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 man i love
Benny Goodman Lyrics
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Every night I dream a little dream
And of course Prince Charming is the theme
The he, for me.
Although I realize as well as you
It is seldom that a dream comes true
To me it's clear
Some day he'll come along, the man I love
And he'll be big and strong, the man I love
And when he comes my way
I'll do my best to make him stay
He'll look at me and smile; I'll understand
And in a little while he'll take my hand
And though it seems absurd
I know we both won't say a word
Maybe I shall meet him Sunday
Maybe Monday, maybe not
Still I'm sure to meet him one day
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day
He'll build a little home just meant for two
From which I'll never roam; who would? Would you?
And so all else above
I'm waiting for the man I love
Benny Goodman's "The Man I Love" is a romantic ballad that revolves around the theme of finding true love. The song opens by describing the dreamy state of a lovelorn and hopeful heart. The singer says that every time the moonlight shines bright, she dreams of her perfect love- a strong and reliable man who will come and sweep her off her feet. The lyrics are passionate and sentimental, much like the emotions associated with young love.
The song encapsulates the idea that love is not easy to find, and often people spend their entire lives waiting for the right person to come along. The singer acknowledges that it is rare for dreams to come true, but she is hopeful that her love will eventually find her. She sings about how she will do her best to keep him by her side once he does.
As the song progresses, the singer starts to share her fantasy of meeting her perfect man. She describes how despite her lack of knowledge about him, she is sure that he will be big, strong, and charismatic. When they meet, she believes that they will have an immediate connection and that he will take her hand without any formalities. The singer also acknowledges the absurdity of the situation that they both will not say anything but will understand each other on unspoken levels.
The song ends on the note of hope as the singer imagines meeting her perfect man soon. She talks about how she may meet him on any day of the week, but she knows that the universe will bring them together someday. The singer ends by saying that she will settle down with him and live in a little abode meant only for the two of them.
Line by Line Meaning
When the mellow moon begins to beam
Every night when the peaceful moon shines bright, I start to dream.
Every night I dream a little dream
I dream of finding my perfect man, who will make all my dreams come true.
And of course Prince Charming is the theme
My dream man is the epitome of a prince charming, a perfect and ideal partner.
The he, for me.
I'm looking for my one and only, the perfect partner who is meant for me.
Although I realize as well as you
I understand the reality that dreams don't always come true.
It is seldom that a dream comes true
It's rare for dreams to come true in reality.
To me it's clear
But despite that, it's clear to me that my dream man will appear someday.
That he'll appear
I'm certain that my perfect partner will come along one day.
Some day he'll come along, the man I love
One day, I'll find the perfect man I've been dreaming of.
And he'll be big and strong, the man I love
He will be strong and confident, the perfect match for me.
And when he comes my way
When I finally meet him, I'll do everything in my power to keep him close.
I'll do my best to make him stay
I'll try my hardest to show him how much I care and make him want to stay by my side.
He'll look at me and smile; I'll understand
When we first lay eyes on each other, we'll understand that we're meant to be together.
And in a little while he'll take my hand
Soon enough, he'll take my hand and start our journey together.
And though it seems absurd
Even though it might sound silly, I can't wait for us to be together forever.
I know we both won't say a word
We don't need to say anything, we'll understand each other without words.
Maybe I shall meet him Sunday
I might not know when, but someday I will meet him.
Maybe Monday, maybe not
It could be any day of the week, or it could not happen for a while.
Still I'm sure to meet him one day
But I know that someday I'll find my perfect match.
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day
Maybe Tuesday will be the day that I finally meet him and my dreams come true.
He'll build a little home just meant for two
Once we're together, he'll make a home just for the two of us.
From which I'll never roam; who would? Would you?
I would never want to leave such a perfect home, and hopefully neither would he.
And so all else above
Above all else, finding my perfect partner is my biggest desire.
I'm waiting for the man I love
I'm patiently waiting for the day when I finally meet the man of my dreams.
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind