Benny Goodman led his first band in 1934. The music they played had its ro… Read Full Bio ↴Benny Goodman led his first band in 1934. The music they played had its roots in the Southern jazz forms of ragtime and Dixieland, while its structure adhered more to arranged music than its more improvisational jazz counterparts. On August 21, 1935, Benny's band played the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles. The gig was sensational and marked the beginning of the years that Benny would reign as King: the Swing Era.

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Tangerine
Benny Goodman and His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tangerine,
She is all they claim
With her eyes of night and lips as bright as flame
Tangerine,
When she dances by
Senoritas stare and caballeros sigh
And I've seen
Toasts to Tangerine

Raised in every bar across the Argentine
Yes, she has them all on the run
But her heart belongs to just one
Her heart belongs to Tangerine

Tangerine,
She is all they say
With mascara'd eye and chapeaux by Dache.
Tangerine,
With her lips of flame
If the color keeps, Louis Philippe's to blame.
And I've seen
Clothes on Tangerine
Where the label says "From Macy's Mezzanine".
Yes, she's got the guys in a whirl

But she's only fooling one girl
She's only fooling Tangerine!

Overall Meaning

The song "Tangerine" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra tells the story of a woman named Tangerine who is the object of desire for many men. She is stunningly beautiful with her bright lips and dark eyes. When she dances, everyone is captivated by her beauty, including the women who envy her and the men who long for her love. She is the toast of the town in the Argentine, with everyone raising their glasses and praising her beauty. But despite all the attention she receives, her heart belongs to only one person.

The lyrics also reveal that Tangerine is not just beautiful but also stylish. She wears clothes from Macy's Mezzanine and hats by Dache, and her lips are so strikingly red that they are blamed on Louis Philippe's color-making. However, even with all her outward beauty and charm, Tangerine is only fooling herself. She may have many admirers, but she is only fooling one person, which is herself. This implies that Tangerine may not be as happy as she appears to be, and her beauty is only skin deep.

Overall, "Tangerine" is a romantic song that tells the tale of a woman who is admired by many but is only devoted to one. The song is a tribute to her beauty, style, and elegance, but it also reveals the possible insecurity and loneliness that comes with being so highly desirable.

Line by Line Meaning

Tangerine, She is all they claim
Tangerine is truly amazing and everything they say is true about her

With her eyes of night and lips as bright as flame
Tangerine's eyes and lips are incredibly striking and beautiful

Tangerine, When she dances by
Tangerine's dance is so captivating that people can't help but stare

Senoritas stare and caballeros sigh
Even women can't help but be drawn to Tangerine's charm and allure

And I've seen, Toasts to Tangerine
People can't stop talking about Tangerine and are always making toasts in her honor

Raised in every bar across the Argentine
Tangerine's popularity extends far and wide across the Argentine

Yes, she has them all on the run
Tangerine has all men wrapped around her little finger

But her heart belongs to just one
Despite all the attention and admiration, Tangerine is in love with just one person

Her heart belongs to Tangerine
Tangerine's love is only for herself

Tangerine, She is all they say
Tangerine is every bit as impressive as people make her out to be

With mascara'd eye and chapeaux by Dache.
Tangerine's style is impeccable and she always looks her best, including with makeup and hats by Dache

Tangerine, With her lips of flame
Tangerine's lips are so bright and bold that they can light up a room

If the color keeps, Louis Philippe's to blame.
If Tangerine's lipstick stain doesn't come out, it's the fault of the brand Louis Philippe

And I've seen, Clothes on Tangerine
Tangerine has the finest clothes and fashion sense

Where the label says "From Macy's Mezzanine".
Tangerine doesn't need to wear expensive designer labels, she can still look amazing in clothes from Macy's Mezzanine

Yes, she's got the guys in a whirl
Tangerine has all men completely under her spell

But she's only fooling one girl
Despite making everyone else fall for her, Tangerine is only tricking herself

She's only fooling Tangerine!
Tangerine is deceiving herself with her own charm and allure, and is not as perfect as she thinks she is

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHNNY MERCER, VICTOR SCHERTZINGER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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