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.
Diga Diga Doo
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gear his heart beat a little tattoo
Diga diga doo diga doo doo
Diga diga doo diga doo
You love me and I love you
And when you love it is natural to
Diga diga doo diga doo doo
I'm so very diga diga doo by nature
If you don't say diga diga to your mate
You're gonna lose a papa.
So let those funny people smile
How can there be a Virgin isle
With diga diga doo diga doo doo
Diga diga doo diga doo
No one heeds the marriage laws
Yours is mine and mine is yours
With diga diga doo diga doo doo
Diga diga doo diga doo
The lyrics of Benny Goodman's song Diga Diga Doo talk about love, relationships, and cultural differences. At the beginning of the song, the Zulu man is feeling blue, and his heart is beating a little tattoo. This beat is represented in the lyrics by the repeated phrase "diga diga doo diga doo doo." The song talks about how love is natural and when you love someone, you just have to say diga diga doo.
The lyrics also reveal the importance of the phrase diga diga doo in relationships. The singer says that he is very diga diga doo by nature and that if you don't say it to your mate, you're going to lose a papa. It shows that the phrase has a cultural meaning that is significant to the singer, and he wants others to understand its importance.
The song ends with a reference to marriage laws and the idea that in love, there are no boundaries. The lyrics say that no one heeds the marriage laws, and yours is mine and mine is yours with diga diga doo diga doo doo. This line conveys the idea that love transcends cultural and traditional boundaries, and it is a universal feeling that everyone can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Zulu man is feelin' blue
A man of the Zulu tribe is experiencing sadness.
Gear his heart beat a little tattoo
His heart is beating fast, creating a rhythmic sound similar to a drum.
Diga diga doo diga doo doo
This phrase has no specific meaning, but is used to create a catchy and memorable tune.
You love me and I love you
There is mutual affection between two people.
And when you love it is natural to
When in love, it is normal to do certain things.
Diga diga doo diga doo doo
This phrase has no specific meaning, but is used to create a catchy and memorable tune.
Diga diga doo diga doo
This phrase has no specific meaning, but is used to create a catchy and memorable tune.
I'm so very diga diga doo by nature
I have an inherently playful and upbeat personality.
If you don't say diga diga to your mate
If you do not show affection to your partner,
You're gonna lose a papa.
You may lose your partner, possibly to another person who shows more affection.
So let those funny people smile
Ignore those who may find your affectionate behavior amusing.
How can there be a Virgin isle
A rhetorical question posed to those who criticize or question displays of affection.
With diga diga doo diga doo doo
This phrase has no specific meaning, but is used to create a catchy and memorable tune.
Diga diga doo diga doo
This phrase has no specific meaning, but is used to create a catchy and memorable tune.
No one heeds the marriage laws
People do not always follow the rules surrounding marriage and relationships.
Yours is mine and mine is yours
In a loving relationship, both partners share everything and give equally.
With diga diga doo diga doo doo
This phrase has no specific meaning, but is used to create a catchy and memorable tune.
Diga diga doo diga doo
This phrase has no specific meaning, but is used to create a catchy and memorable tune.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOROTHY FIELDS, JIMMY MC HUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
C 3POMG
I guess this was played on set while they filmed the cantina scenes and JW even used it as reference for the band music in Star Wars, pretty cool!
Benny Goodman
WOW!!!Very great version!!!! THANK YOU!!:
Benny Goodman
Benny was the great!!!!
Benny Goodman
The only who can play that way.
The only one.
TheRockabillyVdubber
Gr8 version, bit too fast too lindy hop on for me, but still, gr8 version
Addy Grubber
Yeah man!
diggingtreasures
@BennyGoodman1977 you're all welcome