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.
Not Mine
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's somebody else's night for love, not mine
A heart to someone else is a thing that melts
To me it's just a comic Valentine
Let somebody else's tear be shed, not mine
Let somebody else's nose get red, not mine
I like playing solitaire
It's somebody else's moon up there, not mine
Benny Goodman's "Not Mine" is a song about longing and a desire for something that the singer cannot attain – in this case, it's love. The opening lines talk about the moon and how it's somebody else's. This line is symbolic of the singer's perspective of love. They feel that love belongs to someone else and not to them. The next line, "It's somebody else's night for love, not mine," is an extension of that feeling. The singer sees that love is happening for others but not for them. They have feelings for someone, but that feeling is not reciprocated.
In the next line, "A heart to someone else is a thing that melts, to me it's just a comic Valentine," the singer is expressing their feeling that their heart is not melting for anyone. While others have their hearts aflutter with love, the singer sees love as a comic Valentine. It seems that the feeling of love is not something that they can take seriously. The last two lines, "Let somebody else's tear be shed, not mine, let somebody else's nose get red, not mine," continue this feeling of separation from love. The singer wants to keep their emotions in check and not allow themselves to get caught up in the passion that love can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
It's somebody else's moon above, not mine
The moon that shines up above isn't mine, it belongs to someone else.
It's somebody else's night for love, not mine
Tonight, love is meant for someone else, not me.
A heart to someone else is a thing that melts
A heart may melt for someone else, but for me, it's just a silly, insignificant thing.
To me it's just a comic Valentine
Love, to me, is like a humorous Valentine's Day card, not to be taken seriously.
Let somebody else's tear be shed, not mine
I don't want to cry, so I'd rather someone else shed tears in my place.
Let somebody else's nose get red, not mine
I don't want to be the one to get emotional and have my nose turn red; someone else can do that.
I like playing solitaire
I enjoy playing solitaire, a game that can be played alone.
But until I can draw a pair
I won't be satisfied until I draw two matching cards in the game of solitaire.
It's somebody else's moon up there, not mine
Once again, the moon that shines up above isn't mine, it belongs to someone else.
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