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.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Billy Eckstine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I of course replied "something here inside cannot be denied"
They said "someday you'll find all who love are blind"
When your heart's on fire, you must realize smoke gets in your eyes
So I chaffed them and I gaily laughed to think they could doubt my love
Yet today my love has flown away, I am without my love
Now laughing friends deride tears I cannot hide
(Smoke gets in your eyes, smoke gets in your eyes)
Smoke gets in your eyes
The song "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" by Billy Eckstine is about the perplexity that arises in love. It begins with Eckstine being asked how he knew his love was true. He responded that there is a feeling inside of him that he cannot ignore. However, others warned him that when love burns strong, it can cloud one's judgment. The phrase "smoke gets in your eyes" is used as a metaphor to convey the idea that sometimes one's emotions can become overwhelming and blur one's vision.
Despite his friends' warnings, Eckstine did not believe that his love was blind. In fact, he laughed at their concerns. The song took a somber turn when Eckstine's love left him. His once jovial demeanor fell apart, and he was forced to confront the sadness he had been hiding. Eckstine explains that his smiling facade was a guise to mask the tears he could not hold back. When love fades, it is not just the relationship that is lost, but the person's identity as well.
Overall, the song expresses the idea that love can be both beautiful and painful. It can stir up strong emotions that can alter one's perception of the world. However, these emotions can be challenging to deal with when the relationship ends. "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" tells the story of longing, heartache, and the smoke that remains in one's eyes long after the flames of love have died down.
Line by Line Meaning
They asked me how I knew my true love was true
Someone asked how I could be sure that my love was true
I of course replied "something here inside cannot be denied"
I confidently replied that I just knew it in my heart
They said "someday you'll find all who love are blind"
They warned me that love can be blinding for everyone eventually
When your heart's on fire, you must realize smoke gets in your eyes
But when you are deeply in love, you don't always see things clearly
So I chaffed them and I gaily laughed to think they could doubt my love
I playfully mocked their skepticism and laughed off any doubts about my love
Yet today my love has flown away, I am without my love
But now that my love is gone, I am left feeling empty and alone
Now laughing friends deride tears I cannot hide
Now my friends ridicule me for crying over my lost love
So I smile and say "when a lovely flame dies, smoke gets in your eyes"
But I try to hide my pain with a smile and acknowledge that it's natural to feel blinded by love
(Smoke gets in your eyes, smoke gets in your eyes)
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nick Zoohowza
on Jelly, Jelly
The “meaning” of Jelly Jelly seems to have been written by ChatGPT. Surely “jelly”, like “jelly roll” was intended in this song to refer to sex/genitalia, and not something to spread on toast.
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on Kiss Of Fire
Absolutely Absolutely Absolutely Amazing Grace his voice was"GOD"gift to us class jazz lovers listeners u'dig now can you dig dat baby,baby from da'conductor nelfoster from chocolate cle city ohio chocolate rocks...