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'ry Time
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
But how strange the change from major to minor
Every single time we say goodbye
The lyrics to Benny Goodman's song "Ev'rytime We Say Goodbye" express the pain and confusion felt by the singer whenever they part ways with their lover. They describe the physical and emotional toll saying goodbye takes on them, as demonstrated by the melancholy shift from major to minor chords in the song's melody. The singer questions why they are allowed to suffer this way, attributing their heartbreak to the whims of the gods or fate. Despite the sadness, they still find joy in the presence of their lover, likening it to the feeling of spring and the sound of a lark singing.
The lyrics of this song use vivid imagery to convey the depth of the singer's feelings. The repeated phrase "Every time we say goodbye" serves as a poignant reminder of the pain of separation. The mention of the gods who "think so little" of the singer implies a sense of unfairness or injustice, as if the gods have singled them out for punishment. The contrast between the joyful imagery of spring and singing birds and the minor chords of the song's musical arrangement highlights the bittersweet nature of the singer's emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time we say goodbye I die a little
Whenever we part ways, I feel a small part of me dies inside
Every time we say goodbye I wonder why a little
I can't help but question why fate keeps separating us
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know
I am filled with confusion as to why the divine powers allow this to keep happening.
Think so little of me they allow me to go
It feels like the universe doesn't value our relationship, as if it's insignificant enough for us to part ways.
When you're near there's such a joy of spring about it
Your presence brings me immense joy, almost as if a season of rebirth and renewal has arrived
I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it
The sound of a bird signifies the arrival of happiness and positivity when I'm with you
there's no love song finer
Among all the love songs in the world, none can match the beauty and depth of what we share
But how strange the change from major to minor
It's ironic how our beautiful love song can shift in tone from happy and optimistic to sad and mournful.
Every time we say goodbye
No matter how many times it happens, I can never get used to the pain of saying goodbye to you.
Every single time we say goodbye
Each and every instance of parting ways is equally difficult for me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., 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