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.
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Django Reinhardt Lyrics
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I could be glad all of the while
I could change the grey skies to blues
If I had you
I could leave the old days behind
Leave all my pals, I'd never mind
I could start my life all a new
If I had you
Sail the mighty ocean wide
I could cross the burning desert
If I had you by my side
I could be a king, dear, uncrowned
Humble or poor, rich or renowned
There is nothing I couldn't do
If I had you
I could show the world how to smile
I could be glad all of the while
I could change the grey skies to blues
If I had you
I could leave the old days behind
Leave all my pals, I'd never mind
I could start my life all a new
If I had you
I could climb the snow capped mountains
Sail the mighty ocean wide
I could cross the burning desert
If I had you by my side
I could be a king, dear, uncrowned
Humble or poor, rich or renowned
There is nothing I couldn't do
The song "If I Had You" by Django Reinhardt is a heartfelt expression of longing for the person who could make everything better. The singer expresses how having this person by their side could make them happy, take away their sadness and leave their old life behind. The singer feels that with them they would be capable of anything and that nothing would be insurmountable. The lyrics speak of a yearning for completion, an acknowledgement of their vulnerability and an expression of how they feel that the person they long for makes the world a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
I could show the world how to smile
If I had you, I would be so happy that I could show everyone how to be joyful and smile.
I could be glad all of the while
With you by my side, I would always be happy and never sad or lonely.
I could change the grey skies to blues
If I had you, even the most gloomy and depressing situations would become happy and hopeful like blue skies.
If I had you
This phrase emphasizes how important having the person they desire is to them.
I could leave the old days behind
Having you would make me forget all the bad memories and experiences from the past and move on to a new chapter of life.
Leave all my pals, I'd never mind
If I had you, I wouldn’t mind leaving my current friends because they couldn't bring me the happiness you can.
I could start my life all a new
With you, I could start a new life together, as if everything in the past was just a prelude to our relationship.
I could climb the snow capped mountains
I would be so empowered with your love and support that I could do anything, whether climbing mountains or overcoming life’s obstacles.
Sail the mighty ocean wide
With you, even the vast and unknown ocean would be a romantic and adventurous trip for us to share together.
I could cross the burning desert
Even in the most dangerous and difficult environment, I would be fearless and determined as long as I had you by my side.
If I had you by my side
This phrase emphasizes how important it is for the person to have their loved one with them through thick and thin.
I could be a king, dear, uncrowned
With you by my side, I would feel like a king even if I didn’t have a position or authority, because your love and support would make me feel complete.
Humble or poor, rich or renowned
No matter our financial status or social standing, if we have each other, we are rich and famous in our own way.
There is nothing I couldn't do
With you as my partner, nothing is impossible for me, and I am ready to face any challenge that might come our way.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GORDON MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@HayenMill
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@ragdollfantasies
I love listening to this when playing Bioshock.. it's a beautiful song, and it's well-placed in the game.
@AnAbsurdExistence
Indeed.
@badlandschugs1
2021 now wow
@arkhamparadise1319
@@badlandschugs1 and bioshock is still unmatched
@isaacgv2385
@@badlandschugs1 2021 😎👌👌👌
@jdub5644
11 years later and it's still relevant :)
@motolume1475
When you have a heavy burden in your heart, sitting in the cold with a lighter and cigar in hand, and you turn to this song to loosen up. I can sit hours upon hours and never get tired of this song.
@mts2
you're there aussi ms. toothless? please don't brag me this time, my heart is breaking... ain't no happy alborada...
@LyssaLou51
MoTolume agreed pal