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.
I'll Never Be the Same
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stars have lost their meaning for me
I'll never be the same
Nothing's what it once use to be
And when the songbirds that sing
Tell me it's spring
I can't believe their song
Once love was king but kings can be wrong
There is such an ache in my heart
Never be the same since we're apart
Though there's a lot that a smile may hide
I know down deep inside
I'll never be the same never be the same again
I'll never be the same
Stars have lost their meaning for me
I'll never be the same
Nothing's what it once use to be
And when the songbirds that sing
Tell me it's spring
I can't believe their song
Once love was king but kings can be wrong
I'll never be the same
There is such an ache in my heart
Never be the same since we're apart
Though there's a lot that a smile may hide
I know down deep inside
"I'll Never Be The Same" is a melancholy jazz standard that was first recorded by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra in 1935, with vocals by Peggy Lee. The song was composed by Gus Kahn (lyrics), Matty Malneck (music), and Frank Signorelli (music). The lyrics speak of the pain of lost love, and the emptiness and lack of meaning that the singer feels in the wake of the breakup. The first verse speaks of the loss of joy and wonder that the stars used to bring, while the second verse expands on this theme by noting the inability of even the birdsong of spring to bring any comfort or hope. The third verse brings us back to the central theme of the song by emphasizing the pain in the singer's heart and the impossibility of returning to the way things were before.
One of the strengths of the lyrics to "I'll Never Be The Same" is their universality. They describe the feelings of heartbreak and loss that are common to people across cultures and time periods. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Chet Baker, among others. Its emotional power and timeless appeal continue to resonate with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll never be the same
My life has changed so permanently that I will never be the same person again.
Stars have lost their meaning for me
The beauty of the stars no longer holds my attention or brings me joy since my heartache.
Nothing's what it once use to be
Everything feels different now that I am heartbroken and my life has taken a new direction.
And when the songbirds that sing
Even the cheerful melodies of songbirds are unable to lift my spirits or give me hope.
Tell me it's spring
The arrival of spring is no longer a source of excitement or optimism for me.
I can't believe their song
I am unable to find comfort in the joyful songs of spring when weighed down by heartbreak.
Once love was king but kings can be wrong
I believed my love was strong and everlasting, but it turned out to be flawed and fallible like any human being.
There is such an ache in my heart
The pain and sadness caused by the loss of my love is so deep that it physically hurts.
Never be the same since we're apart
My life has been irrevocably altered by the breakup, and I will never be the same as I was when we were together.
Though there's a lot that a smile may hide
Even when I try to put on a happy facade, there is still an underlying pain and sorrow that cannot be completely hidden.
I know down deep inside
Despite my efforts to seem unbothered on the surface, I am aware of the depth of my heartache and the ways in which it has changed me.
I'll never be the same never be the same again
My heartache has changed me so completely that there is no going back to who I was before, and my life will never be the same again.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Gus Kahn, Matt Malneck, Frank Signorelli
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind