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.
Swing Low
Benny Goodman Lyrics
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Commin' for to carry me home
There was a band of angels, a-commin after me
Commin' for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Commin' for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
I'm sometimes up, and I'm sometimes down
Comin' for to carry me home
But but I know my soul is heavenly bound
Comin' for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Comin' for to carry me home
If you get there before I do
Comin' for to carry me home
Tell all my friends that I'm a-comin' too
Comin' for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Commin' for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Commin' for to carry me home
And now they're commin' for to carry me home
The lyrics of Swing Low Sweet Chariot by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra depict a spiritual journey home. The singer describes looking across the river Jordan and seeing a band of angels coming to carry them home. The repetition of the phrase "comin' for to carry me home" emphasizes the certainty and excitement of the singer's impending journey to heaven. The titular chariot is a metaphor for this journey, representing the vehicle that will transport the singer to their heavenly destination.
The song speaks to the theme of death and the afterlife, as well as the hope and comfort that religion can provide in the face of mortality. The second verse highlights the ups and downs that the singer has experienced in life, but ultimately the knowledge that their soul is "heavenly bound" reaffirms their belief in an afterlife. The final verse is a message to friends who have already made the journey to heaven, asking them to spread the word that the singer will be joining them soon.
Overall, Swing Low Sweet Chariot is a beautiful and moving spiritual that celebrates the hope and comfort that religious belief can provide in the face of death.
Line by Line Meaning
I looked over Jordan and what did I see?
As I was journeying, I saw the land of Jordan and what caught my attention was a band of angels coming towards me.
Comin' for to carry me home
These angels came for the purpose of taking me to my heavenly abode.
Swing low, sweet chariot
The angels' mode of transportation is a chariot that moves gently and steadily, promising a peaceful journey for me.
I'm sometimes up, and I'm sometimes down
There are times when I am filled with joy, and other times when sadness engulfs me.
But but I know my soul is heavenly bound
Despite my fluctuating emotions, I'm convinced that my spirit is eternally bound for a place beyond the skies.
If you get there before I do
If, by some chance, you get to heaven before I do, kindly pass along a message to my friends for me.
Tell all my friends that I'm a-comin' too
Please let those I've left behind know that I'm on my way to join them in the afterlife.
And now they're commin' for to carry me home
My wait is finally over, as the angelic messengers have arrived to take me to my final resting place.
Lyrics © REGENT MUSIC CORPORATION
Written by: BENNY GOODMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind