captivating power of music
Life's so appealing
Life is enjoyable
With inspiration, in your arms
Feeling inspired and comforted by your embrace
Our lips meeting soft and tender
Kissing gently and lovingly
Love's all aglow
Love is burning bright
Why shouldn't we surrender
Why resist giving in to our love?
Listen how happy hearts are beating
Hear the lively pulses of our cheerful hearts
Like the ocean beats upon the sand
Just like the waves of the sea wash up on the shore
And our feet in rhythm keep repeating
And our feet follow the beat in a repeating pattern
Ev'ry little movement of the band
Each tiny motion of the musical ensemble
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Benny Carter, Spencer Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@justins.2138
Can't stop listening!
@Music-Tribe
I agree! This song is so soothing and lively.
@moforibalait
Marvelous.
So many thanks
@EmilianoLoconsolo
The master of all giants...
@PabloVestory
Miles did amazing things for the music , but changing the bridge of this tune (Miles' one eventually became the more "standarized") is not one of those
@jwlansdale
damn the piano solo is nasty!!
@marcioroberto9820
It reminds me the game Sepulchre, nice!!
@Shhhh12345
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