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.
Swanee River
Django Reinhardt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Far, far away
That's where my heart is yearning ever,
Home where the old folks stay
Way down upon the Swanee River,
Far, far away-hey
Whoa, that's where my heart is yearning ever,
All up and down the whole creation,
Sadly I roam
I'm a still a-longin' for the old plantation,
Oh, for the old folks at home
Ah-oh-oh!
Oh, my my!
Well, way down upon the Swanee River,
Far, far away-hey.
Whoa, that's where my heart is yearning ever,
Home where the old folks stay.
All up and down the whole creation,
Sadly I roam.
I'm still a-longin' for the old plantation,
And for the old folks at home.
All the world is sad and dreary,
Ev'rywhere I roam
Oh, darkies, how my heart grows weary,
Far from the old folks at home
Far from the old folks at home
Far from the old folks at home
Far from the old folks at home
The lyrics to Django Reinhardt's song "Swanee River" reflect a deep longing for a place of belonging and familiarity. The song begins by describing the Swanee River as a far-off place, yet it holds a special place in the singer's heart as it is where the old folks, who are likely family and loved ones, stay. The verse continues with a repetition of the refrain, where the singer proclaims their yearning and desire for this place of home.
The second verse of the song expands further on the singer's loneliness and sense of displacement. They describe how they roam "all up and down the whole creation" yet they still long for the old plantation where they can be reunited with their old folks. The lyrics continue with a repetition of the refrain and end with the singer lamenting how everywhere they go, they are filled with sadness and weariness due to being separated from their loved ones.
Overall, the lyrics to "Swanee River" represent the universal human desire for a place of belonging and comfort. The song speaks to themes of homesickness, loneliness, and the importance of family and loved ones. With its simple yet powerful lyrics and nostalgic melody, the song remains a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Way down upon the Swanee River, Far, far away
I'm far away from where my heart really belongs, down by the Swanee River
That's where my heart is yearning ever, Home where the old folks stay
I long to be home where my heart is, with the old folks who raised me by the river
All up and down the whole creation, Sadly I roam
I wander the whole world feeling sad and homesick
I'm a still a-longin' for the old plantation, Oh, for the old folks at home
I still long for the comfort and familiarity of my childhood home on the plantation, with the old folks who love me
All the world is sad and dreary, Ev'rywhere I roam
No matter where I go, everything seems sad and dull without my old home and family
Oh, darkies, how my heart grows weary, Far from the old folks at home
My heart is heavy and tired from being far away from my loved ones on the plantation
Far from the old folks at home
I am far away from the people and place that mean the most to me, and it weighs heavily on my heart
Oh, my my!
This exclamation doesn't have a clear meaning, but it expresses the artist's strong feelings of emotion and longing
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES PREVIN, STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind