Goodman was regarded by some as a demanding taskmaster, by others an arrogant and eccentric martinet. Many musicians spoke of The Ray, Goodman's trademark glare that he bestowed on a musician who failed to perform to his demanding standards. Anita O'Day and Helen Forrest spoke bitterly of their experiences singing with Goodman. "The twenty or so months I spent with Benny felt like twenty years," said Forrest. "When I look back, they seem like a life sentence." He could also be incredibly self-absorbed; it is reported that when eating an egg onto which a ketchup bottle cap had fallen, Goodman simply ate around it. At the same time, there are reports that he privately funded several college educations and was sometimes very generous, though always secretly. When a friend asked him why one time, he reportedly said, "Well, if they knew about it, everyone would come to me with their hand out."
Some suggest that Elvis Presley had the same success with rock and roll that Goodman achieved with jazz and swing. Without Goodman there would not have been a swing era. It is true that many of Goodman's arrangements had been played for years before by Fletcher Henderson's orchestra. While Goodman publicly acknowledged his debt to Henderson, many young white swing fans had never heard Henderson's band. While most consider Goodman a jazz innovator, others maintain his main strength was his perfectionism and drive. Goodman was a non - pariel virtuoso clarinetist and -along with only Artie Shaw, amongst the most technically proficient jazz clarinetists of all time.
Goodman is also responsible for a significant step in racial integration in America. In the early 1930s, black and white jazz musicians could not play together in most clubs or concerts. In the Southern states, racial segregation was enforced by the Jim Crow laws. Benny Goodman broke with tradition by hiring Teddy Wilson to play with him ] in the Autumn of 1936. He then added Lionel Hampton on vibes in December, 1936, and in the early Summer of 1939 he augmented the famous "quartette" with pioneering jazz guitarist Charlie Christian to his band and small ensembles, who played with him until his untimely death from tuberculosis less than three years later. To give an understanding of American history at this time, Goodman's integration of popular music happened ten years before Jackie Robinson entered Major League Baseball. "[Goodman's] popularity was such that he could remain financially viable without touring the South, where he would have been subject to arrest for violating Jim Crow laws." By the mid- Summer of 1941, Benny had hired the incomparably rhythmic and show-man drummer, legendary "Big Sid" Catlett, the (later) famous John Simmons on bass, and still possessed the incomparable Charlie Christian on electric guitar -plus Cootie Williams was in the middle of his one-year contract... This amounted to virtually one-quarter of the orchestra of black heritage, but of course -following Jimmy Munday and Fletcher Henderson (who also joined the band as pianist for 6 months in July, 1939) it was really an orchestrated white extension of black big band jazz -only, curiously -better.
'Deed I Do
Benny Goodman Lyrics
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Benny Goodman
I can't love you any more
Any more than I do
For if I love you any more
I would have to be two
I love you with my heart
I love you, love you, love you
All there is, I find
So I can't love you any more
Any more than I do
In Benny Goodman's song "I Can't Love You Any More," the lyrics convey a powerful message about love and the limits it can reach. The opening line, "I can't love you any more," sets the tone for the rest of the song, as Goodman expresses his boundless love for someone. He goes on to explain that if he were to love this person any more, he would have to become two people. This speaks to the idea that there is only so much love one person can give, and that love has its limits.
Goodman then goes on to describe the depth of his love, saying that he loves this person with his heart and his mind. He repeats the phrase "love you, love you, love you" to emphasize just how much he cares for them. The chorus, "So I can't love you any more, any more than I do," echoes the sentiment of the opening line, emphasizing again that there is a limit to how much love one person can give.
Overall, this song is a beautiful ode to love and the unending devotion it inspires. Goodman's lyrics are simple yet powerful, conveying a message that is both universal and personal.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't love you any more
I have reached the limit of my love for you and I cannot increase it any further.
Any more than I do
My current love for you is at its maximum capacity.
For if I love you any more
If I were to love you any more than I currently do,
I would have to be two
it would require me to become more than one person to do so, which is impossible.
I love you with my heart
My love for you comes from the depths of my emotions and feelings.
I love you with my mind
I also love you with my intellect, reasoning and thoughts.
I love you, love you, love you
My love for you is repeated multiple times to emphasize its intensity and depth.
All there is, I find
All that I am and have, I give to you out of love.
So I can't love you any more
Therefore, it is impossible for my love to grow any stronger.
Any more than I do
My love for you is already at its peak, and it cannot be surpassed.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HERB MAGIDSON, ALLIE WRUBEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind