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.
Everything I Love
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every night I dream a little dream
And of course Prince Charming is the theme
The he, for me.
Although I realize as well as you
It is seldom that a dream comes true
To me it's clear
Some day he'll come along, the man I love
And he'll be big and strong, the man I love
And when he comes my way
I'll do my best to make him stay
He'll look at me and smile; I'll understand
And in a little while he'll take my hand
And though it seems absurd
I know we both won't say a word
Maybe I shall meet him Sunday
Maybe Monday, maybe not
Still I'm sure to meet him one day
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day
He'll build a little home just meant for two
From which I'll never roam; who would? Would you?
And so all else above
I'm waiting for the man I love
The lyrics to the classic Benny Goodman song "The Man I Love" paint a picture of a woman's dreams of a perfect man, or more specifically, a Prince Charming figure. The opening lines of the song suggest that this is a recurring dream, something which the woman often thinks about: "When the mellow moon begins to beam, every night I dream a little dream, and of course, Prince Charming is the theme, the he, for me."
The lyrics acknowledge that dreams don't always come true - "although I realize as well as you, it is seldom that a dream comes true" - yet the woman remains optimistic that her Prince Charming will appear someday. She envisions a man who is "big and strong" who will "look at me and smile." When this happens, they will both "know" that they are meant to be together, even if they "won't say a word."
The song ends with a sense of hopeful yearning, as the woman waits for the man she loves to come into her life. She imagines them building a home together, a place where she will feel safe and never want to leave. The song's closing lines sum up the woman's unwavering longing and desire to find her soulmate: "And so all else above, I'm waiting for the man I love."
Line by Line Meaning
When the mellow moon begins to beam
Every night, when the calm light of the moon rises
Every night I dream a little dream
I dream a small dream every night
And of course Prince Charming is the theme
And it is always about finding my Prince Charming
The he, for me.
The one who is meant for me.
Although I realize as well as you
Although I'm aware just like you are
It is seldom that a dream comes true
That it's a rare occurrence for a dream to become reality
To me it's clear
But for me it's obvious
That he'll appear
That he'll show up
Some day he'll come along, the man I love
One day, the man I love will come into my life
And he'll be big and strong, the man I love
He will be a strong and powerful man
And when he comes my way
And when fate brings him to me
I'll do my best to make him stay
I'll do everything I can to keep him by my side
He'll look at me and smile; I'll understand
He'll look at me with a smile, and I will know
And in a little while he'll take my hand
And he will soon hold my hand
And though it seems absurd
And although it may seem unlikely
I know we both won't say a word
I know we won't need to say anything
Maybe I shall meet him Sunday
Perhaps I will meet him on a Sunday
Maybe Monday, maybe not
Or maybe it will be on a Monday, or maybe it won't be
Still I'm sure to meet him one day
Regardless, I am sure that I will meet him someday
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day
Perhaps I'll receive good news on a Tuesday
He'll build a little home just meant for two
He will create a small home just for the two of us
From which I'll never roam; who would? Would you?
And I'll never leave it; who would want to? Would you?
And so all else above
And despite everything else that is out there
I'm waiting for the man I love
I am waiting for the man whom I love.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
donny richard
Once again listening to this joyous music played by the ultimate of all musicians. Thank you Lloyd for providing us with these incredible performances. Irreplaceable.
lrh1966
Thanks again Donny for checking out Benny Goodman and Happy Holiday's.
Steven Heywood
Wonderful piece from Benny, Gene, Lionel and Teddy...made even more special by one if the personnel heard humming towards the end of the recording...😎😊🤗
lrh1966
Thanks Steven for listening and have a happy holiday season from Lloyd.
Steve Heywood
Made even more special with Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton being colored, which didn't happen in those days with an otherwise "white" band.
Barry I. Grauman
One of the highlights (in my humble opinion) of the January 16, 1938 concert....and of the Goodman Quartet's best live recordings.... Benny Goodman, clarinet Teddy Wilson, piano Gene Krupa, drums LIonel Hampton, vibraphone
Ed Schober
Genius all! Hampton’s finest moment among all the momentous moments he has provided us! Short but more than perfect!
lrh1966
Thanks Ed for listening and have a great day from Lloyd :)
lrh1966
This is a great track by Benny G. and it is amazing to hear him in concert from the 30's as live concert recording was very rare in those days.
Barry I. Grauman
True. The only other way you could have heard him (with band and small groups) "live", was on those "remotes" heard virtually every night on the various radio networks [most of those transcriptions have also survived as well].