Teenagers and college students invented new dance steps to accompany the new music sensation. Benny's band, along with many others, became hugely successful among listeners from many different backgrounds all over the country.
During this period Benny also became famous for being colorblind when it came to racial segregation and prejudice. While these groups were not the first bands to feature both white and black musicians, Benny's national popularity helped to make racially mixed groups more accepted in the mainstream.
In 1938, at the pinnacle of the Swing Era, the Benny Goodman band, along with musicians from the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands, made history as the first jazz band ever to play in New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall.
Following the concert at Carnegie Hall, the Benny Goodman band had many different lineup changes. Gene Krupa left the band, among others, and subsequent versions of the band included Cootie Williams and Charlie Christian, as well as Jimmy Maxwell and Mel Powell, among others.
In the 1940s, although the big band days were drawing to a close and new forms of music were emerging, the Goodman band continued to play music in the swing style.
In 1953, Benny's band planned to join Louis Armstrong and his All Stars in a tour together, but the two band leaders argued and the tour never opened at Carnegie Hall, as had been planned. It is not certain whether the tour was canceled due to Benny's illness or the conflict between the band leaders. The rest of the decade marked the spread of Benny's music to new audiences around the world. Benny also toured the world, bringing his music to Asia and Europe. When he traveled to the USSR, one writer observed that "the swing music that had once set the jitterbugs dancing in the Paramount aisles almost blew down the Iron Curtain."
In 1978, the Benny Goodman band appeared at Carnegie Hall again to mark the 30th Anniversary of when they appeared in the venue's first jazz concert.
Honeysuckle Rose
Benny Goodman & His Orchestra Lyrics
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Oh, honey, listen to my plea:
Every honeybee
Fills with jealousy,
When they see you out with me!
I don't blame them, goodness knows,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
When you're passin' by,
Flowers droop and sigh
And I know the reason why,
You're my sweety, goodness knows,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
I don't buy sugar,
You just have to touch my cup;
I don't need sugar,
It's sweet enough when you stir it up!
When I'm taking sips
From your dainty lips,
Seems the honey fairly drips,
You're confection, goodness knows,
Oh, honey! suckle rose.
Every honeybee
Fills with jealousy,
When they see you out with me!
I don't blame them, goodness knows,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
When you're passin' by,
Flowers droop and sigh,
And I know the reason why,
You're my sweety, goodness knows,
Oh, honey ! suckle rose!
I don't buy sugar,
You just have to touch my cup;
I don't need sugar,
It's sweet, stir it up!
When I'm taking sips
From your dainty lips,
Seems the honey fairly drips,
You're confection, goodness knows,
Oh, honey! suckle rose.
The lyrics of Benny Goodman and His Orchestra's song "Honeysuckle Rose" describe the singer's infatuation with their lover, who they call "honey" and "suckle rose." The singer notes how even the honeybees are jealous when they see the two together, and how even the flowers seem to droop and sigh when the lover passes by. The singer doesn't need sugar in their tea because their lover's presence sweetens everything up. The final lines of the song emphasize once again how sweet the lover is, with the singer calling them "confection." Overall, the lyrics are a charming expression of a deeply felt affection, with the repeated references to sweetness and the natural world adding to the song's dreamy, romantic quality.
Line by Line Meaning
Honey, honey,
My love, my love,
Oh, honey, listen to my plea:
Oh, my love, please hear my request:
Every honeybee
Each and every bee
Fills with jealousy,
Becomes envious
When they see you out with me!
Upon seeing us together!
I don't blame them, goodness knows,
It's understandable, I must admit,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
Because you are as beautiful as a honeysuckle rose!
When you're passin' by,
As you walk by,
Flowers droop and sigh
Flowers wilt and sigh
And I know the reason why,
And I know why this happens,
You're my sweety, goodness knows,
Because you are my sweetheart, it's true,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
As lovely as a sweet-smelling rose!
I don't buy sugar,
I don't purchase sugar,
You just have to touch my cup;
All you have to do is touch my cup,
I don't need sugar,
I don't require sugar,
It's sweet enough when you stir it up!
It's perfectly sweet when you mix it up!
When I'm taking sips
As I take sips
From your dainty lips,
From your delicate lips,
Seems the honey fairly drips,
It appears that honey literally drips,
You're confection, goodness knows,
Because you are so sweet, it's true,
Oh, honey! suckle rose.
As amazing as a rose flavored delicacy!
Every honeybee
Each and every bee
Fills with jealousy,
Becomes envious
When they see you out with me!
Upon seeing us together!
I don't blame them, goodness knows,
It's understandable, I must admit,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
Because you are as beautiful as a honeysuckle rose!
When you're passin' by,
As you walk by,
Flowers droop and sigh,
Flowers wilt and sigh,
And I know the reason why,
And I know why this happens,
You're my sweety, goodness knows,
Because you are my sweetheart, it's true,
Oh, honey ! suckle rose!
As lovely as a sweet-smelling rose!
I don't buy sugar,
I don't purchase sugar,
You just have to touch my cup;
All you have to do is touch my cup,
I don't need sugar,
I don't require sugar,
It's sweet, stir it up!
It's perfectly sweet, mix it all up!
When I'm taking sips
As I take sips,
From your dainty lips,
From your delicate lips,
Seems the honey fairly drips,
It appears that honey literally drips,
You're confection, goodness knows,
Because you are so sweet, it's true,
Oh, honey! suckle rose.
As amazing as a rose flavored delicacy!
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind