Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927 in Arlington, Oregon) is a… Read Full Bio ↴Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927 in Arlington, Oregon) is an American pop and jazz trumpeter, best known for leading the NBC Orchestra in the Johnny Carson era.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Severinsen put out a number of albums of jazz standards, over which he performed very melodic solos. While not as much a "screamer" as Maynard Ferguson, Severinsen certainly had a well-developed high-note range, with an incredible amount of control and melodic sense. In the 1960s, Severinsen also recorded with the Clarke/Boland Big Band and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band. Severinsen was also the second trumpeter whose recording of the fanfare "Abblasen," composed by Gottfried Reiche, has been used as the theme for the CBS News program Sunday Morning.

During his years with the Tonight Show and afterwards, Severinsen released albums that had a pop-rock basis, some of which had electronic instrumentation components, such as "Brass Roots", "Good Medicine" and "Facets". These albums had varying degrees of acceptance by the public.

Although he has worked with jazz artists, most of his own recordings as a leader have consisted mainly of pop music. Several recent recordings feature him playing classical trumpet repertoire.

Severinsen was the principal pops conductor for several American orchestras during and after his tenure on the Tonight Show. His first was with the Phoenix Symphony in 1983. He held similar positions with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra.

He retired from active conducting in 2007, and was named Pops Conductor Emeritus in Milwaukee and Pops Conductor Laureate in Minnesota.

Severinsen was also Distinguished Visiting Professor of Music and Katherine K. Herberger Heritage Chair for Visiting Artists at Arizona State University School of Music in 2001-2002

In The Mood
Doc Severinsen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In a sentimental mood
I can see the stars come through my room
While your loving attitude
Is like a flame that lights the gloom
On the wings of every kiss
Drift a melody so strange and sweet
In this sentimental bliss you make my
Paradise complete

Rose pearls seem to fall
It's all like a dream to call you mine
My heart's lighter thing
Since you made me this night a thing divine
In a sentimental mood
I'm within a world so heavenly
For I never dreamt
That you'd be loving sentimental me

In a sentimental mood
I can see the stars come thru my room
While your loving attitude
Is like a flame that lights the gloom
On the wings of ev'ry kiss
Drift a melody so strange and sweet
In this sentimental bliss you make my
Paradise complete
Rose pearls seem to fall
It's all like a dream to call you mine
My heart's lighter thing
Since you made me this night a thing divine
In a sentimental mood
I'm within a world so heavenly

For I never dreamt
That you'd be loving sentimental me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Doc Severinsen's song In the Mood describe the strong emotions and feelings of a person who is happily in love. The singer expresses a sentimental mood in the presence of his or her beloved and describes the situation as dreamlike. The stars coming through the room and the loving attitude being like a flame light up the dark gloom and make it a beautiful place to be. The kisses are so mesmerizing that a strange and sweet melody drifts through in every kiss. The singer feels complete in this sentimental bliss and announces that the effect is so intense that it is like the pearls of roses are falling everywhere.

The last paragraph of the song perhaps captures the essence of this romantic moment as the singer acknowledges that it is within a world so heavenly that he or she never dreamt that his or her beloved would be able to love a sentimental person. Thus, the song ends leaving the emotion of love and sentimentality at the core.

Line by Line Meaning

In a sentimental mood
Feeling emotionally nostalgic

I can see the stars come through my room
Feeling an awe-inspiring, celestial vibe

While your loving attitude
Your affectionate behavior

Is like a flame that lights the gloom
Illuminates my dark, negative feelings

On the wings of every kiss
Every time we kiss

Drift a melody so strange and sweet
Creates a unique and pleasant feeling

In this sentimental bliss you make my Paradise complete
In this emotional state, you make my life perfect

Rose pearls seem to fall
It seems like a romantic and poetic moment

It's all like a dream to call you mine
It feels surreal to say you are mine

My heart's lighter thing
I feel happy and content

Since you made me this night a thing divine
You made this night special and remarkable