Born and raised near Seattle, Washington, Bentyne was exposed to music at a very early age. Her father, a jazz clarinetist and bandleader, held his band's rehearsals at the family's home. It wasn't long before Bentyne was singing in her dad's band. After high school, she performed in Seattle area coffee houses where she met and joined a regional group called The New Deal Rhythm Band. The band combined campy comedy numbers with improvisation and "theatrical" swing. The New Deal served as a training ground for Bentyne to sharpen her performance technique and develop her own distinct style.
While on tour with the group, Bentyne caught the attention of a talent agent who assured her that her singing ability could support a solo career and encouraged her to assemble material for her own show. Within a few months she moved to Los Angeles and was booked regularly at such legendary clubs as the Troubadour and the Bla-Bla Cafe.
In the spring of 1979, Bentyne's manager told her about an audition that was to change her life. The Manhattan Transfer was searching for a new singer to replace former member Laurel Massé. What they were looking for seemed like an impossible combination at the time - a soprano who was gifted and agile enough to immediately blend with the group's unique four-part harmony sound, yet who also possessed a strong individual musical personality which would contribute to the group's evolution. But Bentyne accomplished the impossible: she landed the job and made a vocal contribution that was immediate and decisive. The Manhattan Transfer won its first Grammy for "Birdland", a track from the 1979 album, Extensions (Best Jazz Fusion Performance). Since then, the foursome have scored ten more Grammys - so far.
Bentyne has sung some of the most memorable solos in the Transfer's repertoire: "Goodbye Love", Benny Goodman's solo on "Down South" (both on the 1983 release, Bodies and Souls), and "Meet Benny Bailey" (on their landmark 1985 recording, Vocalese). She won a Grammy (which she shares with Bobby McFerrin) for her arrangement of "Another Night In Tunisia" (also on Vocalese). Her hot performance in the video and single release "So You Say" (from Brasil, 1987) helped broaden the Transfer's audience via frequent appearances on BET. She also wrote and co-wrote tracks for the Transfer's 1992 release, The Offbeat of Avenues, including the Grammy-winning "Sassy".
But Bentyne has maintained a solid solo career aside from her work with the world-famous vocal quartet. In 1988, she appeared on bassist Rob Wasserman's highly acclaimed Duets album. Four years later, she released her solo debut album, Something Cool, a tribute to June Christy and other jazz singers of the 1950s.
Beyond the recording studio and performance stage, Bentyne has also dabbled in recording for motion pictures. She appears on the soundtrack to the 1990 film Dick Tracy, on "Back in Business", a song she performed with Lorraine Feather and fellow Transfer member Janis Siegel. She also collaborated with trumpeter/composer Mark Isham in the soundtrack to the 1991 Alan Rudolph film, Mortal Thoughts. In 2000, she recorded and released an original cast album of her new musical revue based the music and wit of Cole Porter. Dreaming Of Mister Porter has played to sold-out audiences and received rave reviews in Boston and Seattle.
Bentyne has released four solo albums for King Records in Japan: Talk Of The Town (2002), Moonlight Serenade (2003), The Lights Still Burn (2003), and Waltz for Debby (2004). She has had numerous solo engagements in the Japanese club scene and enjoys a large following of fans in Japan.
Bentyne joined the Telarc label for the January 2004 U.S. re-release of Talk of the Town. The album features a number of standards from the Great American Songbook, plus a few lesser-known - but no less engaging - ballads that Bentyne makes her own. In addition to her sexy, compelling vocals, Talk of the Town features some of the finest players on today's jazz scene, including pianist Kenny Barron, saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman, flugelhornist Chuck Mangione, percussionist Don Alias, and drummer Lewis Nash.
Bentyne's second Telarc outing was released in April 2005, Let Me Off Uptown, and is a tribute to legendary songstress Anita O'Day. She followed this with her third recording for Telarc, The Book of Love in October 2006.
Official website: www.cherylbentyne.net
They Can't Take That Away from Me
Cheryl Bentyne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The way you sip your tea
The mem'ry of all that
No, no, they can't take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still I'll always, always keep
The mem'ry of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced 'til three
The way you changed my life
No, no, no they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still I'll always, always keep
The mem'ry of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced 'til three
The way you changed my life
No, no, no they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away, they can't take that away
No, they can't take that away from me
Cheryl Bentyne's song 'They Can't Take That Away from Me' is an adoration to someone that has left a lasting impression on her heart, someone whose memory is still vivid in her mind despite the separation. The lyrics of the song have a lot of imagery, showing how the singer is still holding onto the memories of the person she loves. The first verse talks about the small things that she loves about the person such as the way they wear their hat, and the way they sip their tea- things that might be insignificant to most people, but mean everything to her. The second verse goes further to reflect on how the person's smile, and the way they sing off-key and even haunt her dreams, have made a big impact on her.
The song's bridge talks about how they may never meet again, but the memories of the moments they shared will forever be etched in her mind. The ending of the song brings back the same imagery as before, stating how the way they held a knife, the way they danced until 3 am, and how they changed her life is not something that can ever be taken away from her.
Line by Line Meaning
The way you wear your hat
I adore the way you dress and present yourself, it brings me joy.
The way you sip your tea
I find the way you enjoy and savor even the small things in life charming and endearing.
The mem'ry of all that
Even when we are apart, I will always hold onto the memories of our time together and the way you make me feel.
No, no, they can't take that away from me
These things are so valuable and meaningful to me that nobody can ever take them away or diminish their significance.
The way your smile just beams
Your smile is radiant and contagious, and it always brightens up my day.
The way you sing off key
Even though you're not a perfect singer, I love the way you express yourself and enjoy music.
The way you haunt my dreams
I can't help but think about you constantly, even in my dreams you are always on my mind.
We may never, never meet again
Even if our paths never cross again, these memories and feelings will stay with me forever.
On the bumpy road to love
Life and relationships can be difficult and unpredictable, but I'm willing to endure it for the chance to experience the love we have shared.
Still I'll always, always keep
Despite any obstacles, I will always cherish and hold onto the love we have shared.
The way you hold your knife
Even in the mundane moments, I find the way you do things so endearing and special.
The way we danced 'til three
The fun and carefree times we've shared, even if they were just for one night, will always be remembered fondly.
The way you changed my life
You have impacted my life in a profound and meaningful way, and I will always be grateful for the love and experiences we have shared together.
No, no, no they can't take that away from me
These memories and feelings are so deeply ingrained and cherished that they are immune to any outside forces that may attempt to diminish their significance.
No, they can't take that away, they can't take that away
I am so sure of the strength and significance of these memories and feelings that I must repeat it, almost as if to convince myself even more firmly.
No, they can't take that away from me
These memories and feelings are invaluable, and nothing can ever diminish their importance to me.
Writer(s): GERSHWIN GEORGE, GERSHWIN IRA
Contributed by Ian L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.