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 surrender dear
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sworn enemy of love
Kept my lips from saying
Things I was thinking of.
But now my pride you've humbled,
I've cast it to the winds,
Broken, beaten, sick at heart
My confession begins.
We've played the game of stay away
But it cost more that I can pay.
Without you I can't make my way,
I surrender, dear.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
I surrender, dear.
Little mean things we were doing
Must have been part of the game,
Lending a spice to the wooing,
But I don't care who's to blame.
When stars appear and shadows fall,
Why then you'll hear My poor heart call,
To you my love, my life, my all
I surrender, dear.
We've played the game of stay away
But it cost more that I can pay.
Without you I can't make my way,
I surrender, dear.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
I surrender, dear.
Little mean things we were doing
Must have been part of the game,
Lending a spice to the wooing,
But I don't care who's to blame.
When stars appear And shadows fall,
Why then you'll hear My poor heart call,
To you my love, my life, my all
The lyrics to Benny Goodman's "I Surrender Dear" are about a person who has let their pride get in the way of expressing their true feelings to someone they love. Their pride has been a "sworn enemy of love," preventing them from saying the things they were thinking of. However, their pride has now been humbled and they are ready to confess their love. The lyrics express the idea that playing hard to get or trying to stay away from someone you love is a losing game that is not worth the cost.
The song also touches on the idea of performing for others and hiding one's true feelings behind a façade. The singer may seem proud or act gay, but deep down they are not that way. The lyrics suggest that the little mean things that may have been done in the pursuit of love were all part of the game, lending a spice to the wooing, but in the end, they don't care who's to blame. When the stars appear and the shadows fall, their heart calls out to the one they love, surrendering themselves completely.
Overall, "I Surrender Dear" is a song about letting go of pride and expressing one's true feelings. It emphasizes the importance of being honest with oneself and others, and not letting fear or pride get in the way of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Pride, sad, splendid liar,
My pride is a sad, impressive lie.
Sworn enemy of love
It keeps me from expressing my true feelings and stands in the way of love.
Kept my lips from saying
I was unable to speak the words that were in my heart.
Things I was thinking of.
Thoughts of my true feelings were hidden away and unspoken.
But now my pride you've humbled,
You have brought me to my knees, and I have let go of my pride.
I've cast it to the winds,
I have let go of my pride entirely.
Broken, beaten, sick at heart
I am shattered, defeated and heartbroken.
My confession begins.
I open myself to you and confess all my true feelings.
We've played the game of stay away
We've tried to avoid each other, but we only made things worse.
But it cost more than I can pay.
The price of staying away was too high, and I cannot bear it any longer.
Without you I can't make my way,
I cannot live or move forward without you in my life.
I surrender, dear.
I give in and surrender to my true feelings for you.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
I may appear confident and happy on the outside, but inside, I am hurting.
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
It's only a fake facade, and I am not as confident and happy as I seem.
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
Because deep within me, I feel differently than what I portray.
Little mean things we were doing
The petty arguments and behaviors were a part of our relationship game.
Must have been part of the game,
It was all part of the process in building our relationship.
Lending a spice to the wooing,
It added an exciting and challenging element to our relationship building.
But I don't care who's to blame.
It doesn't matter who was at fault because I am ready to move forward.
When stars appear and shadows fall,
In the quiet and contemplative moments of the night,
Why then you'll hear my poor heart call,
You'll hear my heart ache and yearning for you.
To you my love, my life, my all
You are my everything, and I love you deeply.
I surrender, dear.
I relinquish all resistance and give in to my love for you.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music
Written by: GORDON CLIFFORD, HARRY BARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kathasaritsagara
Perfect. I only wish there were a singer with them as musical as they are.