He also championed African-American composers of the same period such as Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson, Andy Razaf, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, presenting their work not in a polemical way, but as simply the obvious equal of that of their white contemporaries.
His dedication to his great love – what he called the "Great American Song" – left him equally adept at performing the witty lyrics of Bessie Smith's "Gimme a Pigfoot (And a Bottle of Beer)" or Gershwin and Duke's "I Can't Get Started." Short stated his favorite songwriters were Ellington, Arlen and Kern, and he was instrumental in spearheading the construction of the Ellington Memorial in New York City.
He was born in Danville, Illinois, United States, where one of his school classmates was Dick Van Dyke. He began performing as a busker after leaving home at the age of eleven for Chicago, with his mother's permission.
He started working in clubs in the 1940s. In 1968 he was offered a two-week stint at the Café Carlyle in New York City, to fill in for George Feyer. Short (accompanied by Beverly Peer on bass and Dick Sheridan on drums) became an institution at the Carlyle, as Feyer had been before him, and remained there as a featured performer for over 35 years. There, a combination of traits – his seemingly effortless elegance; his vocal phrasing (perfected, as was that of Frank Sinatra, at the feet of Miss Mabel Mercer, with perhaps also some help from Ethel Waters); his talent for presenting unknown songs worth knowing while keeping well known songs fresh; his infectious good cheer; and his resolute, self-disciplined professionalism – earned him great respect and made him tremendously popular. Bobby Short was generous with his impromptu all-night performances at his various favorite cafes and restaurants. He was a regular patron at Ted Hook's Backstage, located at Eighth Avenue and Forty-Fifth Street.
1972: Short sings theme song in James Ivory's film Savages.
1976: Short sings and appears in a commercial for Revlon's perfume "Charlie."
1985: Short sings and appears in the beginning portion of the Misfits of Science theme song.
1986: Short appears in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters. Then Allen used his recording "I Happen To Like New York" for opening title of Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993).
1991: Short stars as blues musician Ches Collins on the TV series In the Heat of the Night in which he sings the title track, Sweet, Sweet Blues.
1994: Short reprises his role as blues musician Ches Collins on the TV series In the Heat of the Night.
1999: Short appears in the Movie "Man of the Century"
2000: The Library of Congress designates Short a Living Legend, a recognition established as part of its bicentennial celebration.
2003: Short sings and plays piano in at least one episode of 7th Heaven on TV.
2004: Short announces he will end his regular appearances at the Café Carlyle by the end of the year, in favor of touring, traveling and spending time with friends.
2005: Short dies of leukemia at New York Presbyterian Hospital on March 21, 2005, aged 80 and is buried in Atherton Cemetery in Danville, Illinois, the city of his birth.
Easy Come Easy Go
Bobby Short Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's the way if love must have its day
As it came
Let it go
No remorse, no regret
We should part
Exactly as we met
We never dreamed of romantic dangers
Now that this ends
Let's be friends
And not two strangers
Easy come, easy go
Here we are
So darling au revoir
Easy come and easy go
We never dreamed of romantic dangers
Now that this ends
Let's be friends
And not two strangers
Easy come, easy go
Here we are
So darling au revoir
It's easy come and easy go
Easy go, easy go, easy go
The lyrics of Bobby Short's song "Easy Come, Easy Go" express a straightforward and pragmatic approach to love and its inevitable end. The opening line sets the tone for the entire song, suggesting that if love is meant to be fleeting, then so be it. The pithy declaration of "As it came, let it go" highlights the disposability of a love that didn't work out.
The following lines, "No remorse, no regret, we should part, exactly as we met," further emphasize the practicality of the singer's approach. They're not mourning lost love or dwelling on what could have been. Instead, they're calmly acknowledging the end of a relationship and recognizing the best way to move forward is to amicably part ways.
Despite the lack of regret, the song recognizes that the relationship was not without its appeal. The second verse speaks to this, acknowledging that the couple "never dreamed of romantic dangers." Even though the relationship is ending, there's a recognition that they had fun while it lasted.
The chorus comes back around to the song's title, repeating the mantra of "easy come and easy go." The final line - "easy go, easy go, easy go" - feels almost dismissive, as if the singer is shrugging off the relationship with a "whatever, no big deal" attitude.
Overall, "Easy Come, Easy Go" is a song that is both optimistic and practical. It recognizes that not all relationships are meant to last, but encourages a mature and amicable approach to their end.
Line by Line Meaning
Easy come, easy go
Love can be fleeting and unpredictable, and we should accept this reality.
That's the way if love must have its day
Love is ephemeral, and we must be prepared to happily accept its sudden appearance and sudden disappearance.
As it came
Just as the love arrived suddenly and unexpectedly.
Let it go
We should be prepared to let go of love just as easily as it came into our lives.
No remorse, no regret
There is no point in regretting our love just because it has ended so quickly.
We should part
We should accept that the fleeting love is gone and move on with our lives.
Exactly as we met
We should treat the end of love as if it were the beginning and part in the same way we met - without any worries or obligations.
We never dreamed of romantic dangers
We never expected our love to be so short-lived or painful.
Now that this ends
Now that the love affair is over.
Let's be friends
We should not let the end of love ruin our friendship.
And not two strangers
We should maintain our familiarity and not become strangers due to the end of our love affair.
Here we are
We are now at the end of our love affair.
So darling au revoir
We should bid farewell to each other with affection.
Easy go, easy go, easy go
Love can be short-lived and unpredictable, and we should come to terms with this reality.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EDWARD HEYMAN, JOHN W. GREEN, JOHNNY GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
potatoluver63
Bobby Sherman was my first crush as a grade schooler! Loved this song, thanks. 😊
sunryse111
My pleasure. (Go easy on the potatoes!)
Leela
I was in love with Bobby Sherman at age 11...he was my biggest crush. Great memories playing the single 45 over and over of this song. Thanks for the memories! ❤️
Adam Holtz
Great happy track ! Excellent post ! Haven't heard this since it came out !
sunryse111
I'm glad this one "hit the spot" for you, Adam.
Bernabe Ruiz
Easy listening music, to the point about life
sunryse111
Thank you, Bernabe. Good to meet you.
Thuy Bui
Thanks,Bobby Shermann for your beautiful 😍 song
USMC Veteran
Great one Victor. He was on a couple TV Shows "Here Comes the Brides" 1968-1970, was probably what he's know for.
sunryse111
Thanks for that, Chuck. I really know very little about this guy.