Earl Kenneth Hines, universally known as Earl "Fatha" Hines, (28 December 1… Read Full Bio ↴Earl Kenneth Hines, universally known as Earl "Fatha" Hines, (28 December 1903 – 22 April 1983) was a jazz musician, often referred to as "the first modern jazz pianist".

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.

Squeeze Me
Earl Hines Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Want you to know I go for your squeezin'
Want you to know it really is pleasin'
Want you to know I ain't for no teasin'

Treat me sweet and gentle when you say goodnight
Just squeeze me but please don't tease me
I get sentimental when you hold me tight
Just squeeze me but please don't tease me

Missing you since you went away
Singing the blues away each day
Counting the rights and waiting for you
I'm in the mood to let you know
I never knew I loved you so
Please say you love me too
When I get this feelin' I'm in ecstasy
So squeeze me but please don't tease me

Treat me sweet and gentle when you say goodnight
Just squeeze me but please don't tease me
I get sentimental when you hold me tight
Just squeeze me but please don't tease me
Missing you since you went away
Singing the blues away each day
Counting the rights and waiting for you
I'm in the mood to let you know
I never knew I loved you so
Please say you love me too

When I get this feelin' I'm in ecstasy
So squeeze me but please don't tease me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Earl Hines's "Squeeze Me" speak of a longing for physical affection and a fear of being led on without such intimacy. The singer expresses how much they enjoy being held and squeezed by their lover, but also how much it hurts when they are only teased and not given the real thing. The lyrics touch on themes of vulnerability, desire, and uncertainty in a relationship.

The song's title and chorus make use of a pun, as "squeeze" can mean both hugging tightly and sexually arousing. The lyrics then play on this double meaning, making it unclear whether the singer is referring to platonic or romantic affection. The opening lines also make use of the same word, with "squeezin'" referring specifically to physical closeness.

The middle section of the lyrics reveals that the singer is missing their lover, singing the blues and waiting for their return. This further emphasizes their need for affection, and how much they value it from their partner. The final lines once again emphasize the importance of physical touch to the singer's happiness and well-being, as they describe feeling "ecstasy" when held tight. Overall, "Squeeze Me" is a song about the joy and pain of emotional and physical intimacy, and the importance of treating one's partner with care.

Line by Line Meaning

Want you to know I go for your squeezin'
I want you to understand that I enjoy your embraces.

Want you to know it really is pleasin'
I want you to know that it's truly satisfying.

Want you to know I ain't for no teasin'
I want you to know that I'm not interested in games or teasing.

Treat me sweet and gentle when you say goodnight
Be kind and gentle when you say goodnight to me.

Just squeeze me but please don't tease me
I want you to hold me tightly, but please don't play games or tease me.

I get sentimental when you hold me tight
I become emotional when you tightly embrace me.

Missing you since you went away
I'm sad and yearning since you've been gone.

Singing the blues away each day
I sing a sad song every day to alleviate my sadness.

Counting the rights and waiting for you
I'm keeping track of the positives and waiting for you.

I'm in the mood to let you know
I'm feeling good and want to express myself to you.

I never knew I loved you so
I didn't realize how much I loved you until now.

Please say you love me too
I want to hear you say that you love me too.

When I get this feelin' I'm in ecstasy
When I have this feeling, I'm experiencing complete rapture.

So squeeze me but please don't tease me
I want you to hold me tightly, but please don't play games or tease me.