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.
Ain
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All by myself
No one to walk with
But I'm happy on the shelf
Ain't misbehavin'
I'm savin' my love for you
I know for certain
I'm through with flirtin'
It's just you I'm thinkin' of
Ain't misbehavin'
I'm savin' my love for you
Like Jack Horner
In the corner
Don't go nowhere
What do I care?
Your kisses are worth waitin' for
Believe me
I don't stay out late
Don't care to go
I'm home about eight
Just me and my radio
Ain't misbehavin'
I'm savin' my love for you
Like Jack Horner
In the corner
Don't go nowhere
What do I care?
Your kisses are worth waitin' for
Believe me
I don't stay out late
Don't care to go
I'm home about eight
Just me and my radio
Ain't misbehavin'
I'm savin' my love for you
The lyrics to Benny Goodman and His Orchestra's song "Ain't Misbehavin'" paint a picture of a person who is content with being by themselves and saving their love for someone special. The singer begins by stating that they are alone and have no one to talk or walk with, but they are happy being on the shelf. The phrase "ain't misbehavin'" implies that despite being alone, they are not causing any trouble or misbehaving.
The singer then confesses that they know who they love and that they are done with flirting with others. They are only thinking of this person and, again, they are not misbehaving. The following lines compare the singer to Jack Horner in the corner who doesn't go anywhere, but they do not care as they believe that waiting for their special someone's kisses are worth it.
The last few lines of the song depict the singer's ordinary life, where they do not stay out late nor care to go out. They spend their evenings at home listening to the radio and saving their love for their partner, continuing to not misbehave.
Overall, the song expresses the sentiment of devotion and faithfulness towards a special someone in a sweet and upbeat manner. It celebrates the idea that waiting for someone you love is well worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
No one to talk with
I am alone and have no one to converse with.
All by myself
I am completely solitary and without company.
No one to walk with
I have nobody to take a stroll with.
But I'm happy on the shelf
Even though I am alone, I am content with being by myself and not seeking companionship.
Ain't misbehavin'
I am well-behaved and on my best behavior.
I'm savin' my love for you
I am keeping my affection and love solely for you.
I know for certain
I am completely positive and sure.
The one I love
I love one person and only one person.
I'm through with flirtin'
I have no interest in flirting or engaging in romantic encounters with anyone else.
It's just you I'm thinkin' of
You are the only person on my mind and in my thoughts.
Like Jack Horner
Similar to the nursery rhyme character, Jack Horner.
In the corner
I am off to the side and out of the way.
Don't go nowhere
I have no intention of going anywhere.
What do I care?
I have no concern about anything else.
Your kisses are worth waitin' for
I believe that your kisses are valuable and worth being patient for.
Believe me
Trust me and have faith in what I say.
I don't stay out late
I usually do not spend time outside of my home in the evenings.
Don't care to go
I have no desire or interest in going out.
I'm home about eight
I typically arrive back at my residence around 8 o'clock.
Just me and my radio
I have only myself and my radio for company.
Ain't misbehavin'
I am behaving appropriately and not engaging in any improper behavior.
I'm savin' my love for you
I am keeping my love exclusively for you and not giving it to anyone else.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andy Razaf, Fats Waller, Harry Brooks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DhaniMcCa :v
aint misebehavin es esa tipica cancion que no importa quien la toque y cante, siempre sera una maravilla
Angela Lucia Llerena Camargo
benny.....gran legado.....un gran maestro....!
Paul Luchter
One of the first integrated bands.
john e Lawler
a little bit good me thinks lol