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.
Where or When
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We looked at each other in the same way then
But I can't remember where or when
The clothes you're wearing are the clothes you wore
The smile you are smiling you were smiling then
But I can't remember where or when
Seem to be happening again
And so it seems that we have met before
And laughed before, and loved before
But who knows where or when
The lyrics to Benny Goodman's song Where or When describe a feeling of deja vu, of meeting someone and feeling like you have known them before, but not being able to pinpoint exactly when or where. The first verse describes the familiarity of the interaction - talking and looking at each other in the same way as before - but with a sense of confusion about the past. The second verse emphasizes this confusion further by noting that the clothes and smile of the other person are the same as before, but the singer cannot remember the context of those previous encounters.
The chorus repeats this feeling of uncertainty, with the singer expressing a sense of familiarity with the other person - having laughed and loved together before - but ultimately unable to determine when or where. The line "some things that happened for the first time seem to be happening again" suggests a cyclical nature to their relationship or interactions, as if they are caught in a loop of repeating the same experiences.
Overall, the lyrics capture a feeling of nostalgia and longing for a connection that may or may not have existed in the past. The uncertainty of the timing and context of their previous encounters adds to the sense of mystery and intrigue in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems we stood and talked like this before
I feel like we have had this exact conversation in the past
We looked at each other in the same way then
Our eye contact and body language are identical to a previous encounter
But I can't remember where or when
However, I cannot recall when or where this happened
The clothes you're wearing are the clothes you wore
You're dressed the same way as last time we were together
The smile you are smiling you were smiling then
Your facial expression is the same as it was during our previous interaction
But I can't remember where or when
Unfortunately, I still cannot recall the time and place of our previous encounter
Some things that happened for the first time
Certain events may seem unique upon first experience
Seem to be happening again
However, these same experiences may be repeating themselves
And so it seems that we have met before
Based on these similarities, it seems highly probable that we have met before
And laughed before, and loved before
Additionally, we have likely shared moments of happiness and romantic connection in the past
But who knows where or when
Despite all these indications, we cannot say for certain when or where we have met or had these experiences
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind