He eventually learned the trumpet and performed at the beginning of his career with Pee Wee Russel and Teddy Roy in Boston. He turned professional on trumpet a short time later - whereby he played guitar parallel thoughout his entire career - and took over the band of Herbie Marsh.
Hackett went to New York in 1937 where he replaced Eddie Condon in Joe Marsala's band, and was celebrated as the new star soloist. He appeared with his own bands in various clubs on 52nd Street, the stamping ground of New York jazz musicians.
Alongside Bix Beiderbecke, his greatest idol, Hackett was regarded as the most important representative of the Dixieland era, and also influenced musicians who had turned to Modern Jazz. Bobby Hackett died of a heart attack on the 7th June, 1976 in Chatham, Massachusetts.
Get out of town
Bobby Hackett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The curtains drawn,
And I at least pretended
That love was dead and gone.
But now, from nowhere,
You come to me as before
To take my heart,
Get out of town
Before it's too late, my love.
Get out of town,
Be good to Mr. please!
Why wish me harm?
Why not retire to a farm
And be contented to charm
The birds off the trees?
Just disappear,
I care for you much too much,
And when you are near,
Close to me dear,
We touch too much!
The thrill when we meet
Is so bitter-sweet
That, darling, it's getting me down;
So on your mark,
Get set,
Get out of town!
The lyrics of Bobby Hackett's song 'Get Out of Town' are about the singer's longing for a former lover to leave town and stay away. The first verse starts by stating that the 'farce was ended' and 'love was dead and gone', signifying the end of a relationship. However, in the chorus, the singer begs the lover to leave town before it's too late and to be good to someone else. The singer is torn between their feelings for the lover, as they still care for them 'too much', but the thrill of being together is also 'bitter-sweet'. Moreover, the line 'We touch too much!' could imply that the relationship is passionate but toxic or that the two can't keep their hands off each other.
The second verse elaborates on the singer's plea to the lover to leave town, encouraging them to retire to a farm and charm birds off trees, rather than causing any harm. The last verse concludes with the singer urging the lover to leave town, stating it is getting them down and to do so on your mark, get set, get out of town! Overall, the lyrics convey the singer's emotional turmoil after a relationship, experiencing passionate and bitter feelings about the lover, but still wanting them to leave.
Line by Line Meaning
The farce was ended,
The act has ended and the pretense of love is over.
The curtains drawn,
The curtains are closed, signifying an end to the show or drama.
And I at least pretended
I was acting, making an attempt to hide the feelings of hurt and betrayal caused by a recent event.
That love was dead and gone.
I tried to convince myself that the love we shared is over and forgotten.
But now, from nowhere,
Unexpectedly and without warning,
You come to me as before
You return to me with the same familiar charm.
To take my heart,
To rekindle the love and passion I thought I'd lost.
And break my heart once more.
Only to leave me heartbroken again.
Get out of town
Leave this place immediately,
Before it's too late, my love.
Before I get hurt again and can't bear the pain anymore.
Be good to Mr. please!
Show kindness to another man.
Why wish me harm?
Why cause me so much pain and heartache?
Why not retire to a farm
Why don't you find happiness elsewhere, far away from me?
And be contented to charm
Be satisfied to captivate someone else's heart
The birds off the trees?
Rather than breaking my heart again.
Just disappear,
Leave my life altogether,
I care for you much too much,
I love you too deeply to continue being hurt by your presence.
And when you are near,
Whenever you are close to me,
Close to me dear,
My feelings for you intensify,
We touch too much!
And I fear I won't be able to resist you, leading to more heartbreak.
The thrill when we meet
The exhilaration I feel when we encounter each other is overwhelming
Is so bitter-sweet
Although I cherish the emotions, they are accompanied by intense pain.
That, darling, it's getting me down;
The agony of my love for you is taking a toll on me.
So on your mark,
I am telling you to prepare yourself to leave,
Get set,
Get everything in order.
Get out of town!
And simply leave, so that I can heal and move on.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind