Bix Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was a notable jazz cornet… Read Full Bio ↴Bix Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was a notable jazz cornet player.

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.

You Took Advantage Of Me
Bix Beiderbecke Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the spring when the feeling was chronic
And my caution was leaving you flat,
I should have made use of the tonic
Before you gave me that!
A mental deficient you'll grade me.
I've given you plenty of data.
You came, you saw and you slayed me,
And that-a is that-a!

I'm a sentimental sap, that's all.
What's the use of trying not to fall?
I have no will,
You've made your kill
'Cause you took advantage of me!
I'm just like an apple on a bough
And you're gonna shake me down somehow.
So what's the use,
You've cooked my goose
'Cause you took advantage of me!

I'm so hot and bothered that I don't know
My elbow from my ear.
I suffer something awful each time you go
And much worse when you're near.

Here am I with all my bridges burned,
Just a babe in arms where you're concerned,
So lock the doors
And call me yours
'Cause you took advantage of me.

When a girl has the heart of a mother
It must go to someone, of course;
It can't be a sister or brother
And so I loved my horse.
But horses are frequently silly-
Mine ran from the beach of Kailua
And left me alone for a filly,
So I-a picked you-a.

I'm a sentimental sap, that's all.
What's the use of trying not to fall?
I have no will,
You've made your kill
'Cause you took advantage of me!
I'm just like an apple on a bough
And you're gonna shake me down somehow.
So what's the use,
You've cooked my goose
'Cause you took advantage of me!

I'm so hot and bothered that I don't know
My elbow from my ear.
I suffer something awful each time you go
And much worse when you're near.

Here am I with all my bridges burned,
Just a babe in arms where you're concerned,
So lock the doors

And call me yours
'Cause you took advantage of me.

Overall Meaning

"You Took Advantage Of Me" is a song that revolves around love and how it can make people feel powerless, overwhelmed, and vulnerable. The song opens with a spring theme, with the singer regretting not taking advantage of tonics before falling in love with someone who took advantage of them. The singer is angry and feeling helpless after realizing they have been manipulated, and are struggling to come to terms with their misplaced trust in the loved one. The singer considers themselves to be sentimental and powerless when it comes to love, acknowledging that their love interest has taken advantage of them.

The second verse serves to emphasize how the singer feels powerless near their loved one, often feeling hot and bothered and not being able to keep their emotions under control. The singer feels that they have burned all of their bridges and lost their grip on themselves, and they continue to lead a self-destructive path. In the final verse, the singer speaks of how they "loved" their horse, but the horse cheated on them, leading them to pick their current lover.

Overall, these lyrics reflect the vulnerability and helplessness that people feel when they fall in love. They also highlight the crucial role that trust plays in any relationship and how easily it can be taken for granted. The song is a call to people to be more careful and discerning in their choices when it comes to love.

Line by Line Meaning

In the spring when the feeling was chronic
When my emotions were heightened in the springtime

And my caution was leaving you flat,
My carefulness was failing me in our relationship

I should have made use of the tonic
I should have taken steps to improve myself

Before you gave me that!
Before you took advantage of me and hurt me

A mental deficient you'll grade me.
You see me as lacking intelligence or sense

I've given you plenty of data.
I've given you enough information for you to understand me

You came, you saw and you slayed me,
You entered my life, learned about me, and then hurt me

And that-a is that-a!
And that's just how it is

I'm a sentimental sap, that's all.
I'm a hopeless romantic with a soft heart

What's the use of trying not to fall?
Why bother trying to protect myself from falling in love?

I have no will,
I am powerless to resist you

You've made your kill
You've succeeded in winning me over

'Cause you took advantage of me!
Because you manipulated me into falling for you

I'm just like an apple on a bough
I'm vulnerable and easy to take advantage of

And you're gonna shake me down somehow.
You're going to make me pay for being so vulnerable

So what's the use,
What's the point?

You've cooked my goose
You've ruined me

'Cause you took advantage of me!
Because you exploited my vulnerability

I'm so hot and bothered that I don't know
I'm so overwhelmed with emotions that I can't think straight

My elbow from my ear.
I can't distinguish body parts, a sign of confusion

I suffer something awful each time you go
I experience severe emotional pain when you're not around

And much worse when you're near.
But it's even worse when you're physically close to me

Here am I with all my bridges burned,
I have destroyed my relationships with others for you

Just a babe in arms where you're concerned,
I am completely dependent and helpless when it comes to you

So lock the doors
Stay with me and don't let anyone else in

And call me yours
Make it clear that you're mine

'Cause you took advantage of me.
Because you manipulated me into loving you

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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@thomassmith5400

2y↑3

I'm a sentimental sap, that's all
What's the use of trying not to fall?
I have no will, you've made your kill
'Cause you took advantage of me
I'm just like an apple on a bough
And you're gonna shake me down somehow
So, what's the use, you've cooked my goose
'Cause you took advantage of me

I'm so hot and bothered that
I don't know my elbow from my ear
I suffer something awful each time
You go and much worse when you're near
Here I am with all my bridges burned
Just a babe in arms where you're concerned
So lock the doors and call me yours
'Cause you took advantage of me.