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.
All of Me
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You taught me how to care
Am I to be just remnant of a one side love affair
All you took
I gladly gave
There is nothing left for me to save
Why not take all of me
Can't you see
I'm no good without you
Take my lips
I want to loose them
Take my arms
I'll never use them
Your goodbye left me with eyes that cry
How can I go on dear without you
You took the part that once was my heart
So why not take all of me
Benny Goodman's classic tune, All of Me, is a heart-wrenching song that speaks of a love affair, long since gone. The song begins with the lyrics - "You took my kisses and all my love, you taught me how to care. Am I to be just a remnant of a one-side love affair?" These powerful words set the tone for the rest of the song, which speaks of a love that was given freely and taken away without remorse.
The next set of lyrics speaks of the pain and heartache that the singer is going through. They state, "All you took, I gladly gave. There is nothing left for me to save." These lines tell us that the singer has given up on the relationship and has nothing left to offer.
The refrain of the song, "All of me, why not take all of me? Can't you see? I'm no good without you." is a plea to the love interest to take them back, even if it means taking everything they have. They go on to say, "Take my lips, I want to lose them. Take my arms, I'll never use them. Your goodbye left me with eyes that cry. How can I go on dear without you? You took the part that once was my heart. So why not take all of me?" These lyrics are a lamentation of a love that was lost and a plea to take them back despite the pain that was caused.
Overall, Benny Goodman's All of Me is a powerful song that speaks of heartbreak and love that was given freely. It is a classic tune that has been covered by many artists over the years, and it remains a fan favorite to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
You took my kisses and all my love
You have taken all of the love and affection I had to offer
You taught me how to care
You showed me how to love and care for someone else
Am I to be just remnant of a one side love affair
Is it fair that I am just left with the remnants of a one-sided love affair?
All you took
You took everything from me
I gladly gave
I gave everything without hesitation
There is nothing left for me to save
There is nothing left to hold onto, everything is gone
All of me
I offer myself completely
Why not take all of me
Take everything I have to offer
Can't you see
Don't you understand
I'm no good without you
I cannot function or be happy without you
Take my lips
Take away my ability to kiss
I want to loose them
I don't want to kiss anyone else
Take my arms
Take away my ability to hold
I'll never use them
I won't hold or touch anyone else
Your goodbye left me with eyes that cry
Your departure has left me heartbroken and in tears
How can I go on dear without you
I can't imagine going on without you
You took the part that once was my heart
You took the part of me that was capable of love
So why not take all of me
If you've taken everything else, why not take all of me?
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind