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.
Can't Teach My Old Heart New Tricks
Benny Goodman Lyrics
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Can't make it love someone new
Can't teach my old heart new tricks
Keeps on beating just for you
I tell my old eyes it's spring
They tell me it's cold and gray
Can't teach my old eyes a thing
Oh why can't I forget you
As you forgotten me
But something inside keeps holding on
Not knowing that you're gone, ooh
Can't teach my old heart new tricks
Can't make it love someone new
Can't teach my old heart new tricks
Keeps on beating just for you, ooh
Oh why can't I forget you
As you forgotten me
But something inside keeps holding on
Not knowing that you're gone, ooh
Can't teach my old heart new tricks
Can't make it love someone new
Can't teach my old heart new tricks
Keeps on beating just for you
Can't teach my old heart new tricks, oh
(Can't make it love someone new)
Can't make it love someone new
My heart
Keeps on beating just for you
Can't teach my old heart new tricks, oh
(Can't make it love someone new)
Can't make it love someone new
My heart
Keeps on beating just for you
Can't teach my old heart new tricks, oh
(Can't make it love someone new)
Can't make it love someone new
My heart
In "Can't Teach My Old Heart New Tricks," Benny Goodman sings about the pain of moving on after a breakup. Despite his best efforts, he can't make his heart love someone new. He compares his heart and eyes to old dogs that can't learn new tricks, highlighting the difficulty of changing one's emotional patterns after years of attachment to a person.
The imagery combines the romantic (heart and love) with the mundane (tricks and eyes), showing the struggle between the idealized fantasy of love and the practical limitations of human nature. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the singer's inability to overcome his attachment to his former lover, whom he hopes to forget but cannot. The bittersweet tone of the song captures the complexities of relationships and the difficulty of letting go.
Overall, "Can't Teach My Old Heart New Tricks" is a melancholy yet relatable portrayal of heartbreak and the challenge of moving on. The lyrics showcase Goodman's skill at evoking emotion through simple yet powerful words.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't teach my old heart new tricks
I cannot change how I feel about you or love someone else
Can't make it love someone new
My heart only loves you and cannot love another person
Keeps on beating just for you
My heart continues to love only you
I tell my old eyes it's spring
I try to see the world as happy and bright, but my heart still feels sad
They tell me it's cold and gray
No matter how hard I try to see the world as happy, my sadness persists
Can't teach my old eyes a thing
I cannot change how I view the world or how I feel inside.
Keep on cryin' night and day
I cannot stop feeling sad and heartbroken
Oh why can't I forget you
I wish I could forget you and move on, but I can't
As you forgotten me
I know you have moved on and forgotten about me
But something inside keeps holding on
Something within me still hopes that we will be together
Not knowing that you're gone, ooh
Even though I should accept that you have moved on, I still hold onto the hope that we will be reunited
Can't teach my old heart new tricks, oh
No matter how hard I try, my heart remains the same
(Can't make it love someone new)
I cannot make my heart love another person
My heart
My feelings and emotions towards you
Keeps on beating just for you
I still love you and my heart beats solely for you
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD WHITING, JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind