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.
The Lamp Is Low
Benny Goodman Lyrics
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Dream and watch the shadows came and go, the lamp Is low
While you linger in my arms, my lips will sigh "I love you so"
Dream the sweetest dream will ever know
Tonight the moon is high, the lamp Is low
Dream beside me in the midnight glow, the lamp Is low
Dream and watch the shadows came and go, the lamp Is low
Dream the sweetest dream will ever know
Tonight the moon is high, the lamp Is low
The lyrics to Benny Goodman's song The Lamp Is Low are filled with romanticism and a sense of longing. The song talks about dreaming beside a loved one in the midnight glow where the lamp is low. The imagery of shadows coming and going creates a sense of intimacy and closeness that exists only in the late hours of the night. The singer of the song urges the listener to linger in their arms while their lips sigh "I love you so," which reinforces the romantic atmosphere of the song. The final lines of the song talk about the moon being high and the lamp being low, which serves to underscore the magical moment that the singer and the listener share.
The song conveys a sense of yearning for true love and the comfort of being in someone's arms. The midnight setting adds a layer of intimacy to the lyrics, highlighting the idea that the singer's feelings are strongest in the quiet hours of the night. The lyrics also speak to the idea that dreams and reality can intersect, and that sometimes the sweetest dreams are the ones that we experience while awake.
Overall, the song is a beautiful expression of love and the desire for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Dream beside me in the midnight glow, the lamp Is low
Come and sit next to me in the soft light of the lamp, and let us enter a dreamlike state together.
Dream and watch the shadows came and go, the lamp Is low
In this subdued lighting, we can watch the shapes and colors of the shadows forming and vanishing.
While you linger in my arms, my lips will sigh 'I love you so'
As you stay close to me, I cannot help but express my deep feelings for you with sighs of tenderness.
Dream the sweetest dream will ever know
Let us allow ourselves to dream of the most beautiful and enchanting experiences we can imagine.
Tonight the moon is high, the lamp Is low
The moon is shining bright above us, while the lamp glows gently at our feet. Let's bask in their soothing light.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JULE STYNE, SAMMY CAHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind