As a pianist, he had a distinctive and influential style (the song title "Splanky" is an onomatopoetic reference to the sound of his playing), equally at home in the barrelhouse and the concert hall. Willie "The Lion" Smith, James P. Johnson, and Fats Waller were among his influences.
As a bandleader, he created an organization (built upon the remains of Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra) that was a favorite both of dancers and of vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and, of course, Billie Holiday. Equally important, it kept many musicians employed through lean years. Many jazz musicians of note built their chops and earned their bread and butter in Basie's organization.
In addition to Basie, the swinging "All American Rhythm Section" of his orchestra included greats such as Walter Page (bass), Jo Jones (drums), and Freddie Green (guitar). It was the greatest, most swinging rhythm sections in the history of jazz. Chief among its vocalists were, first, Jimmy Rushing and, later, Joe Williams. Over the years it boasted sidemen and soloists like Herschel Evans (tenor sax), Lester Young (tenor sax), Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor sax), Buddy Tate (tenor sax), Illinois Jacquet (tenor sax), Earle Warren (alto sax), Jack Washington (alto & baritone sax), Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Buck Clayton (trumpet), Thad Jones (trumpet), Snooky Young (trumpet), Benny Morton (trombone), Benny Powell (trombone), and Dicky Wells (trombone).
Basie also collaborated with artists such as Zoot Sims and Oscar Peterson, and recorded with ensembles large and small, including the Count Basie Trio, the Count Basie Sextet, and the Kansas City Seven. Notable arrangers included Eddie Durham (who helped shape the Basie Orchestra's sound) and Neal Hefti.
St Louis Blues
Count Basie Lyrics
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I hate to see that evening sun go down,
'Cause my lovin' baby done left this town.
If I feel tomorrow, like I feel today,
If I feel tomorrow, like I feel today,
I'm gonna pack my trunk and make my getaway.
She pulls my man around by her apron strings.
And if it wasn't for powder and her store-bought hair,
Oh, that man of mine wouldn't go nowhere.
I got those St. Louis blues, just as blue as I can be,
Oh, my man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea,
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me.
I love my man like a schoolboy loves his pie,
Like a Kentucky colonel loves his rocker and rye
I'll love my man until the day I die, Lord, Lord.
I got the St. Louis blues, just as blue as I can be, Lord, Lord!
That man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea,
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me.
I got those St. Louis blues, I got the blues, I got the blues, I got the blues,
My man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea,
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me, Lord, Lord!
In Count Basie's song "St. Louis Blues," the singer expresses her sadness and heartbreak over her lover leaving town with another woman. The song opens with the singer expressing her dislike for the evening sunset because she knows her lover has left her behind. She then states that if her feelings remain the same tomorrow, she will pack her things and leave town. The next verse reinforces her pain by painting a picture of her lover being seduced by another woman, who the singer calls the "St. Louis woman." She suggests that this woman uses her beauty and wealth to keep her man under control, and if it weren't for her manipulation, her man would stay with the singer. In the following verse, the singer admits to having the "St. Louis blues," feeling as blue as she can be because of her situation. She expresses her love for her man and compares it to a schoolboy's love for pie or a Kentucky colonel's love for whiskey. She concludes the song repeating herself, expressing that her man's heart is as hard and cold as a rock cast into the sea, and she can't help but feel the deep sadness of the blues.
Line by Line Meaning
I hate to see that evening sun go down,
It pains me to see the sunset because it reminds me that my lover has departed from this town.
If I feel tomorrow, like I feel today,
If tomorrow I continue to feel the same heartache I feel today, I will leave this place and start anew.
Oh, that St. Louis woman, with her diamond rings,
That woman from St. Louis flaunts her wealth and uses it to control my man.
She pulls my man around by her apron strings.
My man is easily manipulated by that woman from St. Louis.
And if it wasn't for powder and her store-bought hair,
If that St. Louis woman didn't adorn herself with expensive cosmetics and wigs, my man would not be interested in her.
Oh, that man of mine wouldn't go nowhere.
My man would not leave me for that St. Louis woman if it weren't for her material possessions.
I got those St. Louis blues, just as blue as I can be,
I am overcome with sadness and heartache because my man has left me for that St. Louis woman.
Oh, my man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea,
My man's heart is cold and unyielding, like a stone in the ocean.
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me.
If my man had a caring heart, he would not have left me behind for that St. Louis woman.
I love my man like a schoolboy loves his pie,
My love for my man is pure and innocent, like a young boy's love for his favorite dessert.
Like a Kentucky colonel loves his rocker and rye
My affection for my man is deep and unwavering, like a Kentucky colonel's love for his favorite whiskey.
I'll love my man until the day I die, Lord, Lord.
I will love my man for the rest of my life, no matter where he may be or who he is with.
I got the St. Louis blues, I got the blues, I got the blues, I got the blues,
The sadness and heartache I am feeling are overwhelming and all-consuming.
That man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea,
My man's heart is unchanging and indifferent, like a stone in the ocean.
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me, Lord, Lord!
If my man truly cared for me, he would not have left me behind for that St. Louis woman.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY STRAYHORN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Genial
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When was it composed
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The album was released in 1967
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The song was composed in 1914 by W C Handy