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.
Ramona
Bix Beiderbecke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the mountains high
Seem to kiss the sky
Someone is out yonder, o'er the hills
Waiting patiently, Waiting just for me
Ramona, I hear the mission bells above
Ramona, they're ringing out our song of love
To always remember the rambling rose you wear in your hair
Ramona, when day is done you'll hear my call
Ramona, we'll meet beside the water fall
I dread the dawn when I awake to find you gone
Ramona I need you my own
Let's wander out yonder o'er the hills
By a babbling brook
Where we'll find a nook
To build our own love nest, o'er the hills
Darling of my heart, Never more to part
Ramona, I hear the mission bells above
Ramona, they're ringing out our song of love
I press you, caress you, and bless the day you taught me to care
To always remember the rambling rose you wear in your hair
Ramona, when day is done you'll hear my call
Ramona, we'll meet beside the water fall
I dread the dawn when I awake to find you gone
Ramona I need you my own
The lyrics to Ramona describe a love that is waiting to be fulfilled. In the first verse, the singer wanders out into nature, searching for the one who is waiting for them on the other side of the hills. The mountains are symbolic of the hurdles and challenges that the singer must overcome to reach their beloved. The second verse sees the singer expressing their love for Ramona, and how she has taught them to care deeply. The image of the rambling rose in her hair is a symbol of her beauty and grace. The chorus speaks of the mission bells ringing out their song of love, a symbol of the deep connection between the two lovers. They vow to always be together, even in the face of the dawn that threatens to separate them.
Line by Line Meaning
I wander out yonder o'er the hills
I go on walks through the mountains
Where the mountains high seem to kiss the sky
The peaks of the mountains reach so high up they seem to touch the sky
Someone is out yonder, o'er the hills
There is someone waiting for me out in the mountains
Waiting patiently, waiting just for me
They are waiting for me to arrive but are patient
Ramona, I hear the mission bells above
I can hear the church bells of the nearby mission ringing
Ramona, they're ringing out our song of love
The bells are playing a song that is meaningful to our love
I press you, caress you, and bless the day you taught me to care
I hold you close, love and appreciate you for showing me how to care
To always remember the rambling rose you wear in your hair
I will never forget the beautiful and wild rose that you adorn in your hair
Ramona, when day is done you'll hear my call
At the end of the day, I will call out to you
Ramona, we'll meet beside the water fall
We will reunite by the waterfall where we often spend time together
I dread the dawn when I awake to find you gone
I fear waking up to discover that you have left me
Ramona I need you my own
I cannot live without you, my dear Ramona.
Let's wander out yonder o'er the hills
Let us explore beyond the mountains together
By a babbling brook where we'll find a nook
We will discover a secluded spot near a flowing stream
To build our own love nest, o'er the hills
We will create a home for our love among the hills and mountains
Darling of my heart, never more to part
You are the love of my life - we will be together forever
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: L. Wolfe Gilbert, Mabel Wayne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind