And yet Charlie Barnet was only significant in jazz for about a decade (1939-1949). Although his family wanted him to be a lawyer, he was a professional musician by the time he was 16 and ironically in his career made more money than he would have in business. Barnet arrived in New York in 1932 and started leading bands on records the following year, but his career was quite erratic until 1939. Many of Barnet's early records are worthy but some are quite commercial as he attempted to find a niche. Best is a sideman appearance on a 1934 Red Norvo date that also includes Artie Shaw and Teddy Wilson.
In 1939, with the hit recording of "Cherokee" and a very successful run at the Famous Door in New York, Charlie Barnet soon became a household name. In addition to the fine trumpeter Bobby Burnet (who soloed on many of Barnet's Bluebird records), such sidemen as guitarist Bus Etri; drummer Cliff Leeman; singers Lena Horne, Francis Wayne, and Kay Starr; pianist Dodo Marmarosa; clarinetist Buddy DeFranco; guitarist Barney Kessel; and even trumpeter Roy Eldridge spent time with Barnet's bands. Although at the height of his popularity during 1939-1942 (when his orchestra could often play a close imitation of Ellington's), Barnet's recordings for Decca during 1942-1946 were also of great interest with "Skyliner" being a best-seller.
By 1947 Barnet was starting to look toward bop. Clark Terry was his star trumpeter that year, and in 1949 his screaming trumpet section included Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen, Rolf Ericson, and Ray Wetzel. Barnet, however, soon lost interest and near the end of 1949 he broke up his band. Semi-retired throughout the remainder of his life, Charlie Barnet occasionally led swing-oriented big bands during short tours and appearances, making his last recording in 1966.
I Hear A Rhapsody
Charlie Barnet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So softly to me
I don't hear a call at all
I hear a rhapsody
And when your sparkling eyes
Are smiling at me
Then soft through the starlit skies
My days are so blue
When you're away
My heart longs for you
So won't you stay
My darling hold me tight
And whisper to me
Then soft through a starry night
I'll hear a rhapsody
Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra's song I Hear A Rhapsody is filled with romanticism, as the lyrics describe the intense emotions experienced by someone in love. The song begins with the singer stating that when their lover calls out to them softly, they do not hear just a call, but they hear a rhapsody. This simply means that the lover's voice is so melodious and enchanting that it creates a symphony in the singer's heart. The singer is so enamored by this that even when their lover's eyes sparkle and smile at them, they can hear a rhapsody through the starry skies.
The lyrics go on to express how life seems blue when they're far away from their lover, and their heart longs for them. They urge their beloved to hold them tight, whisper to them, and create a melody through a starry night, which the singer will hear as a rhapsody. This song is a representation of how love can make everything around you seem more beautiful and enchanting. The rhapsody is not just music but an expression of powerful emotions which encapsulate the singer's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
And when I hear you call
When I hear your voice calling out to me,
So softly to me
In a gentle and tender manner,
I don't hear a call at all
I don't just hear a voice, rather,
I hear a rhapsody
I hear a beautiful and majestic musical piece
And when your sparkling eyes
When I look deeply into your shining eyes,
Are smiling at me
When they light up and convey joy to me,
Then soft through the starlit skies
It feels like the music is dancing softly between the glittering stars,
I hear a rhapsody
And I am lost in the dreamy euphoria of the melody.
My days are so blue
The days without you seem so gloomy and somber,
When you're away
When you are not near me,
My heart longs for you
My heart has an overwhelming desire for your presence
So won't you stay
Please don't leave and stay with me
My darling hold me tight
My beloved, take me in your arms and clasp me firmly,
And whisper to me
And with a soft and loving voice, speak to me,
Then soft through a starry night
In this tranquil and glowing night, under the shimmering stars,
I'll hear a rhapsody
I will be enveloped in the enchanting and magical melody.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ralph Barendse, Sander Van Der Waal, Dick Gasparre, GEORGE FRAGOS, Jack Baker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1941 {January 11th} "I Hear A Rhapsody" by Charlie Barnet* & his Orchestra peaked at #2 {for 6 weeks} on Billboard's National Best-Selling Retail Records Sales chart, for the six weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for those six weeks was "Frenesi" by Artie Shaw...
Charles Daly Barnet passed away at the age of 77 on September 4th, 1991...
May He R.I.P.
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Best-Selling Retail Records Sales Top 10 chart on January 11th, 1941:
At #3. "I Hear A Rhapsody" by Jimmy Dorsey
#4. "Scrub Me, Mama, With A Boogie Beat" by Will Bradley
#5. "Anvil Chorus" by Glenn Miller
#6. "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square" by Glenn Miller
#7. "Stardust" by Artis Shaw
#8. "There I Go" by Will Bradley
#9. "Along The Sante Fe Trail" by Glenn Miller
#10. "Yes, My Darling Daughter" by Dinah Shore
* Plus here's some obscure trivia, according to Wikipedia, Charlie Barnet was married eleven times, most were of the Mexican variety, his eleventh and last marriage, to a Betty Thompson, lasted for thirty-three years...
Trombonology Erstwhile
I think Bob Eberly's vocal, on the Jimmy Dorsey version, is better but I prefer the Barnet band's dramatic arrangement -- the highlight of which, for me, is the contrastingly quiet but arresting eight-bar solo by one of my favorite guitarists, the extremely talented but ill-fated Bus Etri.
K Hussein
Nice!
Annalise Bakken
Do you have the other side (The Moon is Cryin' For Me)? I've been looking everywhere for it!
The78Prof
Sorry, I don't have it available for posting at the moment. There is a copy on the Internet Archive, though it does have a prominent click during the first 30 seconds. Listen here: https://archive.org/details/78_the-moon-is-cryin-for-me_charlie-barnet-and-his-orchestra-dale-bennett-larry-taylo_gbia0060737b
Annalise Bakken
@The78Prof Wow thank you so much!!