During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Miller managed to earn a living working as a freelance trombonist in several bands. His first band was formed in 1937 but failed to distinguish itself and eventually broke up.
Following the break-up of his first band, Miller realized that he needed to develop a unique sound, and decided to make the clarinet play a melodic line with a tenor saxophone on the same note, while three other saxophones harmonized. With this sound combination, the Miller band that became the most popular was born in 1938. After a shaky start, it made his new band a nationwide hit.
In 1942, Miller joined the United States Army Air Forces where he continued his musical career with the Army Air Force Band.
On December 15, 1944, Miller was to fly from the United Kingdom to Paris, France, to play for the soldiers who had recently liberated Paris. His plane departed from RAF Twinwood Farm in Clapham, Bedfordshire and disappeared while flying over the English Channel. No trace of the aircrew, passengers or plane has ever been found. Miller's status is missing in action.
His music is still iconic of the time period in which he lived and continues to draw thousands of fans of all age groups.
Glenn Miller was a popular visitor to Bedford and its American Air force bases. He is still remembered to this day by the people of Bedford with a bronze bust displayed on the front of the towns Corn Exchange, and more recently, what remains of the Twinwoods Airfield being renovated as a Glenn Miller Museum and outdoor event site
2) Glenn Miller was a Jamaican reggae and soul artist of the 1960's.
Along with other legendary artists such as Bob Marley & the Wailers and Desmond Dekker he recorded for the Trojan record label.
Beer Barrel Polka
Glenn Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only happy faces bloom there
And there's never any room there
For a worry or a gloom there
Oh there's music and there's dancing
And a lot of sweet romancing
When they play the polka
Every time they hear that
Everybody feels so
They want to throw their cares away
They all go
Then they hear a rumble on the floor, the floor
It's the big surprise they're waiting for
And all the couples form a ring
For miles around you'll hear them sing
Roll out the barrel, we'll have a barrel of fun
Roll out the barrel, we've got the blues on the run
Zing boom tararrel, ring out a song of good cheer
Now's the time to roll the barrel, for the gang's all here
Then they hear a rumble on the floor-or-or-or
It's the big surprise they're waiting for
And all the couples they form a ring
For miles around you'll hear them sing
Roll it out, roll it out, roll out the barrel
Sing a song of good cheer
Cause the whole gang is here
Roll it out, roll it out
Let's do the beer barrel polka
The lyrics to Glenn Miller's song Beer Barrel Polka paint a cheerful picture of a garden where happiness and joy abound, and worries and gloom are not allowed. The garden is a place for music, dancing, and sweet romancing, especially when the polka is played, and everyone gets into the swing of things. The song captures the exhilaration of the moment when the rumble on the floor indicates a surprise is coming, and couples form a ring for miles around, singing and having fun.
The song's lyrics focus on the joy of a carefree moment in time when everyone can dance, sing out melodies, and celebrate life. The lyrics suggest that having fun and being with friends are the things that matter most in life. Beer Barrel Polka is not only about enjoying beer, but rather about forming a community and sharing the good times. The song can be seen as a call to embrace life, be happy, and savour the moment as it unfolds.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a garden, what a garden
The setting of the song is a beautiful garden that is full of happiness and good cheer.
Only happy faces bloom there
Everyone in the garden is happy and enjoys themselves while they're there.
And there's never any room there
There is no space in the garden for any negativity or sadness.
For a worry or a gloom there
People in the garden don't have any problems or worries that they have to deal with.
Oh there's music and there's dancing
The garden is full of lively music and people dancing to it.
And a lot of sweet romancing
People in the garden are also enjoying romantic moments with their partners.
When they play the polka
One of the popular genres of music being played in the garden is the polka.
They all get in the swing
People in the garden join the rhythm and get lost in the music as they dance.
Every time they hear that
Whenever the music starts playing, the people in the garden get excited.
Everybody feels so
The sight of everyone enjoying themselves makes those who witness it happy as well.
They want to throw their cares away
The good times in the garden make people forget about their worries and problems.
They all go
Everyone in the garden just goes with the flow of the music.
Then they hear a rumble on the floor, the floor
The people in the garden hear a rumbling sound, which is a sign of something exciting about to happen.
It's the big surprise they're waiting for
The sound is a way to signal a surprise that everyone is eagerly waiting for.
And all the couples form a ring
Once they hear the sound, everyone prepares to form a circle to enjoy the surprise together.
For miles around you'll hear them sing
The joy is so contagious that the sound of the singing and dancing can be heard for miles around.
Roll out the barrel, we'll have a barrel of fun
The surprise is finally revealed, and it involves beer barrels being brought out to add to the celebrations.
Roll out the barrel, we've got the blues on the run
With the arrival of the beer barrels, everyone's sorrows and worries are forgotten.
Zing boom tararrel, ring out a song of good cheer
With everyone's spirits lifted, there is singing and cheering all around.
Now's the time to roll the barrel, for the gang's all here
Everyone is together and having the time of their lives, so it's the perfect time to bring out the barrels.
Then they hear a rumble on the floor-or-or-or
As the celebrations continue, another surprise awaits, with yet another rumbling sound on the floor.
It's the big surprise they're waiting for
Just like before, the rumbling signal a new surprise that adds to the happiness and joy of the people there.
And all the couples they form a ring
Everyone gets excited to form a circle together again and enjoy the new surprise.
For miles around you'll hear them sing
The singing and joy of the people in the garden continues, joy that spreads far and wide.
Roll it out, roll it out, roll out the barrel
The celebrations and good times keep rolling, with everyone enjoying the beer barrels.
Sing a song of good cheer
The garden is still full of happiness and singing, with the mood still being celebratory.
Cause the whole gang is here
All the people who matter are present in the garden - friends, family, and loved ones.
Roll it out, roll it out
The celebrations continue as before, with nobody wanting the good times to end.
Let's do the beer barrel polka
The party jumps to a whole new level as people start dancing the beer barrel polka and enjoy themselves even more.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAROMIR VEJVODA, LEW BROWN, VASEK ZEMAN, WLADIMIR A. TIMM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
songanddanceman100
Swinging! Love it! Miller also did another polka - THE KISS POLKA - which he recorded and did in one of his motion pictures, SUN VALLEY SERENADE.
David Fletcher
Many of the Glen Island broadcasts were superbly caught in on-line transcriptions by NBC, who carried the band on their remotes. RCA originally issued the LPs in the early 60s, tweaking the sound a little with stereo ambience. The 50s and 60s were a golden age for Miller LP reissues by RCA. The same LP also has a terrific Miller chart of "Hold Tight," featuring Marion Hutton.
KaRidder234
Yeah, it was one of those annoying side effects of stereo, that they tried to enhance every great mono recording (which wouldn't have needed any "enhancement" at all) by means of electronic reverb and/or stereo.
1884walt
GM did so well on polkas. Too bad there weren't more.
KaRidder234
Thanks. When I purchased the RCA-LP's, I've always preferred the mono-issues; so, here's the original sound, not the "electronically created stereo" ;)
jim Buckley
my mom and dad were at that concert in new rochelle,n.y.young kids mom 20 dad 21.
KaRidder234
+James Buckley - That's amazing, isn't it? - Maybe I have more tracks from that very concert. I will "browse" my collection and send them to you if there are more sounds from that evening, in case you're interested :)
jim Buckley
+KaRidder234 that would be amazing if you could!
KaRidder234
+James Buckley -- OK. I sent you a link :)