Harry James was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a traveling circus. By age 10 he was taking trumpet lessons from his father. His father had him on a very strict practicing schedule every day. He was given one page to learn out of the Arban's book (a trumpet drill book) every day and could not do anything until he learned that page.
In 1931 the family settled in Beaumont, Texas and James began playing with local dance bands. James joined the nationally popular Ben Pollack in 1935. At the start of 1937 he left Pollack to join Benny Goodman's orchestra, where he stayed through 1938.
In February of 1939 Harry James debuted his own big band in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He continued touring with the band into the 1980s. His was the first "name band" to employ vocalist Frank Sinatra, in 1939. In 1943 he married actress Betty Grable.
His first wife was ex B.Goodman singer.,Louise Tobin.
You can hear his trumpet playing in the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn, dubbing Kirk Douglas. His recording of "I'm Beginning to See the Light" appears in the motion picture My Dog Skip (2000). James recorded many popular records and appeared in many Hollywood movies.
In 1983, James was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, but he continued to work, playing his last professional job on 26 June 1983 in Los Angeles just nine days before his death in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Eli Eli
Harry James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kakhene lebih khase cinte nde
Ndak ku khe ken pe die kau nggi bane
Segeluhen nate ku kite
Made kin nange kuah atemu
Kae made kau bunuh plin nggi aku
Made kin nggi nange sayang atemu
Kae made kau penakiti plin aku
Kakhene lebih khase cinte nde
Peluah dikhiku nangisi batinmu
Peluah dikhiku nangisi cintemu
Walope sendah kau made nggi bangku
Walope sendah kau nadingken aku
Aku khele aku khele sayang
Ndak ku kheleken pe kau die bane
Kakhene lebih khase cinte nde
Ndak ku khe ken pe die kau nggi bane
Segeluhen nggi nateku kite
Peluah dikhiku nangisi batinmu
Peluah dikhiku nangisi cintemu
Walope sendah kau made nggi bangku
Walope sendah kau nadingken aku
Aku khele aku khele sayang
Ndak ku khelekenpe kau die bane
Kakhene lebih khase cinte nde
Ndak ku khe ken pe die kau nggi bane
Segeluhen nate ku kite
The lyrics to Harry James's song "Eli Eli" are in an Indonesian dialect and translate to "I am playing alone here," "I do not know my own heart," and "I cry for my love." The song seems to express feelings of loneliness and uncertainty in a relationship. The singer acknowledges their love for the other person but also expresses hurt and feelings of betrayal. They cry for the other person's heart and also their own, suggesting a mutual pain in the relationship.
The use of repetition in the lyrics emphasizes the singer's emotional turmoil and adds to the overall feeling of the song. The melody is haunting and sorrowful, capturing the emotions that the lyrics express. The use of traditional Indonesian instrumentation, such as the gamelan, adds to the authenticity and cultural significance of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Ndak ku khelekenpe kau die bane
I can't forget you, my friend
Kakhene lebih khase cinte nde
Love is so special
Ndak ku khe ken pe die kau nggi bane
I will never forget the things we shared
Segeluhen nate ku kite
Our memories together will last forever
Made kin nange kuah atemu
You used to be close to me
Kae made kau bunuh plin nggi aku
But you killed me with your words
Made kin nggi nange sayang atemu
I used to love you so much
Kae made kau penakiti plin aku
But you hurt me endlessly
Peluah dikhiku nangisi batinmu
I feel sorry for your broken heart
Peluah dikhiku nangisi cintemu
I grieve for your lost love
Walope sendah kau made nggi bangku
Even though you left me alone
Walope sendah kau nadingken aku
Even though you don't care for me
Aku khele aku khele sayang
I can't forget, I can't forget my love
Ndak ku kheleken pe kau die bane
I can't forget you, my friend
Kakhene lebih khase cinte nde
Love is so special
Segeluhen nggi nateku kite
Our memories together will last forever
Contributed by Declan C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@debbiescott6912
Great job restoring Harry James’ rendition of this very old Jewish song. It is a beautiful dirge musical composition. I love the video as well.
@swingman5635
Harry performed an honorable, respectful interpretation of this traditional Jewish tune, and he considered marriage to Helen,a Jew,so I'm confused with what seems to be a conflict of information, when it's stated that he was apparently antisemitic.
@Bubba-Tex
@Swingman 56 Thanks for the comment. HJ wasn't antisemitic. It was the Ligget and Meyers executives that were apparently antisemitic when they initially opposed James taking over Glenn Miller's radio show because they thought James was Jewish. I re-worded that portion of the write-up to hopefully make it more clear.