In 1928 (on his 25th birthday) Hines began leading his own big band. For over 10 years his was "The Band" in Al Capone's Grand Terrace Cafe — Hines was Capone's "Mr Piano Man". Hines recorded for Victor in 1929, then after a gap for Brunswick from 1932-1934, Decca from 1934-1935, then after another gap, Vocalion from 1937-1938 and Bluebird from 1939-1942 (nearly all among the best Black Jazz of the era). From the Grand Terrace, The Earl Hines Orchestra (or "Organization" as he more happily referred to it) broadcast on "open mikes", sometimes five nights a week and over many years, coast to coast across America — Chicago being well placed to deal with the U.S. live-broadcasting time-zone problem. Hines's band became the most broadcast band in America. Sometimes Nat "King" Cole was Hines's relief pianist (though Cliff Smalls was his favorite) and it was here with Hines that Charlie Parker got his first professional job...until he was fired for his time-keeping — by which Hines meant Parker's inability to show up on time despite Parker resorting to sleeping under the Grand Terrace stage in his attempts to do so. Hines led his big band until 1947, taking time out to front the Duke Ellington orchestra in 1944 while Duke was ill...but the big-band era was over. (Thirty years later, Hines's 20 solo "transformative versions" of his "Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington" recorded in the 1970s were described by Ben Ratliff in the "New York Times" as "as good an example of the jazz process as anything out there".)
At the start of 1949 Hines rejoined Armstrong in the latter's "All Stars" "small band", where Hines stayed through 1951. He then led his own small combo around the States and Europe. At the start of the jazz-lean 1960s he settled in Oakland, California, opened a tobacconist's, and came close to giving up the profession. Then, in 1964 Hines was "suddenly rediscovered" following a series of concerts in New York. He was the 1965 "Critics' Choice" for Down Beat Magazine's "Hall of Fame". From then till he died he recorded endlessly both solo and with jazz notables like Cat Anderson, Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul Gonsalves, Sonny Greer, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, Budd Johnson, Jimmy Rushing, Stuff Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Venuti and Ben Webster. Possibly more surprising were Elvin Jones, Peggy Lee, Charles Mingus, Dinah Washington — and Ry Cooder. But his most acclaimed recordings of this period were his dazzling and endlessly inventive solo performances, which could show him at his very best, "a whole orchestra by himself".[12] Solo tributes to Louis Armstrong, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin were all put on record in the 1970s. Hines also toured Europe again regularly at this time, and added Asia, Australia and the Soviet Union to his list of State Department–funded destinations. At the top of his form, Hines also displayed his endearing quirks (not to say grunts) in these performances. Sometimes he sang as he played, especially his own "They Never Believed I Could Do It - Neither Did I". In 1975 he made an hour-long "solo" film for British TV out-of-hours in a Washington nightclub: the "New York Herald Tribune" described it as "The greatest jazz-film ever made". He played solo in The White House and played solo for the Pope — and played (and sang) his last job a few days before he died in Oakland, quite likely somewhat older than he had always maintained.
I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues
Earl Hines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I gotta right to feel low-down
I gotta right to hang around
Down around the river
A certain gal in this old town
Keeps draggin' my poor (old) heart around
All I see, for me is - misery
I gotta right to moan and sigh
I gotta right to sit and cry
Down around the river
I know the deep blue sea
Will soon be callin' me
It must be love - say what you choose
I gotta right to sing the blues
The song "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" by Earl Hines is a soulful and melancholic piece that captures the essence of blues music. The lyrics express the singer's right to feel low-down and sorrowful because of a certain woman who is dragging his heart around. He has the right to sit and cry down by the river or moan and sigh about his misfortune, as the deep blue sea will soon be calling him. The song is a poignant reflection on the pain and heartache that can come with love.
The lyrics are particularly powerful because they touch on the common themes of blues music, such as love, loss, and heartbreak. The singer's mentioning of the river and deep blue sea evoke the powerful emotional imagery that is often found in blues music. The line "All I see, for me is - misery" is especially effective in conveying the singer's feelings of despair and hopelessness.
Overall, "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" is a beautifully crafted song that showcases the talents of Earl Hines as a songwriter and a pianist. It is a testament to the enduring power and appeal of blues music.
Line by Line Meaning
I gotta right to sing the blues
I have the privilege to express my sadness through music
I gotta right to feel low-down
I have the right to feel depressed and melancholy
I gotta right to hang around
I have the right to linger in a place where I find comfort
Down around the river
Refers to a specific location where the singer goes to feel better
A certain gal in this old town
There is a particular woman in this town who is causing me emotional pain
Keeps draggin' my poor (old) heart around
The woman mentioned above is breaking my heart and causing me to feel unhappy
All I see, for me is - misery
As a result of this woman's actions, all I can see in my life is sadness and suffering
I gotta right to moan and sigh
I have the right to express my grief and let out my sorrow through moans and sighs
I gotta right to sit and cry
I have the right to cry and release my emotions without judgment
I know the deep blue sea
The ocean is a metaphor for death, implying that dying may bring me peace
Will soon be callin' me
Death is figuratively calling out to me, suggesting that it may be my only escape from my misery
It must be love - say what you choose
Regardless of what you call it, this intense emotion I am feeling must be love
I gotta right to sing the blues
I am entitled to communicate my heartache through music
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, TED KOEHLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind