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.
Them There Eyes
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life was a beautiful song
Didn't have a care nor worry
Then you had to come along
I fell in love with you first time
I looked into them there eyes
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
With them there eyes
No stallin'
I'm fallin'
Going in a big way for sweet little you
My heart is jumpin'
You sure started somethin'
With them there eyes
You'd better watch them if you're wise
They sparkle, they bubble
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
You're overworkin' 'em
There's danger lurkin' in
Them there eyes
Maybe you think I'm just flirtin'
Maybe you think I'm all lies
Just because I get romantic when I gaze in
Them there eyes
I fell in love with you first time
I looked into them there eyes
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
With them there eyes
They make me feel happy, they make me blue
No stallin'
I'm fallin'
Going in a big way for sweet little you
My heart is jumpin'
You sure started somethin'
With them there eyes
You'd better watch them if you're wise
They sparkle
They bubble
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
You're overworkin' 'em
There's danger lurkin' in
Them there eyes
The lyrics to Benny Goodman's song 'Them There Eyes' are a classic example of love at first sight. The song speaks about how the singer was minding his own business, enjoying the beautiful song of life, without any worries. However, everything changes when he caught sight of the woman he fell in love with - her eyes, in particular. The way she flirts with her eyes is irresistible to him, making him feel both happy and blue. He is falling for her in a big way, and his heart is jumping since he can't handle his emotions for her.
The singer warns the object of his affection to be careful about her eyes. They are incredibly charming, yet they can also cause a lot of trouble. The lyricist in the song emphasizes that her eyes have both sparkle and bubble, which gives a sense of magic and whimsy to them. The overworking and danger lurking in them show that the singer believes that her eyes hold the power to sweep people off their feet and start something powerful, whether they like it or not.
In conclusion, 'Them There Eyes' is a sweet, jazzy love song that speaks volumes about the charm of the eyes of the women we love. It captures the feeling of love at first sight and how it feels like one's heart is jumping. Ultimately, the song emphasizes the twitching, flirting nature of the eye that makes an irresistible attraction.
Line by Line Meaning
I was just minding my business
I was going about my day without any particular concern or worry
Life was a beautiful song
Everything in life was going well and felt perfect
Didn't have a care nor worry
I was completely carefree and had no worries
Then you had to come along
You entered into my life and changed everything
I fell in love with you first time
I fell in love with you immediately when I first saw you
I looked into them there eyes
I was specifically drawn to your eyes
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
You have a unique and adorable way of flirting
With them there eyes
Your eyes are the primary way in which you flirt with me
They make me feel happy, they make me blue
Your eyes have the power to both make me very happy or very sad
No stallin'
There's no time to waste
I'm fallin'
I'm falling in love with you
Going in a big way for sweet little you
I am willing to go all in for you, despite your small stature
My heart is jumpin'
My heart is full of excitement and joy around you
You sure started somethin'
You definitely initiated something big with me
You'd better watch them if you're wise
If you're smart, you will be careful with how you use your eyes to flirt
They sparkle
Your eyes have a brightness and shine to them
They bubble
Your eyes bring a sense of energy and liveliness
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
Your eyes have the potential to lead to a lot of complications and problems
You're overworkin' 'em
You're using your eyes too liberally, and it may have negative consequences
There's danger lurkin' in them there eyes
Your eyes possess an element of danger, and one needs to be cautious around them
Maybe you think I'm just flirtin'
Perhaps you believe I am only casually flirting with you
Maybe you think I'm all lies
Maybe you think I am dishonest in my intentions
Just because I get romantic when I gaze in them there eyes
I become very romantic and drawn to you when I look into your eyes
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, William Tracy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind