Born in Liberchies, Pont-à-Celles, Belgium into a family of Manouche Gypsies, Jean Reinhardt learned to play several instruments such as the banjo, violin and guitar from an early age; he spent most of his youth in Gypsy encampments close to Paris. His family made a living from crafting furniture, but included several amateur musicians who inspired Reinhardt. Eventually, Reinhardt was given a banjo-guitar, at which point he stopped playing the violin. During this period, he was inspired by two older Gypsy musicians, Gusti Mahla and Jean Castro. Able to make a living from his music from his teen years onwards playing in bal-musette halls in Paris, Reinhardt received little formal education until his adult life; he was taught the rudiments of literacy by fellow band member Stéphane Grappelli.
At the age of eighteen, Reinhardt was injured in a fire that ravaged the caravan he shared with Florine "Bella" Mayer, his first wife. They were very poor, and to supplement their income Bella made imitation flowers out of celluloid and paper; consequently, their home was full of this highly inflammable material. Returning from a performance late one night, Django apparently knocked over a candle on his way to bed. While his family and neighbors were quick to pull him to safety, he received first- and second-degree burns over half his body. His right leg was paralyzed and the third and fourth fingers of his left hand were badly burnt. Doctors believed that he would never play guitar again and intended to amputate one of his legs. Reinhardt refused to have the surgery and left the hospital after a short time; he was able to walk within a year with the aid of a cane.
His brother Joseph Reinhardt, an accomplished guitarist himself, bought Django a new guitar. With painful rehabilitation and practice, Reinhardt relearned his craft in a completely new way, even as his third and fourth fingers remained partially paralyzed. Hence, he played all of his guitar solos with only two fingers, and managed to use the two injured digits only for chord work. After regaining his ability to play, Reinhardt resumed his career playing Parisian cafes. According to one story, during his period of recovery, Reinhardt was introduced to the aesthetics of American jazz when he purchased a 78rpm disc of "Dallas Blues" by Louis Armstrong at an Orléans flea market.
In 1934, Reinhardt and Parisian violinist Stéphane Grappelli were approached by hot club chief Pierre Nourry with the idea of forming a forming a new hot club group. Thus, the Quintette du Hot Club de France was formed, with Reinhardt's brother Joseph and Roger Chaput on guitar, and Louis Vola on double bass. Occasionally, Chaput was replaced by Reinhardt's best friend and fellow Gypsy Pierre "Baro" Ferret. As the group had no true percussion section, percussion was instead provided by the group's guitarists; the Quintette du Hot Club de France thus became one of the few well-known jazz ensembles composed only of string instruments.
Jean Sablon was the first singer to record with the Quintette, resulting in more than thirty collaborations from 1933 onwards. Vocalist Freddy Taylor participated on a few songs, such as "Georgia on My Mind" and "Nagasaki". A long line of recordings for Decca, HMV and Ultraphone ensured long-lasting international success for the Quintette.
As a composer, Reinhardt wrote several influential, highly original tunes recorded by the Quintette, ranging from the dulcet ballads "Daphne", "Nuages", and "Manoir de mes rêves", to mad swingers such as "Minor Swing" and the ode to his record label of the 1930s, "Stomping at Decca". With the passing of time, many of his songs became jazz standards in their own right.
Reinhardt also experimented with recordings outside the "comfort zone" of the Quintette; in March 1933 Reinhardt recorded two takes each of "Parce que je vous aime" and "Si, j'aime Suzy", vocal numbers with lots of guitar fills and great guitar support, using three guitarists along with an accordion lead, violin, and bass. In August of the following year, recordings were also made with more than one guitar (Joseph Reinhardt, Roger Chaput, and Django), including the first recording by the Quintette. In both years, it should be noted, the great majority of recordings featured a wide variety of horns, often in multiples, piano, etc.
Throughout his career, Reinhardt played and recorded with many American jazz legends such as Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Rex Stewart (who later stayed in Paris), and a led a jam-session and radio performance with Louis Armstrong. Later in his career, he performed with Dizzy Gillespie in France.
