Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman, (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) … Read Full Bio ↴Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman, (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American jazz musician, known as King of Swing, Patriarch of the Clarinet, The Professor, and Swing's Senior Statesman.

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.

We'll Meet Again
Benny Goodman Lyrics

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We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
Keep smiling through just like you always do
Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away

And won't you please say "Hello" to the folks that I know
Tell them I won't be long
They'll be happy to know that as you saw me go

I was singing this song

We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day

Overall Meaning

Benny Goodman & His Orchestra's song "We'll Meet Again" is a poignant reminder of the wartime separations and the uncertainty of the times. The lyrics evoke the feeling of separation and uncertainty, but there is also a message of hope and resilience. The opening line "We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when" immediately sets the tone for the song. The singer doesn't know when or where they will meet their loved one again, but they are certain that they will meet again some sunny day. It's a message of hope and perseverance in trying times.

The song encourages the listener to keep smiling through tough times, just like they always do, and to remember that eventually, the dark clouds will be replaced by blue skies. Benny Goodman & His Orchestra's song "We'll Meet Again" acknowledges the challenges and difficulties of wartime, while also providing comfort and a sense of hope to listeners. The refrain is repeated throughout the song, which emphasizes the message of hopeful anticipation.

Line by Line Meaning

We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when
We don't know the time or place when we'll meet again

But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
But I know that one day we will meet again under bright skies

Keep smiling through just like you always do
Keep smiling, even when times are tough, just like you always do

Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away
Keep being positive until the good times come and the bad times go away

And won't you please say "Hello" to the folks that I know
Say hello to the people I know, if you see them

Tell them I won't be long
Let them know I won't be away for too long

They'll be happy to know that as you saw me go
They'll be glad to hear that you saw me before I left

I was singing this song
I was singing this song as I left

We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when
We don't know the time or place when we'll meet again

But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
But I know that one day we will meet again under bright skies

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HUGHIE CHARLES, ROSS PARKER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind