Charlie Shavers' father was from the prominent Shavers family of Key West, Florida, and Charlie was a cousin of heavyweight boxer Earnie Shavers. Born in New York he originally took up the piano and banjo before switching to trumpet. In the mid-thirties, he performed with Tiny Bradshaw and Lucky Millinder. In 1936 he joined John Kirby's Sextet as trumpet soloist and arranger (he was only 16 but gave his birthdate as 1917 in order to avoid child labor laws - many biographies still list this date). His arrangements and solos with this band contributed greatly towards making it one of the most commercially successful and widely imitated bands of its day. In 1937 he was performing with Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters. In 1944 he began playing sessions in Raymond Scott's CBS staff orchestra. In 1945 he left John Kirby's band to join Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra, with whom he toured and recorded, off and on, until 1953. During this time he continued to play sessions at CBS, played with the Metronome All-Stars, and made a number of recordings as trumpet soloist with Billie Holiday. From 1953 to 1954 he worked with Benny Goodman, and toured Europe with Norman Granz's popular Jazz at the Philharmonic series, where he was always a crowd favorite. He went on to form his own band with Terry Gibbs and Louie Bellson.
Charlie Shavers died from throat cancer in New York in 1971 at the age of 50. His friend Louis Armstrong died while Shavers was on his deathbed, and his last request was that his trumpet mouthpiece be buried with Armstrong in his coffin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Shavers
Coquette
Charlie Shavers Lyrics
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Little coquette, making fun of the one who loves you
Breaking hearts you are ruling
Little coquette, true hearts tenderly dreaming of you.
Someday you'll fall in love as I fell in love with you.
Maybe the one you love will just be fooling too.
And when you are alone with all your regrets,
You know, my little coquette, I love you.
Someday you'll fall in love as I fell in love with you.
Now, maybe the one you love will just be fooling too.
And when you are alone with all your regrets,
Now, you know, my little coquette, I love you.
In Charlie Lewis's song Coquette, the lyrics describe a person addressing a coquettish woman who enjoys making fun of those who love her. The singer pleads with her to stop breaking hearts and warns her that true hearts are dreaming of her. The lyricist refers to the woman as a "little coquette" throughout the song, emphasizing her playful and flirtatious behavior that leads others on.
The song takes a turn in the second verse, as the singer predicts that the woman will eventually fall in love and face the same pain that she has caused others. He suggests that maybe the person she falls for will also be insincere, leading to regret and loneliness. Despite all of this, the singer confesses his love for the woman, even though he knows that he might end up hurting just like the others.
Overall, Coquette is a bittersweet song that reflects on the consequences of playing with other people's emotions. The urgent plea to the coquette is paired with a sense of resignation, as if the singer is aware that he can't control the woman's actions or his own feelings. The song's simple melody is backed by jazzy instrumentation that matches its nostalgic tone.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear me, why you keep fooling
Listen to me, why do you keep deceiving?
Little coquette, making fun of the one who loves you
You flirt with and mock the person who loves you, little seductress.
Breaking hearts you are ruling
You hold power over the hearts you break.
Little coquette, true hearts tenderly dreaming of you.
Those with genuine affection for you dream of you fondly, little flirt.
Someday you'll fall in love as I fell in love with you.
One day, you'll experience the same feelings I have for you.
Maybe the one you love will just be fooling too.
Perhaps the person you love will also be deceiving and playing games.
And when you are alone with all your regrets,
When you're by yourself and feeling remorseful,
You know, my little coquette, I love you.
You should know, my little flirt, that I still love you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN WALDO GREEN, GUS KAHN, CARMEN LOMBARDO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind