It was widely believed, for many years, that Beiderbecke's real name was Leon Bismark Beiderbecke. It is now known that this — like so many other myths about Beiderbecke — is untrue. His real name was Leon Bix Beiderbecke. Bismark was a family name, reflecting the family's German origins, but it was not given to Beiderbecke. "Bix" was a family nickname of his father and older brother, given him as a proper name.
Leon Bix Beiderbecke was born in Davenport, Iowa to a middle-class family. As a teenager he would sneak off to the banks of the Mississippi to listen to the bands play on the riverboats that would come up from the south.
Partially due to frequent absences due to illness, Beiderbecke's grades suffered. His parents felt that sending him to the exclusive Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois, just northwest of Chicago, would provide the attention and discipline needed to improve his schooling.
Beiderbecke's schooling there soon suffered when the only subjects he showed avid interest in were music and sports. Bix soon began going into Chicago as often as possible to catch the hot jazz bands of the day at clubs and speakeasies around Chicago, and too often didn't return in time or was found out the next day.
Beiderbecke was soon asked to leave the Academy due to his academic failings and extra-curricular activities in Chicago, and began his musical career in earnest.
Beiderbecke first recorded with his band "The Wolverine Orchestra" (usually called just The Wolverines, named for "Wolverine Blues" by Jelly Roll Morton because they played it so often) in 1924, then became a sought-after musician in Chicago, Illinois and New York City, New York. He made innovative and influential recordings with Frankie Trumbauer ("Tram") and the Jean Goldkette Orchestra. When the Goldkette Orchestra disbanded after their last recording ("In My Merry Oldsmobile"), in May 1927, Bix and Trumbauer, a 'C' Melody and alto saxophone player, briefly joined Adrian Rollini's band at the Club New Yorker, New York, before moving on to the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, the most popular and highest paid band of the day.
Beiderbecke suffered health problems from an early age, though the relentless schedule of the road and heavy drinking leading to alcoholism began to contribute to and exacerbate a decline in his health. Bix suffered from severe pain in his legs and other ill effects of prohibition era alcohol and with declining work around the New York City area, he took a turn for the worse.
Though his death certificate described the cause of death as pneumonia, and he was in seriously ill health, the circumstances immediately surrounding his death are still unclear. He died at the age of 28, in his apartment at 43-30 46th Street, Sunnyside, Queens, within the confines of the City of New York on August 6, 1931.
Back In Your Own Back Yard
Bix Beiderbecke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hoping ev'ry cloud will be silver lined.
But we all return as we live wo learn,
That we left our happiness behind.
When they sing you "Look for the Silver Lining,"
It is silver dollars they're looking for.
You will find my friend that the rainbow's end,
The bird with feathers of blue, is waiting for you,
Back in your own back yard,
You'll see your castle in Spain, through your window pane,
Back in your own back yard.
Oh you can go to the East go to the West,
But someday you'll come weary at heart back where you started from,
You'll find your happiness lies, right under your eyes,
Back in your own backyard.
The lyrics of Bix Beiderbecke's "Back in Your Own Back Yard" are introspective and thought-provoking, urging listeners to look for happiness in their own familiar surroundings. The song begins by expressing the universal human desire to find happiness and fulfillment in life. People often leave home with high hopes and expectations, only to realize that the grass is not always greener on the other side. The repeating line, "we left our happiness behind," reinforces the message that happiness is not always found in exotic places or distant travels, but rather in the familiarity of one's own surroundings.
The second stanza of the song critiques the idea that money can buy happiness. The line, "when they sing you 'look for the silver lining,' it is silver dollars they're looking for," suggests that people often equate wealth with happiness, but money cannot buy true fulfillment. The song then advises listeners that the key to happiness lies in the mundane and the ordinary. The image of the blue bird waiting in one's own backyard is a metaphor for the idea that happiness is often found in the simple and familiar things in life. The final line, "back in your own backyard," drives home the idea that true happiness lies in the ordinary and familiar things in life.
Line by Line Meaning
We leave home expecting to find a blue bird,
We venture out into the world with a naive hopefulness, seeking something elusive and rare like a blue bird.
Hoping ev'ry cloud will be silver lined.
We want everything to turn out perfectly and beautifully, with no hint of trouble in sight.
But we all return as we live wo learn,
As we gain experience and wisdom, we come to realize that our dreams and expectations are often unrealistic.
That we left our happiness behind.
And in our pursuit of that elusive blue bird, we often forget or neglect the things that truly make us happy.
When they sing you "Look for the Silver Lining",
Others may try to give us encouragement, telling us to look for the bright side or positive aspect of a situation.
It is silver dollars they're looking for.
But in reality, they may be more interested in financial gain or material success than in our emotional well-being.
You will find my friend that the rainbow's end,
The ultimate goal or reward we seek may in fact be much closer to home than we realize.
Is somewhere around your kitchen door.
It could be as simple and humble as what we already have right in front of us, such as the comforts and familiarity of our own home.
The bird with feathers of blue, is waiting for you,
That elusive blue bird we seek could be something that we already possess or have access to, and have simply overlooked.
Back in your own back yard,
It could be something or someone that we've left behind in our pursuit of bigger and better things, and that is waiting for our return to our roots.
You'll see your castle in Spain, through your window pane,
Sometimes the grass seems greener or more attractive on the other side, but in truth our own circumstances and possessions can be just as valuable and fulfilling.
Oh you can go to the East go to the West,
We may travel far and wide, seeking adventure or new experiences, but ultimately we long for a sense of belonging and security that only comes from roots and familiarity.
But someday you'll come weary at heart back where you started from,
After all our searching and striving, we may find that what we truly need is close to home, and return there with a sense of exhaustion and relief.
You'll find your happiness lies, right under your eyes,
The things that truly make us happy are often simple, everyday things that are right in front of us, and that we may have been taking for granted.
Back in your own backyard.
Ultimately, we don't need to look far to find what we're looking for - it may be as close as our own backyard.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Al Jolson, Billy Rose, Dave Dreyer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fromthesidelines
Not only did Bill Challis arrange this, he also conducted the orchestra in Whiteman's absence during the session.
@fromthesidelines
Indeed! And Paul always paid his arrangers VERY WELL for their work.
@stephenandrews2957
One of my favourites! Bix seems more energised in the second take here, but both are excellent. I've known these records for 50 years, but have only now realised that the alto solo at 1:22 is by Jimmy Dorsey, not Trumbauer as I always thought before! It must be your excellent transfer!