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.
Body and Soul
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For you I sigh, for you dear only
Why haven't you seen it
I'm all for you body and soul
I spend my days in longing
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I tell you I mean it
I can't believe it
It's hard to conceive it
That you'd turn away romance
Are you pretending
It looks like the ending
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for the very taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
The lyrics to Benny Goodman's song "Body and Soul" express a deep sense of unrequited love and longing. The singer's heart is heavy with sadness and loneliness, as he pines for the object of his affections. He is all in, body and soul, but his beloved seems to be looking elsewhere for romance. The singer is left to wonder why he is being wronged, and if he'll ever have a chance to prove his love. He is willing to surrender everything, body and soul, to be with this person.
The lyrics to "Body and Soul" speak to a universal human experience: the pain of unrequited love. The singer's emotion is palpable in each verse, as he paints a portrait of a heart full of longing and a life that is full of misery. The song captures the essence of what it means to fall in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way, and the agony that comes with that realization. The singer's willingness to surrender everything, to give himself completely to this person, makes the emotions in the song all the more powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart is sad and lonely
I am filled with sorrow and feel empty without you
For you I sigh, for you dear only
I long for you and crave only your affection
Why haven't you seen it
Why haven't you noticed my love for you
I'm all for you body and soul
My devotion to you is complete and all-encompassing
I spend my days in longing
Every day is consumed by my yearning for you
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I question why I am being mistreated by you
I tell you I mean it
I am serious about my love for you
I'm all for you body and soul
My devotion to you is complete and all-encompassing
I can't believe it
I am having a hard time comprehending the situation
It's hard to conceive it
It is difficult to imagine why you are rejecting my love
That you'd turn away romance
I am surprised that you are rejecting my romantic advances
Are you pretending
Are you acting as if you don't have feelings for me
It looks like the ending
It seems like our relationship is going to come to an end
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
Unless I am given a chance to prove my love for you
My life a wreck you're making
You are causing chaos and turmoil in my life
You know I'm yours for just the taking
You know that I am ready and willing to be with you
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
I would willingly give myself to you completely, both physically and emotionally
My life a wreck you're making
You are causing chaos and turmoil in my life
You know I'm yours for the very taking
You know that I am ready and willing to be with you
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
I would willingly give myself to you completely, both physically and emotionally
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., EMI Music Publishing
Written by: BARRY, PAUL MICHAEL / SIMPSON, PHIL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@noopy22
I am currently 13 years old, this song is way older then me, yet I still enjoy it. I listen to it on the way to school on the bus. It’s beautiful. Makes me feel like I’m in the 50s.
@graceskerp
Then you'll also enjoy Artie Shaw's Begin the Beguine. Check it out.
@wanttoknow5964
I heard this song for the first time in 2000. Unfortunately, I forgot the title and the artist's name....but have hummed it a lot over the years. I always hoped I would hear it in its entirety again. And now look...I finally found it. Such a beautiful song. I'm happy now.
@BananaLizard
one of the best feelings in the world tbh
@wildsmiley
One of my most cherished jazz recordings. Whenever you hear Teddy Wilson play, the sun shines a little brighter.
@donnyrichard4644
Glorious music, fantastic master musicians taking me back to my teen days in the early 40's. WOW!
@won01419
very nice ~ ~~~~
@cupbowl6787
That’s so cool I can’t imagine living in those times
@gabrielmrabi2309
This music is more relaxing than a joint
@hoss73ford
take your sweetie & dance to this in your living room, just the two of you & will have a natural high that is unequalled anywhere else.