Condon was born on 16th November 1905 in Goodland, Indiana. After some time playing ukulele, he switched to banjo and was a professional musician by 1921. He was based in Chicago for most of the 1920s, and played with such jazz notables as Bix Beiderbecke and Frank Teschemacher.
In 1928 Condon moved to New York City. He frequently arranged jazz sessions for various record labels, sometimes playing with the artists he brought to the recording studios, including Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. He organised racialy integrated recording sesions when such were still rare with Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong and Henry 'Red' Allen. He played with the band of Red Nichols for a time. Later, from 1938 he had a long association with Milt Gabler's Commodore Records.
From the late 1930s on he was a regular at the Manhattan jazz club Nick's. The sophisticated variation on Dixieland music which Condon and his colleagues created there came to be nicknamed "Nicksieland". By this time, his regular circle of musical associates included Wild Bill Davison, Bobby Hackett, Edmond Hall, and Pee Wee Russell.
From 1945 to 1967 he ran his own New York jazz club, Eddie Condon's. In the 1950s Condon recorded a sequence of classic albums for Columbia Records. The musicians involved in these albums - and at Condon's club - included Wild Bill Davison (cornet), Billy Butterfield (trumpet), Edmond Hall, Peanuts Hucko, Pee Wee Russell (clarinet), Cutty Cutshall, Lou McGarity (trombone), Bud Freeman (tenor sax), Gene Schroeder, Dick Carey, Ralph Sutton (piano), Bob Casey, Walter Page, Jack Lesberg, Al Hall (bass), George Wettling, Buzzy Drootin, Cliff Leeman (drums).
In 1948 his autobiography We Called It Music was published, and contains many interesting and entertaining anecdotes about musicians Condon worked with. Eddie Condon's Treasury of Jazz (1956) was a collection of articles by various writers co-edited by Condon and Richard Gehman.
Condon toured and appeared at jazz festivals through to 1971. He died in New York City on 4th August 1973.
Diane
Eddie Condon Lyrics
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Smile for me, my Diane.
And though ev'rything's dark all the while
I can see you, Diane.
You have lighted the road leading home;
Pray for me when you can.
But no matter wherever I roam,
Smile for me, my Diane.
The song "Diane" by Eddie Condon is a romantic ballad that expresses the singer's infatuation with a woman named Diane. The opening line, "I'm in heaven when I see you smile," conveys the singer's emotional response to Diane's smile, suggesting that her smile has the power to elevate him to a state of euphoria. The second line, "Smile for me, my Diane," serves as a request or plea for Diane to smile, indicating that the singer desires her affection and wants her to reciprocate his feelings.
The next two lines, "And though ev'rything's dark all the while/I can see you, Diane," create a sense of contrast or tension between the singer's emotional state and the external world. The darkness all around him represents the struggles or challenges he faces, but the fact that he can still see Diane suggests that she serves as a guiding light or source of hope for him. The following lines, "You have lighted the road leading home/Pray for me when you can," further reinforce the idea that Diane is a beacon of light and hope, and that she has the power to help the singer find his way through life's challenges.
Overall, "Diane" is a heartfelt song that conveys the power of love and the transformative effect that someone special can have on a person's life. Through its simple, yet powerful lyrics, the song captures the essence of romantic sentiment and speaks to the universal experience of falling in love and longing for someone's affection.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in heaven when I see you smile;
My euphoria knows no bounds when I witness your smile;
Smile for me, my Diane.
Please give me the gift of your smile, dearest Diane.
And though ev'rything's dark all the while
Despite the world being a bleak place,
I can see you, Diane.
I have the blessing of being able to see you, my beloved Diane.
You have lighted the road leading home;
You serve as a beacon of hope and guide me along my path home;
Pray for me when you can.
Offer up prayers on my behalf when you have the opportunity.
But no matter wherever I roam,
Regardless of where my wanderlust takes me,
Smile for me, my Diane.
I would be eternally grateful if you would continue to grace me with your angelic smile, Diane.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DOUGLAS PHELPS, FRED K. YOUNG, GREGORY GLEN MARTIN, JEFF W. DAVIS, RICHARD OREN YOUNG, RICKY LEE PHELPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind