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.
Spinning Wheel
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spinning Wheel got to go 'round
Talkin' 'bout your troubles
It's a cryin' sin
Ride a painted pony
Let the Spinning Wheel spin
You got no money, you got no home
Spinning Wheel all alone
You never learn
Ride a painted pony
Let the Spinning Wheel turn
Did you find your directing sign
On the straight and narrow highway
Would you mind a reflecting sign?
Just let it shine within your mind
And show you the colors that are real
Someone is waiting just for you
Spinning Wheel spinning true
Drop all you troubles by the river side
The lyrics of the song Spinning Wheel by Benny Goodman talk about the cyclical nature of life. The phrase "what goes up must come down" refers to the ups and downs of life. The spinning wheel represents the cycle of life, and it keeps on turning, no matter what. The lyrics urge the listener to let go of their troubles and ride the painted pony, which is a metaphor for enjoying the ride of life. The song talks about how people often talk about their troubles, but they never seem to learn from them, and they keep repeating the same mistakes.
The second verse talks about finding your direction in life. The straight and narrow highway represents the path of life, and the reflecting sign is a metaphor for a guide or a mentor who can help us find our way. The lyrics urge the listener to let their light shine and to show the colors that are real, which means being true to oneself. The song ends with the line "drop all your troubles by the river side," which means letting go of the past and moving on.
Overall, the song Spinning Wheel is a reminder that life is cyclical, and we should enjoy the ride and let go of our troubles.
Line by Line Meaning
What goes up must come down
Everything that goes up eventually falls back down.
Spinning Wheel got to go 'round
Life goes on and keeps moving, even when we don't want it to.
Talkin' 'bout your troubles
Focusing on and discussing our problems can be a negative thing.
It's a cryin' sin
Letting our troubles consume us to the point of crying is a negative thing.
Ride a painted pony
Take some time to enjoy the little things in life.
Let the Spinning Wheel spin
We can't control everything in life – sometimes we just have to let things happen.
You got no money, you got no home
Sometimes life is tough and we feel like we have nothing.
Spinning Wheel all alone
Even when we feel like we have nothing, life continues to move forward.
Talkin' 'bout your troubles and you
Continuing to focus on our problems will only make us feel worse.
You never learn
Failing to see the bigger picture or learn from our mistakes can be detrimental.
Did you find your directing sign
Have you found your purpose or direction in life?
On the straight and narrow highway
Are you on the right path toward achieving your goals?
Would you mind a reflecting sign?
Do you need help seeing the bigger picture or gaining perspective?
Just let it shine within your mind
Take some time for personal introspection and reflection.
And show you the colors that are real
Gaining perspective can help us see the world and our problems in a new light.
Someone is waiting just for you
There are people in our lives who support and care for us, even when we don't realize it.
Spinning Wheel spinning true
Life continues to move forward, regardless of what we do or how we feel.
Drop all you troubles by the river side
At some point, we need to let go of our problems so we can move forward and enjoy life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alois Bouda
I can't do anything but repeat: Many thanks for posting this rare Benny Goodman - tune. I´ve never heared it before. Best wishes from Slovakia this time!!!
proximace
Many thanks for posting this rare Benny Goodman - tune. I´ve never heared it before. Best wishes from Germany!!!
StephenHarpersNutsak
I notice a lot of good tunes off this Up Up & Away album, now that I think about it.
Ken Newell
My pleasure and thank you from Australia. :)
Ken Newell
You also are very welcome and I thank you for commenting. All the best from Down Under. :)