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 β what he called the "Great American Song" β 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 CafΓ© 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 β 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 β 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 CafΓ© 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.
For All We Know
Bobby Short Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before you go make this moment sweet again
We won't say "Good night" until the last minute
I'll hold out my hand and my heart will be in it
For all we know this may only be a dream
We come and go like a ripple on a stream
So love me tonight; tomorrow was made for some
So love me tonight; tomorrow was made for some
Tomorrow may never come for all we know
The song For All We Know by Bobby Short is a beautiful ballad about the uncertainty of life and love. The first stanza talks about the possibility of never meeting again and the need to make the moment sweet before saying goodbye. The lyrics suggest a kind of fatalism, that life is transient and unpredictable, and that we should make the most of every moment.
The second stanza goes even further, using the metaphor of a ripple on a stream to highlight the ephemeral nature of life. It encourages the listener to love deeply and passionately, to seize the moment, and to not let the future hold them back. The final line of the song, "Tomorrow may never come for all we know," is a powerful reminder that life is short and should be cherished.
Overall, the song is a poignant meditation on the fleeting beauty of life and love. It encourages the listener to live in the present, to embrace the uncertainty of the future, and to make the most of every moment.
Line by Line Meaning
For all we know we may never meet again
We may not have the opportunity to see each other again
Before you go make this moment sweet again
Let's enjoy this moment and make it special
We won't say "Good night" until the last minute
We will cherish every moment until the very end
I'll hold out my hand and my heart will be in it
I will be fully present and committed to this moment
For all we know this may only be a dream
This moment may feel too good to be true
We come and go like a ripple on a stream
Life is fleeting and we must cherish the moments we have together
So love me tonight; tomorrow was made for some
Let's focus on loving each other in this moment rather than worrying about the future
Tomorrow may never come for all we know
We cannot be certain about what the future holds
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: J Fred Coots, Samuel M Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind