Born in Liberchies, Pont-Γ -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 StΓ©phane 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 OrlΓ©ans flea market.
In 1934, Reinhardt and Parisian violinist StΓ©phane 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 rΓͺves", 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.
Sophisticated Lady
Django Reinhardt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just because you're caught in your social maze
I think it's 'bout time that you realize
Your money and your power's got you mesmerized
Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
Educated lady with your college degree
Amazes me why you just can't see
Learned everything from your books on the shelf
But no one ever taught you how to think for yourself
Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea, sweet thing
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
Sophisticated lady take a lesson from me
I can help you be what you want to be
Together we'll see many brighter days
If it takes forever, gonna change your ways
Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea, sweet thing
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
The lyrics of Django Reinhardt's song "Sophisticated Lady" express a critique of the modern world and its focus on money, power, and social status. The song speaks directly to an individual who is "caught in [their] social maze", indicating that they are trapped by the expectations and constraints of their position in society. Reinhardt suggests that this individual, whom he refers to as a "Sophisticated Lady", has become enamored with their own status and has lost sight of what is truly important.
Reinhardt then offers a solution to this problem, encouraging the Sophisticated Lady to "put [her] blue jeans on" and become more accessible and open to those around her. He suggests that by shedding the trappings of luxury and status, the Sophisticated Lady can become more approachable and relatable, and therefore more able to think for herself and consider the perspectives and experiences of those who exist outside of her immediate social circle.
Line by Line Meaning
Sophisticated lady tryin' to change my ways
A woman who considers herself sophisticated is trying to influence and alter how I live my life.
Just because you're caught in your social maze
You're trapped in the complex web of high society's expectations.
I think it's 'bout time that you realize
It's time for you to recognize and understand something important.
Your money and your power's got you mesmerized
Your wealth and status have hypnotized you.
Educated lady with your college degree
A woman who has completed her higher education.
Amazes me why you just can't see
It's astonishing to me that you're unable to grasp something that is obvious.
Learned everything from your books on the shelf
You've studied and acquired knowledge solely from books in your possession.
But no one ever taught you how to think for yourself
Despite your education, you haven't learned how to form your own opinions and ideas.
Sophisticated lady take a lesson from me
Listen to what I have to teach you, oh sophisticated lady.
I can help you be what you want to be
I have the ability to assist you in achieving your aspirations.
Together we'll see many brighter days
We'll eventually experience positive changes and progress together.
If it takes forever, gonna change your ways
Even if it takes a very long time, I am determined to transform your behavior.
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
Instead of concentrating on your status, let's focus on your individuality and simplicity.
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
When you're without your guardians or those who look after you, you're vulnerable like everybody else.
Pretty lady, get back
A woman who is considered pretty should stay out of the its line of fire.
Pretty lady, yea
Yes, you are a beautiful woman.
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
Ditch your high-end attire and step into a more relaxed outfit.
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
You're susceptible to anyone's advances or influences when you're left to your own devices.
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
A repetition of the line mentioned earlier, perhaps to emphasize the importance of unraveling oneself from society's expectations.
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
A repetition of the line mentioned earlier, underscoring how vulnerable one is without guidance or assistance.
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Edward Kennedy Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nabilahmed2799
Incoming Mafia: Definitive Edition players!
@xozerocxwqd1353
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@nuclear_addict
Same. That clarinet though.
@ChadEmperor1871
Same here lol