The outbreak of war in 1939 broke up the Quintette, with Grappelli remaining in London where the group was playing and Reinhardt returning to France. During the war years he led a big band, another quintet with clarinettist Hubert Rostaing in place of Grappelli, and after the liberation of Paris, recorded with such visiting American jazz artists as Mel Powell, Peanuts Hucko, and Ray McKinley. In 1946, Reinhardt took up the electric guitar and toured America as a soloist with the Duke Ellington Band, but his appearances were poorly received.
Some of his recordings on electric guitar late in his life are bop escapades where his playing sounds frantic and jagged, a world apart from the jubilant swing of old. However, starting in January 1946, Reinhardt and Grappelli held several sporadic reunions where the bop influences were more subtly integrated into the old swing format of the glory days of the Quintette. In the 1950s, Reinhardt became more reclusive, remaining in Europe, playing and recording sporadically until his death from a stroke on 16 May 1953 in Fontainebleau, France.
I Can't Give You Anithing But Love
Django Reinhardt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from
simply rotten to something worse
Who knows, some day I will win too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
Now though I see what our end is,
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
You have a lifetime before you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
Please don't be blue for the present,
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
In "I Can't Give You Anything but Love," Django Reinhardt sings about the difficulties of being broke and how he longs to give his partner lavish gifts and a comfortable life. The first verse sets the tone for the song, with Django lamenting about his financial troubles and how his luck has only gotten worse. However, he remains optimistic that things will turn around and he will be able to provide for his loved one. In the chorus, he emphasizes that even though he can't give material possessions, he can offer love which to him, is abundant.
The second verse is more hopeful, with Django urging his partner to wait for him until he can provide for her. He acknowledges that some things take time and effort, but promises to always be there for her. The chorus repeats, with Django reassuring his partner that even though he can't buy her diamonds, they will find happiness together.
Overall, the song is a beautiful and heartfelt declaration of love in the face of financial hardship. In today's world where material possessions are often equated with love, Django's words are a reminder that love itself is the most precious gift of all.
Line by Line Meaning
Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid.
It's difficult to be poor and struggling.
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
Being broke is not funny, it's a serious problem.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from simply rotten to something worse
Things have gone from bad to worse for me.
Who knows, some day I will win too.
Perhaps someday my luck will turn around and I will succeed.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
I will start to reach my full potential.
Now though I see what our end is,
I understand our eventual outcome.
All I can spend is just my time.
The only thing I have to offer is my company.
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
I may be poor, but I can offer you love.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Love is the one thing I have in abundance.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
Let's imagine and plan for the future.
We're sure to find happiness and I guess all those things you've always pined for.
If we dream and work towards our goals, we will find happiness and all the things you desire.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
I would love to see you looking happy and healthy.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
I may not be able to buy you expensive things like diamond bracelets.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
Until the day when we are lucky enough to afford those things.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
Success takes time and patience.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
You have to work hard and make sacrifices to get what you want.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
I am patient and willing to wait for success.
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
I will always remember and appreciate our love and commitment.
You have a lifetime before you.
You have your whole life ahead of you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
No matter what happens, I will always love you.
Please don't be blue for the present,
Don't be sad about our current situation.
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
I enjoy hearing your voice and your company.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
apollo305shade
One of the best voices ever in my opinion
I
I listen to A LOT of 30s & 40s singers and Freddie is one of the best ever. I could listen to him for weeks on end....
Eustace
Not my one of my favorite singers. But he is an exceptional and remarkable singer. Though, he did have a hell of a band! Definitely one of the best during its times.
Mike Hiers
Freddie was the finest vocalist to record w/ Django. Wish I could find more songs of that era with this personnel...the greatest version of the Hot Club. I only know of a handful of Freddie and Django recordings together, Georgia is a fave.
Heinz Becker
papabecker/musik201.htm
Nick Salvatore
That voice is incredible
Richard Gaddy
My favorite version of this song. Perfection.
François Villon
Ce qui est sur c'est que, à chaque fois que je l'écoute, les larmes me viennent aux yeux
LoveSupreme8
What he gives isn't anything, it's everything.
Soledad Lorenzo Alonso
Maravillosa música