Billy Eckstine (8 July 1914 – 8 March 1993), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvan… Read Full Bio ↴Billy Eckstine (8 July 1914 – 8 March 1993), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA as William Clarence Eckstein. He changed the spelling to Eckstine after a club owner said the original spelling was "too Jewish".

Eckstine was an American jazz singer and bandleader who also played trumpet, valve trombone, and guitar. He also performed briefly as Billy X. Stine. His nickname was Mr. B. Although best known as a singer, his openness to new music made him a strong influence on modern jazz, particularly bebop, as he gave employment to many of the musicians who founded the style.

After singing with the Earl Hines band from 1939 to 1943 he led his own band from 1944 to 1947. The band featured at various times a large number of rising jazz stars, including:

Saxophones: Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Lucky Thompson, Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray, Budd Johnson, Leo Parker
Trumpets: Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro
Drums: Art Blakey
Singers: Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan

Eckstine later formed an octet, then went solo, becoming a popular ballad singer while remaining an important figure in jazz. His huge, distinctive baritone made him one of the first African American singers to have mainstream success. He was the composer of the blues classic "Jelly, Jelly" and also recorded the R&B top hit "Stormy Monday Blues" in 1942 (not to be confused with T-Bone Walker's 1947 "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)"). Most of his success as a singer came with ballads, including "Everything I have is Yours", "Blue Moon", "Caravan," "Prisoner of Love," "You Go to My Head," and "That Old Black Magic". His last hit was "Passing Strangers", a duet with Sarah Vaughan released in 1957.

Eckstine was a style leader and noted sharp dresser. He designed and patented a high roll collar that formed a B over a Windsor-knotted tie, which became known as a Mr. B. Collar. In addition to looking cool, the collar expanded and contracted without popping open, which allowed his neck to swell while playing his horns. The collars were worn by many a hipster in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

In 1984, Eckstine recorded his final album, I Am A Singer, featuring beautiful ballads arranged and conducted by Angelo DiPippo.

Coquette
Billy Eckstine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hear me, why you keep fooling
Little coquette, making fun of the one who loves you
Breaking hearts you are ruling
Little coquette, true hearts tenderly dreaming of you.
Someday you'll fall in love as I fell in love with you.
Maybe the one you love will just be fooling too.
And when you are alone with all your regrets,
You know, my little coquette, I love you.

Someday you'll fall in love as I fell in love with you.
Now, maybe the one you love will just be fooling too.

And when you are alone with all your regrets,
Now, you know, my little coquette, I love you.

Overall Meaning

The song "Coquette" by Billy Eckstine is about a young woman who enjoys playing games with the hearts of men, breaking them one after the other without any remorse. The singer of the song is confessing his love for her and warning her of the danger she is creating for herself. He begs her to consider how she, too, can be hurt by love and cautions her not to destroy her chances of finding true love by continuing to play with the hearts of others.

The lyrics of the song paint a portrait of a young girl who is careless with the hearts of others. The singer warns her that she will one day fall in love herself, and the one she loves may also be "just be fooling too." He wants her to realize that her actions have consequences, and that she should treat others with the same kindness and respect that she expects for herself. The word "coquette" refers to a woman who flirts or toys with men, implying that the singer sees her as someone who is leading others on without any intention of committing to them.

Overall, the song is a warning about the dangers of playing with the hearts of others and a plea for compassion and understanding. It is made more poignant by Eckstine's smooth, soulful delivery and the melancholy notes of the accompanying music.

Line by Line Meaning

Hear me, why you keep fooling
Listen to me, why do you persist in playing tricks?

Little coquette, making fun of the one who loves you
You tease and mock the one who truly loves you, my little flirt.

Breaking hearts you are ruling
You hold power over those you break, ruling over their broken hearts.

Little coquette, true hearts tenderly dreaming of you.
You have the hearts of those who truly love you, and they dream of you tenderly.

Someday you'll fall in love as I fell in love with you.
One day, you will experience the same love that I had for you.

Maybe the one you love will just be fooling too.
The one you fall in love with might also be playing games with your heart.

And when you are alone with all your regrets,
When you are alone and filled with regret,

You know, my little coquette, I love you.
Remember, my dear flirt, that I still love you despite everything.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN WALDO GREEN, GUS KAHN, CARMEN LOMBARDO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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