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.
Good Night My Love
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Goodnight my love, my moment with you now is ending
It was so heavenly, holding you, close to me
It will be heavenly to hold you again in a dream
The stars above have promised to meet us tomorrow
Till then my love, how dreary the new day will seem
So for the present, dear, we'll have to part
Sleep tight, my love, goodnight, my love
Goodnight my love, your mommy is kneeling beside you
Goodnight my love, to dreamland the sandman will guide you
Come now you sleepyhead, close your eyes, and go to bed
My precious sleepyhead, you mustn't play peek-a-boo
Goodnight my love, your little Dutch dolly is yawning
Goodnight my love, your teddy bear called it a day
Your doggy's fast asleep, my but he's smart
Sleep tight, my love, goodnight my love
The song "Goodnight My Love" by Benny Goodman and Ella Fitzgerald is a beautiful love ballad that talks about lovers parting ways after spending a wonderful moment together. The first verse talks about how the tired old moon is descending, indicating that it's late at night and time for the two lovers to say goodnight. Although it is difficult to leave each other, they know that they will meet again tomorrow. The stars above have promised to meet the lovers tomorrow, making them excited and hopeful for the next day. However, until then, it will be dreary and lonely without each other's company. Hence, the most important thing at the moment is to say goodnight, sleep tight and dream of holding each other again.
The second verse of the song is sung as a lullaby to a child. The lyrics highlight how the sandman will guide the child to dreamland while his/her mother kneels beside him/her. The song talks about how precious the child is and how much the singer loves him/her. The child's dolly is yawning, and his/her teddybear has called it a day, indicating that it's time for the child to sleep too. As the singer sings the lyrics, "your doggy's fast asleep, my but he's smart," it creates an atmosphere of calm, love, and care that is perfect for soothing the child into a peaceful sleep.
Overall, "Goodnight My Love" is a beautiful song that captures the essence of love shared between couples and parents and children. It reminds us of the beauty of spending time with loved ones and how precious it is, making it difficult to say goodbye.
Fact 1: Benny Goodman and Ella Fitzgerald originally performed "Goodnight My Love" in the 1939 film, "Love Affair."
Fact 2: The original songwriter of the song is Harry Revel, while the lyrics were written by Mack Gordon.
Fact 3: The song appears in the 1941 film "Buck Privates," performed by The Andrews Sisters.
Fact 4: "Goodnight My Love" was later covered by other musical greats, including Paul Anka, Gloria Estefan, and Doris Day.
Fact 5: The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
Fact 6: The song's opening instrumental segment was later used as the theme music for The CBS Late Movie program.
Fact 7: The song has been used in various TV shows and movies, including "Moonlighting," "Northern Exposure," and "A Series of Unfortunate Events."
Fact 8: The song features a typical orchestra sound of the 1930s and 1940s, with a swing rhythm and a big band arrangement.
Fact 9: Composer John Williams paid homage to "Goodnight My Love" by incorporating a variation of the melody in his score for the movie "1941."
Fact 10: The song has inspired various covers by artists from different genres, including jazz, R&B, pop, and rock.
Chords: G, Em, D, D7, C, Am, G7, Dm.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending
Saying goodbye to my love, as the moon descends and the night comes to a close.
Goodnight my love, my moment with you now is ending
Our time together tonight is over, and it's time to say goodnight.
It was so heavenly, holding you, close to me
Being in your arms was a heavenly experience, and it felt magical.
It will be heavenly to hold you again in a dream
Although we are parting, I look forward to dreaming of holding you again tonight.
The stars above have promised to meet us tomorrow
We can look forward to tomorrow, as the stars have promised to be with us then.
Till then my love, how dreary the new day will seem
Until I see you again, the new day will appear dreary and uneventful.
So for the present, dear, we'll have to part
Unfortunately, we must say goodbye for now, as the night comes to an end.
Sleep tight, my love, goodnight, my love
May you have a restful sleep and sweet dreams, my beloved.
Remember that you're mine sweetheart
Always remember that you are mine, my dear and cherished love.
Goodnight my love, your mommy is kneeling beside you
Now it's time for a child to go to sleep, while their mother kneels beside them.
Goodnight my love, to dreamland the sandman will guide you
The sandman will guide the child to the land of dreams, saying goodnight to them.
Come now you sleepyhead, close your eyes, and go to bed
It's time to close your eyes, dear sleepyhead, and go to bed, as the night winds down.
My precious sleepyhead, you mustn't play peek-a-boo
As you rest, don't play peek-a-boo and get distracted, my precious sleepyhead.
Goodnight my love, your little Dutch dolly is yawning
The child's Dutch dolly is also sleepy, saying goodnight and yawning along with them.
Goodnight my love, your teddy bear called it a day
The child's teddy bear is also going to sleep now, and wishes them a goodnight.
Your doggy's fast asleep, my but he's smart
The child's doggy has already fallen asleep, and seems smart for being able to do so.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREAS SVENSSON, NIKLAS ROGER BORG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@achlys517
Lyrics
"Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending,
Goodnight my love, my moment with you now is ending.
It was so heavenly, holding you close to me,
It will be heavenly to hold you again in a dream,
The stars above have promised to meet us tomorrow,
Til then, my love, how dreary the new day will seem,
So for the present dear, we'll have to part,
Sleep tight my love, goodnight my love,
Remember that you're my sweetheart".
@fabiolavillanueva8582
Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending,
Goodnight my love, my moment with you now is ending.
It was so heavenly, holding you close to me,
It will be heavenly to hold you again in a dream,
The stars above have promised to meet us tomorrow,
Til then, my love, how dreary the new day will seem,
So for the present dear, we'll have to part,
Sleep tight my love, goodnight my love,
Remember that you're my sweetheart.
@fdobbs37
Good episode of The Sopranos, and a great closing credits tune Ella Fitzgerald and Benny Goodman two giants. It doesn't get any better
@uurty.
LMAO just came here after watching this episode rn
@Jean-Louis-Laylle
A magnificent song, with a very complete combination: the King of the Swing and his orchestra, with the precious voice of a very youngster Ella Fitzgerald. Definitively an awesome song.
@Ibraheem224
I wouldn’t change a thing about this song, it’s so perfect and I am going to make it the official lullaby for my kids
@thebeatnumber
I thought music was supposed to be haram for followers of the illiterate child rapist prophet from Mecca.
@InuandKagomeForever
My parents used to sing this to me when I was little to get me to go to sleep. I love this song, and all of the memories that go with.
@ecb1979
I used to sing this to my children at night :) your parents had great taste
@Nowthisispodracing4
Erin Billingham I sing it to my kid too and he goes right to sleep
@djangokill65
I sing this to my kids as I tuck them in :)
@loretta164
My grandmother sang this song to me when I was 4 to sleep. Now I song this to my son who's two :)