Charlie Barnet (October 26, 1913 - September 4, 1991) was unusual in severa… Read Full Bio ↴Charlie Barnet (October 26, 1913 - September 4, 1991) was unusual in several ways. One of the few jazzmen to be born a millionaire, Barnet was a bit of a playboy throughout his life, ending up with a countless number of ex-wives and anecdotes. He was one of the few white big band leaders of the swing era to openly embrace the music of Duke Ellington (he also greatly admired Count Basie). Barnet was a pioneer in leading integrated bands (as early as 1935). And, although chiefly a tenor saxophonist (where he developed an original sound out of the style of Coleman Hawkins), Barnet was an effective emulator of Johnny Hodges on alto in addition to being virtually the only soprano player (other than Sidney Bechet) in the 1930s and '40s.

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.

You Always Hurt the One You Love
Charlie Barnet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You always hurt the one you love
The one you shouldn't hurt at all
You always take the sweetest rose
And crush it till the petals fall
You always break the kindest heart
With a hasty word you can't recall
So If I broke your heart last night,
It's because I love you most of all

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra's song "You Always Hurt The One You Love" carry a poignant message about the paradoxical nature of love. The opening line already asserts that the person we love the most is often the one we end up hurting. The phrase "the one you shouldn't hurt at all" suggests that the vulnerability of the person we love should make us even more cautious not to cause any pain. However, the next sentence "You always take the sweetest rose and crush it till the petals fall" implies the opposite - that love makes us irrational and sometimes leads to unintended harm.

Continuing with the same metaphor, the third line "You always break the kindest heart" emphasizes that the person who loves the most is not necessarily the one who receives love in return. Love can be unequal and unfair, with one person giving more than the other. Finally, the chorus ends with the confession that the singer of the song might have hurt their lover, but only because of the depth of their love. It is a bittersweet message that acknowledges the painful reality of love but also suggests that love is worth the risk of hurting each other.

Line by Line Meaning

You always hurt the one you love
It seems that you inevitably cause pain to those whom you care for

The one you shouldn't hurt at all
Certainly not the person who deserves your respect and compassion

You always take the sweetest rose
You tend to select the most delicate and delightful things in your life

And crush it till the petals fall
However, you end up destroying or ruining them in some way

You always break the kindest heart
You never fail to shatter the heart of the kind and gentle people around you

With a hasty word you can't recall
Using careless and thoughtless words which come back to haunt you later

So If I broke your heart last night,
Therefore, if I caused you pain and heartbreak last night,

It's because I love you most of all
It is because I am so deeply in love with you that I am capable of causing such harm.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Allan Roberts, Doris Fisher

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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