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.
Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
Bobby Short Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know
think so little of me that they allow you go
When your near there's such an air of Spring about it
I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it
There's no love song finer but how strange
Every time we say goodbye
The opening line of the song "every time we say goodbye, I die a little" is a poetic expression of deep sadness that the singer feels when parting ways with their loved one. The phrase "die a little" implies that each goodbye takes a small piece of the singer's soul, causing them to feel increasingly empty and incomplete. The second line "I wonder why a little" highlights the confusion and uncertainty that the singer feels towards their separation.
The third and fourth lines of the verse "Why the gods above me, who must be in the know think so little of me that they allow you go" depict the singers feeling of abandonment and betrayal by the gods. The singer's belief in the higher powers leads them to question why they would allow their significant other to leave, which reaffirms their deep emotional pain.
The chorus employs natural imagery to amplify the romantic emotion, as it describes the presence of their loved one, a lark begins to sing, and worries dissipate. However, the final line "Every time we say goodbye" appear to always turn the happy occasion into a somber and sad moment as the last two words "we say goodbye" in the verse are emphasized and start a new cycle of sadness with every separation bringing even more pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time we say goodbye, I die a little
I feel a small part of me dying every time we have to part ways.
Every time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little
It makes me question why we can't be together all the time and why we have to keep saying goodbye.
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know
I question why the higher powers who have knowledge of everything, allow us to be separated.
think so little of me that they allow you go
I question if the gods think lowly of me to the extent of allowing you to leave my sight.
When your near there's such an air of Spring about it
When you're close to me, I feel a sense of freshness and renewal like the arrival of spring in the air.
I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it
This feeling of joy and hope is so strong that I can hear a bird (lark) singing about it somewhere nearby.
There's no love song finer but how strange
Even though there are many great love songs, none compare to the feeling we have. But it's strange that we have to keep saying goodbye.
The change from major to minor
It's interesting how the joy and happiness we feel when we're together suddenly changes to sadness (minor) when we have to say goodbye.
Every time we say goodbye
The phrase 'every time we say goodbye' is repeated to emphasize the pain and sadness of having to part ways repeatedly.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Sentric Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
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