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.
Ev
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time we say goodbye I die a little.
Every time we say goodbye I wonder why a little,
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know,
Think so little of me they allow me to go.
When you're near there's such a joy of spring about it.
I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it.
there's no love song finer,
Every time we say goodbye.
Every single time we say goodbye
From: Lynncw@aol.com
The lyrics of Benny Goodman's song "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" reflect the deep emotional pain and confusion felt by the singer when parting with his lover. The line "Every time we say goodbye I die a little" expresses the idea that each goodbye takes a small part of his soul away, leaving him feeling empty and lonely. He wonders why fate is so cruel to him, allowing the one he loves to leave his life. This sense of powerlessness and resignation is reflected in the line "Why the gods above me, who must be in the know, think so little of me they allow me to go."
Despite the sadness that comes with each goodbye, there is also a sense of joy and hope when the lover is near. The singer feels the "joy of spring" when his lover is close, and even the birds seem to sing about it. This contrast between joy and sorrow is highlighted by the shift from major to minor chords in the chorus, as the singer laments the pain of separation.
Overall, "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" is a poignant expression of the bittersweet nature of love and the heartache that comes with parting from someone you deeply care about.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time we say goodbye I die a little.
Whenever we part, it feels like a part of me is dying.
Every time we say goodbye I wonder why a little,
I can't help but question why we have to say goodbye each time.
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know,
I wonder why fate or a higher power seems to know something I don't.
Think so little of me they allow me to go.
I can't understand why my departure is allowed if I mean so little.
When you're near there's such a joy of spring about it.
Being in your presence brings me so much happiness and renewal.
I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it.
I feel like even the birds are celebrating our time together.
there's no love song finer,
This love between us is unmatched and incomparable to any other love song.
But how strange the change from major to minor
Even though our love is pure and joyful, it's bittersweet when we have to part ways.
Every time we say goodbye.
Our goodbyes are always difficult and painful.
Every single time we say goodbye
No matter how many times we've said goodbye before, it doesn't make it any easier.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yuji Miura
How beautiful sound remastered from 78rpm. Very congrats!
Opaula Morgan
A beautiful arrangement by Benny Goodman and beautiful singing by Peggy Mann.
Tejas Ambhore
One of the early recordings. Beautiful 😊
Sorcha McCarrey
really wonderful version! love the simple unadorned vocal treatment
Trombonology Erstwhile
This number stands out as one of Porter's most beautifully crafted of the '40s -- which is saying a lot. I've always had a tough time choosing a favorite treatment, but I've narrowed it down to this one and another on which two of the participants here are also present, Teddy Wilson and Red Norvo, and that version would be the Teddy Wilson Quintet recording for Musicraft, on which Maxine Sullivan provides the vocal chorus. Here we have Peggy Mann, a lady who, while not flashy or extraordinary, was a fine and tasteful singer with an attractive tone. Before her measly one session with Goodman, she worked with the Larry Clinton and Teddy Powell orchestras. In 1947, she succeeded Joan Edwards on the Your Hit Parade radio show. Goodman, who we know frequently tinkered with his band personnel, replaced Peggy with Jane Harvey, whom I consider to be not nearly as good as her predecessor. She made it through four sessions; her replacement, Kay Penton, two and Penton's successor, Dottie Reid (whose work I've always enjoyed), again a lousy one session. Finally, Liza Morrow came along and participated in several recording dates with the Goodman orchestra in the '45-'46 period. On "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," despite the small group format, we find a fair amount of structure to the performance, in the way in which Norvo, in particular, and Wilson support Goodman's opening melody statement, but it's an attractive effect. Peggy's vocal is straight forward and meaningful and free of irritating histrionics. Benny's fluttering obbligato intensifies the mood of tension that permeates the song, culminating with Porter's brilliant "There's no love song finer/But how strange the change from major to minor" and the accompanying harmonic shift.
Susan
Every time we say goodbye,
I die a little,
Every time we say goodbye,
I wonder why a little,
Why the Gods above me,
who must be in the know.
Think so little of me,
they allow you to go.
When you're near,
there's such an air of spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere,
begin to sing about it,
There's no love song finer,
but how strange the change
from major to minor
Every time we say goodbye.
When you're near,
there's such an air of spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere,
begin to sing about it,
There's no love song finer,
but how strange the change
from major to minor
Every time we say goodbye.
Opaula Morgan
This is a great song. About fifteen years ago I was walking in Georgetown, in Washington, D. C. And heard this song being played, and bought the cassette the same day, it has many other Benny Goodman songs on it, including "We'll be Close As Pages in a Booki."
Miguel Osvaldo Flores Dominguez
Nice arrengement by Benny Goodman, nice vocals, nice song!
Kekuahiwi
Splendid vibes. Pretty sure it must be Lionel Hampton