Take Another Guess
Benny Goodman Lyrics


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So you think I'll sit around and cry
The day you say, "Toodle-ooo, goodbye"
Oh yes?
Take another guess

Oh, you think no one can fill your shoes
And when you're gone, then I'll have the blues
Oh yes?
Take another guess

If you go your way
Then I'll go my way
And if you do as well as I do
Honey, you'll do okay

Oh, you think I'll die of loneliness
And the deep blue sea is my next address
Oh yes?
Take another guess

Don't ya hear me talkin' to ya?
Take another guess

If you think that I'll be blue
Take another guess

If you go your way
Then I'll go my way
And if you do as well as I do
Honey, you'll do okay

Oh, you think I'll die of loneliness
And the deep blue sea is my next address




Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes?
Take another guess

Overall Meaning

The song "Take Another Guess" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra is all about a person who is confident in their ability to move on after a breakup. The lyrics are directed towards the ex-lover who believes that the person left behind would be devastated without their presence. The singer repeatedly challenges this notion by telling the ex-lover to take another guess. They refuse to sit around and cry after the breakup and are sure that they will be just fine without their former partner.


The singer also shares that they believe their ex-lover thinks that no one can fill their shoes, but again, they challenge this belief. They are not worried about being lonely, as they believe they will find someone who can do as well as their former partner. The lyrics include the use of sarcasm and a confident tone, showing that the singer is not afraid of the breakup and wants their ex-lover to know this.


Overall, the song celebrates independence and the ability to move on from a relationship. It suggests that it is not necessary to dwell on the past or on a former lover, and that there is a bright future ahead for those who believe in themselves.


Line by Line Meaning

So you think I'll sit around and cry
You believe that I will be sad and weep when you leave


The day you say, "Toodle-ooo, goodbye"
When you say goodbye to me and leave


Oh yes?
Do you really think that's the case?


Take another guess
Think again


Oh, you think no one can fill your shoes
You believe that no one can replace you


And when you're gone, then I'll have the blues
When you leave, I will feel sad and depressed


Oh yes?
Do you really think that's the case?


Take another guess
Think again


If you go your way
If you choose to leave me and go your own path


Then I'll go my way
I will also go my own way


And if you do as well as I do
And if you are as successful as I am


Honey, you'll do okay
You'll be just fine


Oh, you think I'll die of loneliness
You believe I will perish due to loneliness


And the deep blue sea is my next address
You imagine that I will end up in the depths of the ocean


Don't ya hear me talkin' to ya?
Do you not hear what I'm saying to you?


Take another guess
Rethink your assumptions


If you think that I'll be blue
If you believe that I will be sad


Take another guess
Think again


Oh, you think I'll die of loneliness
You believe I will perish due to isolation


And the deep blue sea is my next address
You think I'll be swallowed by the ocean


Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes?
Are you really sure?


Take another guess
Think again




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

SheridanJazz

Late 1936. Benny's band was just on the verge of blowing the swing scene wide open. Helen Ward was in the middle of a divorce (so they say), and 18 yr. old Ella got the call. One helluva call, right? A true swing classic.

Don Benham

Nice! Great sound Mark!

Trombonology Erstwhile

I've always preferred this BG take on this cute tune to Chick's, although it's good, too. It's funny that no one thought to consider Ella's contractual obligations to Decca when this Victor session was arranged! I guess all Benny was thinking about was working with an artist he admired.

SwingMan1938

I could see there being some confusion. I mean, at the time, Decca had *Chick Webb* under contract and not Ella specifically because, as a singer with the band, she was, for all intents and purposes, a "sideman" of the band and there's usually no restrictions on sidemen taking jobs, even under their own names, on sessions other than the label whose band you record for. Heck - Victor even took the extra step of not specifically crediting Ella on the record labels.

But Decca had to be a stick-in-the-mud about it and raise a stink. And yet, Decca did no such thing when Benny had all of Walter Page, Freddie Green and Lester Young from Basie's band (still under contract to Decca for another year at the time) sit in on BG's March 9, 1938 session for Victor - even listed every one of the 3 bright and clear on the Victor "Swing Classic" labels on the original 78's at the time.

Oh well - at least the RCA VIctor vaults can still lay claim to the fact that *they've* still got master recordings of Ella in there.....

Trombonology Erstwhile

Yes, it kind of surprised me at first to learn that Ella was considered to be under contract to Decca, too. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that when she became a star in the band, a significant portion of the orchestra's sides were released under her -- and not Chick's -- name? ... Good point, though, about Benny's 3/9/38 session with the Basie guys. Decca, under Jack Kapp, was pretty backward, despite its excellent roster.

Browneye Dotter

Love them both

wolverine3566

I knew I'll like before listening :)!!

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