Ridin' High
Benny Goodman and His Orchestra Lyrics


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Life's great, life's grand,
Future all planned,
No more clouds in the sky,
How'm I ridin'? I'm ridin' high!

Someone I love,
Mad for my love,
So long, Jonah goodbye!
How'm I ridin'? I'm ridin' high!

Floating on a starlit ceiling,
Doting on the cards I'm dealing,
Gloating because I'm feeling
So hap-hap-happy I'm slap-happy!

So ring bells, sing songs,
Blow horns, beat gongs,
Our love never will die,
How'm I ridin'? I'm ridin' high!

Someone I love,
Mad for my love,
So long, Jonah goodbye!
How'm I ridin'? I'm ridin' high!

Floating on a starlit ceiling,
Doting on the cards I'm dealing,
Gloating because I'm feeling
So hap-hap-happy I'm slap-happy!

So ring bells, sing songs,
Blow horns, beat gongs,




Our love never will die,
How'm I ridin'? I'm ridin' high

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Ridin' High" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra convey a joyful and lighthearted sentiment. The song depicts a time in one's life when everything seems to be going perfectly, and one is "ridin' high." The first verse describes this feeling of contentment and certainty about what the future holds. The second verse speaks to being in love with someone who loves you back passionately, and bidding farewell to any obstacles or negative energy that might get in the way. The bridge of the song paints a picture of floating on a starlit ceiling, dealing winning cards, and feeling so happy that you're "slap-happy." The final verse repeats the sentiment of being in love and celebrating the unending nature of that love.


Overall, "Ridin' High" is a feel-good song that celebrates life, love, and positivity. Its upbeat melody and catchy lyrics make it an enjoyable listen and a classic example of the Big Band era. The song's simple message of happiness and contentment in the face of life's challenges is one that listeners can appreciate and connect with.


Line by Line Meaning

Life's great, life's grand,
Life is amazing and wonderful,


Future all planned,
The future seems promising and ensured,


No more clouds in the sky,
All problems seem to have vanished,


How'm I ridin'? I'm ridin' high!
The artist is ecstatic about their current life situation.


Someone I love,
The artist is in a romantic relationship,


Mad for my love,
The love they share is intense and passionate,


So long, Jonah goodbye!
The singer is letting go of their past,


Floating on a starlit ceiling,
The artist is feeling joyful and carefree,


Doting on the cards I'm dealing,
The artist is in control and enjoying their success,


Gloating because I'm feeling
The artist is taking pride in their current situation,


So hap-hap-happy I'm slap-happy!
The singer is so happy that they are feeling giddy and light-hearted.


So ring bells, sing songs,
The artist wants to celebrate their happiness,


Blow horns, beat gongs,
The singer wants to make it a grand celebration,


Our love never will die,
The singer is confident in the longevity of their relationship,


How'm I ridin'? I'm ridin' high!
The singer is overjoyed with their current state of being.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@sroozrloos4284

Folks forget how young these guys were in 1937. Goodman and Krupa were 26. That biting trumpet section of Harry James was 21 and Ziggy Elman 23 and Chris Griffin 22 was incredible! That youthful intensity and energy really shows in this live air check. Roll 'em is another off the same CD.

@monicabella7894

This applies to all.

@walpoleandworcester

This was one of the very first Benny Goodman recordings I ever heard and I’ve been a huge fan since. Such infectious energy on these air checks and Harry James and Gene Krupa and Benny himself were on fire!

@kevincentlivre1081

This is such a classic performance.

@bblegacy

In this humble musician's opinion, I think this is maybe one of the most electrifying and hardest swinging two and a half minutes of any perfoance of anything by any band then or since, that WE are lucky enought to know about only because somebody (Columbia engineer Bill Savory) happened to be monitoring radio broadcasts while he was working on and tweaking recording equipment deep inside Columbia Records recording studio in new York.

The was at or damn close to the absolute the peak of the greatest Benny Goidman band there ever was. And this band could turn this energy on on off whenever it wanted if it was motivated to, which they clearly were this night.

14 guys just doing their thing while simultaneously and flawlessly creating history in the process.

@gregorykayne6054

BG and Harry James are always pure alchemy together!

@medmond6

Catch that magic on the Goodman band air check recording of "Caravan" if you can locate it. Krupa gives it a great kick too. I think its from 1937.

@JoshCampbell8395

Ed McDowell Oh yeah! I love that riff Gene used to back that one up :D

@bloscoe1234

I love this song. It's off his 1937 Carnegie Hall album. Harry James on the trumpet just knocks it outta the park!! I think Harry was 1 of the best trumpet players.

@macvoutie

Buddy Bolden, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong.

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