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.
Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He says you got a corny trill
Bob White! Whatcha gonna swing tonight?
I was talkin' to the mocking bird
He says you are the worst he's heard,
Bob White! Whatcha gonna swing tonight?
Even the owl tells me you're a foul
Don't be a bring down
If you can swing down
Gimme those high notes
There's a lotta talk about you, Bob
And they're sayin you're "off the cob"
Fake it, Mister be
Take it, follow me, Bob white
We're gonna break it up tonight
"Billy Rose and his Orchestra" first performed "Bob White" in 1937. Benny Goodman and Martha Tilton along with the Benny Goodman Orchestra later recorded the song in the same year, which became immensely popular. The song characterizes Bob White, the bird, who gets conversed with other birds. The lyrics talk about how even other birds consider Bob White's high pitched tone as “corny” and the “worst.” The owl even considers the tone to be "lullaby notes." However, the lyrics suggest that even though Bob White has had negative feedback from other birds, he should not let that bring him down.
Despite the criticism, Bob White should swing as it is going to break it up tonight. The lyrics encapsulate the idea of ignoring criticism and continuing to be oneself, which is essential even today. The words of the lyrics implore Bob White to follow his passion, be himself, and not let others' negativity bring him down.
Line by Line Meaning
I was talkin' to the whippoorwill
I was recently having a conversation with the whippoorwill
He says you got a corny trill
He stated that your singing is outdated and not interesting
Bob White! Whatcha gonna swing tonight?
Bob White, what kind of music are you going to perform tonight?
I was talkin' to the mocking bird
I just spoke to the mocking bird
He says you are the worst he's heard
He commented that your singing is the worst he's ever heard
Even the owl tells me you're a foul
Even the owl has informed me that your singing is unpleasant
Singin' those lullaby notes,
You are singing in a monotonous and dull way
Don't be a bring down
Do not be a burden or displeasing to the people around you
If you can swing down
However, if you can sing with more excitement
Gimme those high notes
Please give me music that is lively and upbeat
There's a lotta talk about you, Bob
People are saying a lot of things about you, Bob
And they're saying you're "off the cob"
They're saying you're out-of-date or old-fashioned
Fake it, Mister be
Pretend if you must
Take it, follow me, Bob white
Take my lead and follow me, Bob White
We're gonna break it up tonight
We're going to have a lively and exciting musical performance tonight
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BERNARD D. HANIGHEN, JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Zargarov
I like Connee Boswell, but Martha Tilton's version of this song is still the best!