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.
You're Gettin' To Be A Habit
Earl Hines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seems to act just like a drug
You're getting to be a habit with me
Let me stay in your arms
I'm addicted to your charms
You're getting to be a habit with me
I used to think your love was something that I could take or leave alone
But now I couldn't do without my supply
Oh, I can't break away
I must have you every day
As regularly as coffee or tea
You've got me in your clutches
And I can't get free
You're getting to be a habit with me
Can't break it
You're getting to be a habit with me
You've got me in your clutches
And I can't get free
Like getting shut-eye,
You are what I need
Eternally, ohhh! my
You're getting to be a habit with me
The lyrics of Earl Hines's song, "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me," describe the feeling of being addicted to someone's love. The singer is struggling to break free from the clutches of someone who has become like a drug to them. Every kiss and hug seems to have a powerful effect on the singer, and they can't imagine living without this person. The comparison of their love to coffee or tea suggests that it has become a routine, everyday part of the singer's life.
The line "I used to think your love was something that I could take or leave alone" suggests that the singer was initially unsure about their feelings for this person. Perhaps they were once casual lovers or acquaintances, but now their relationship has become much more serious. The use of the word "habit" implies that the singer is not necessarily in love with this person, but rather is addicted to the way they make them feel.
The final lines, "You're getting to be a habit with me / Can't break it," suggest that the singer is resigned to the fact that they will never be able to break free from this person's hold on them. The repetition of the phrase "You're getting to be a habit" throughout the song emphasizes the feeling of being trapped and unable to escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Every kiss, every hug
Whenever we share an intimate moment, it's like getting a dose of a highly addictive drug.
Seems to act just like a drug
Your affection is highly addictive and I can't get enough of it.
You're getting to be a habit with me
I am becoming more and more reliant on your love and can't imagine my life without it.
Let me stay in your arms
I want to be held by you and bask in the comfort of your love.
I'm addicted to your charms
I am completely mesmerized by your alluring qualities and it's become an obsession.
I used to think your love was something that I could take or leave alone
Initially, I believed I didn't need your love to survive and could live without it.
But now I couldn't do without my supply
But now, I can't imagine surviving without your constant affection and care.
I need you for my own
I require your love and presence for my own happiness and well-being.
Oh, I can't break away
I feel trapped in your love and can't seem to distance myself from it.
I must have you every day
I have developed an intense need to have you in my life every day, like a daily routine.
As regularly as coffee or tea
Just like how one needs their daily cup of coffee or tea, I require your love and attention on a regular basis.
You've got me in your clutches
You are in complete control of me and I am unable to break free from your grip.
And I can't get free
No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to distance myself from your love.
You're getting to be a habit with me
Your love has become a part of my daily routine and it's difficult to imagine living without it.
Can't break it
I am unable to break free from the habit of loving you.
You're getting to be a habit with me
Your love has become such an integral part of my life that it feels like a habit that I can't break.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY WARREN, AL DUBIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bennyjazzful
WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a mad keen 76yo Aussie fan.
He sure could swing....