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.
Time on My Hands
Django Reinhardt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The moon is my light of love
In the night, I am quite a romancer
I find an answer above
To being me consolation, you're my inspiration
This is my imagination.
Time on my hands, you in my arms
Once and for all, I'll see my dreams come true
Moments to spare for someone you care for
Our love affair for two
With time on my hands and you in my arms
And love in my heart all for you.
The song "Time on My Hands" by Django Reinhardt is a love song that describes the beauty of being in love and cherishing every moment spent with a loved one. The lyrics convey a romantic feel and the use of metaphors adds depth to the song. The first line "When the day fades away into twilight" signifies the end of the day and the beginning of the night, a time when lovers can be together. The moon is used as a symbol of love, and the singer acknowledges the importance of having a loved one in his life.
The singer portrays himself as a smooth talker in the night, a "quite a romancer," as he tries to woo his lover. He finds solace and inspiration in his lover, and she provides him with the necessary consolation. The lines "To being me consolation, you're my inspiration/This is my imagination" indicate that he finds solace in his lover and can imagine spending time with her.
The chorus of the song is the central theme and captures the essence of the song. It describes how the singer is in love with his lover and how he wants to spend every moment with her. He says, "Time on my hands, you in my arms/Nothing but love in view, then you fall/Once and for all, I'll see my dreams come true/Moments to spare for someone you care for/Our love affair for two/With time on my hands and you in my arms/And love in my heart all for you." The singer wants to spend every moment with his lover and cherishes the time they have together.
Line by Line Meaning
When the day fades away into twilight
As the day comes to a close and night falls
The moon is my light of love
I find love in the moonlight
In the night, I am quite a romancer
In the night, I am a romantic person
I find an answer above
I look to a higher power for answers
To being me consolation, you're my inspiration
You bring me comfort and inspiration
This is my imagination
It's all in my mind
Time on my hands, you in my arms
I have free time and I am holding you
Nothing but love in view, then you fall
All I see is love and then you come into my life
Once and for all, I'll see my dreams come true
Finally, my dreams will be realized
Moments to spare for someone you care for
I have time for someone I care for
Our love affair for two
Our love is just between us two
With time on my hands and you in my arms
I have free time and I am holding you
And love in my heart all for you
All the love in my heart is for you
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Adamson, Mack Gordon, Vincent Youmans
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@texrg
Can’t help but smile. Good medicine during Covid.
@lionelisy-schwart116
Tellement beau !
@zoraidagarcia625
This is the first time I hear this artist, although I had seen his name. I liked the rest of the group and this beautiful song I like so much by Billie Holiday, this is the first time I hear it as a tango. Thanks for the Django Reinhardt video.
@Djazzonovango
After 90 years nothing comes even close. Really nice pictures as well. Merci danke dich.
@dollydebonis9885
Maravilloso!!!...
@SELMER1947
Unequalled genius of Django
@arjhendrix
amazing channel, thank you for sharing. best wishes n regards frm the indica
@Moribus_Artibus
Oh my God, Grappelli is so good in this one
@SELMER1947
As good as he was, he was far from the genius with whom he was playing....
@riyasawant7535
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!