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 Only Have Eyes for You
Benny Goodman Lyrics
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I can't see anyone but you
Sha bop sha bop
Are the stars out tonight
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
I only have eyes for you dear
But I can't see a thing in the sky
I only have eyes for you
I don't know if we're in a garden
Or on a crowded avenue
You are here and so am I
Maybe millions of people go by
But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you
The lyrics to Benny Goodman's song I Have Eyes convey a sense of tunnel vision when it comes to love. The singer is so smitten with their beloved that they cannot see anyone else, even if they are standing right in front of them. The singer talks about how they only have eyes for their love, and they cannot even see the stars or the moon in the sky. The love is so consuming that they are completely unaware of their surroundings; they do not know if they are in a garden or a crowded avenue.
The lyrics display the singer's singular focus on the object of their affection. They are so absorbed in their love that they are not bothered by the world around them. While they recognize that there may be many people around them, they are of no importance to the singer. The singer's love is the only thing that matters.
Line by Line Meaning
My love must be a kind of blind love
It seems like my love for you is so all-encompassing that I can't see anyone else.
I can't see anyone but you
You are the only person I can truly see and focus on.
Are the stars out tonight
Not sure if the sky is clear or not.
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
I'm not aware of the weather outside right now.
I only have eyes for you dear
My entire focus and attention is solely on you, my love.
The moon may be high
I can sense that the sky is dimly lit.
But I can't see a thing in the sky
I can't see the moon, stars or any other celestial bodies at this moment.
I don't know if we're in a garden
I'm not quite certain of our location.
Or on a crowded avenue
It could either be a quiet garden or a busy street but I can't be sure.
You are here and so am I
What matters at this moment is that we are together.
Maybe millions of people go by
Even if there are many people around us, they don't distract me from you.
But they all disappear from view
No other person can catch my attention but you.
And I only have eyes for you
My love for you is so strong that it consumes me entirely and nothing else matters.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dubin, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind