Benson's next recording was It's Uptown with the George Benson Quartet with Lonnie Smith on organ and Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax. This album showcases Benson's talent in constructing swinging bebop lines at blistering tempos. Benson followed it up with "The George Benson Cookbook," also with Lonnie Smith and Ronnie Cuber.
One of his major hits is the song "This Masquerade", which is included in the top-selling album Breezin' . This album represents a shift to more commercially oriented music which brought Benson a wider audience but alienated some jazz fans. Other singles that have made the Billboard Hot 100 charts include "On Broadway" (1978), "Love Ballad" (1979), "Give Me The Night" (1980) and "Turn Your Love Around" (1982).
Benson continues to play outstanding jazz guitar, as evidenced on recordings such as Jimmy Smith's Off the Top, Benson's own live album Par Excellence, and Tenderly, on which Benson is accompanied by McCoy Tyner on piano.
For his contribution to the recording industry, George Benson has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7055 Hollywood Blvd.
Summertime
George Benson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the living is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high
Your mama's rich
And your daddy's good lookin'
So hush little baby
One of these mornin's
You're gonna rise up singin'
You're gonna spread your wings
And fly to the sky
But 'til that moment
Nothin' can harm you
With your daddy and mummy
Standin' by
One of these mornin's
You're gonna rise up singin'
You're gonna spread your wings
And fly to the sky
But until then
Nothin' can harm you
With your daddy and mummy
Standin' by
With your mum and your dad
Standin' by
The song Summertime is a classic tune that has been appreciated for several decades now. The song starts off with that famous opening line “Summertime, and the living is easy”. The line describes the idyllic nature of summer, where the sun is shining bright, the sky is blue, and the days are long. The next set of lyrics describe the natural world around the singer; “Fish are jumping, and the cotton is high”. However, the lyrics are quickly brought back to reality with the following lines; “your mama’s rich and your daddy’s good looking, so hush little baby, don’t you cry”. These lines remind the listener that despite the beauty of the season, life is still not perfect.
The lyrics then go on to provide a message of hope for the future; “one of these mornings, you’re gonna rise up singing, you’re gonna spread your wings and fly to the sky”. The implication here is that the child will one day be successful and able to leave their current life behind. Until then, “nothing can harm you with your daddy and mommy standing by” provides the child with the necessary support to ensure that they feel safe and protected. The lyrics of Summertime are a combination of joy, optimism, and reality. It acknowledges that although life can be difficult, there is always hope for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Summertime
The time of summer
And the living is easy
The lifestyle during the summer is relaxed and comfortable
Fish are jumpin'
Fish are energetic and active during the summer season
And the cotton is high
The cotton crop has reached its peak and is ready for harvest
Your mama's rich
Your mother is wealthy
And your daddy's good lookin'
Your father is attractive
So hush little baby
Be quiet and calm, little one
Don't cry
Don't shed tears
One of these mornin's
One of these mornings in the future
You're gonna rise up singin'
You will wake up and start to sing
You're gonna spread your wings
You will start to pursue your dreams
And fly to the sky
You will reach for the height of success
But 'til that moment
Until that time comes
Nothin' can harm you
You will be safe and protected
With your daddy and mummy
With your parents looking after you
Standin' by
Supporting and watching over you
One of these mornin's
One of these mornings in the future
You're gonna rise up singin'
You will wake up and start to sing
You're gonna spread your wings
You will start to pursue your dreams
And fly to the sky
You will reach for the height of success
But until then
Until that time comes
Nothin' can harm you
You will be safe and protected
With your daddy and mummy
With your parents looking after you
Standin' by
Supporting and watching over you
With your mum and your dad
With your parents looking after you
Lyrics © ACUM Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Heyward, Du Bose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Johannes Kjellberg
Even though I have this recording on vinyl and I've heard it several hundred times, it's still as great to listen to. His guitar solo between 4:30 and one minute ahead is the best music I've ever heard. Thank you for sharing.
Kevin M J Leiva
Agree with you completely...never fails to impress me....and I'm always happy to share quality music
Haidzir Mustapha
For me, this is GB's best, flawless & captivating vocal performance live apart from his phenomenal & impeccable guitar playing
Paul Alarie
One of his best songs!!
colin vh
This mans phrases and licks is amazing one of his best solos and the ending 👌
Rick Blackers
A breathtaking interpretation of a classic!!
Cordell Senior
My favorite GB song ever. I had it when it was released. I found it to be beautiful and haunting and perfect. He and Al Jarreau (RIP) were tag-teaming my ears and senses.
roberto lemus
I love this arragement to the classic piece by Gershwin.
Karen Ruda y Cursi
UN GRAN SEÑOR. LO ADMIRO Y LO ADORO !!!!
Tina Williams I love Marvin gsye
I grew up listening to him my dad loved to play his records. I love his music. And he can sing to me any day I wish you could come to Muskegon