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.
Georgia On My Mind
Harry James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Georgia, the whole day through
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia
On my mind
Georgia, a song of you
Comes as sweet and clean as moonlight
Through the pines
Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The roads leads back to you
Georgia, no peace I find
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia
On my mind
Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The roads leads back to you
Georgia, no peace I find
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia
On my mind
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia
On my mind
The song "Georgia On My Mind" was originally written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930. It is a love song to the state of Georgia, and has since become one of the most recognizable and beloved songs about a particular place. Harry James's version "Enough On My Mind" is a cover of this classic song, which he released in the 1950s. The song's lyrics are about the singer's longing for Georgia, and how its memory haunts him no matter where he goes.
The opening lines of the song, "Georgia, the whole day through / Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind" perfectly capture the sentiment of the entire piece. The singer misses Georgia and can't help but think about it all the time, even when he's not there. He describes the memory of Georgia as a "sweet and clean" song that reminds him of moonlit nights and the scent of pine trees. It's clear that Georgia holds a powerful and cherished place in his heart.
The next lines describe the other people and places the singer encounters, but he remains fixated on Georgia. Even in his "peaceful dreams," he sees himself returning to the state he loves. And yet, despite his deep feelings for Georgia, he finds no peace in his longing for it. The song ends with the repeated refrain of the opening lines, as the sweet song of Georgia continues to play on in his thoughts.
Line by Line Meaning
Georgia
The state of Georgia that I am thinking about
Georgia, the whole day through
Georgia is on my mind all day long
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia On my mind
A particular sweet old song that reminds me of Georgia keeps coming in my mind
Georgia, a song of you
The memories of you, Georgia, that the song brings to my mind
Comes as sweet and clean as moonlight Through the pines
The song is as refreshing as moonlight filtering through the pines
Other arms reach out to me
I am being embraced by someone else
Other eyes smile tenderly
Another person's smile gives me warmth
Still in peaceful dreams I see
In my peaceful dreams, I see myself going back to Georgia
The roads lead back to you
I know that my path will eventually lead me back to Georgia
Georgia, no peace I find
Without you, Georgia, I cannot find peace
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia On my mind
That sweet old song just keeps reminding me of Georgia
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia On my mind
It's like the song has a hold on me, reminding me of Georgia over and over again
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hughn1 Hillebrand
Chuck, again I thank you for your knowledge of our all-time favorite trumpet player. I was a kid listening on radio on Saturday nights with my dad. All of the great big bands during WWII and Harry James became our favorite. Here I am 83 yrs old and am still loving the sound of HJ trumpet playing. Never get tired of Harry and his music!
Chuck Par-Due
My pleasure!
Luis Mántaras
An interesting arrangement indeed!
Lou McConnell
Harry never tried to sound like Louis Armstrong ! he had too much respect for Louis .Harrys style was totally different to Armstrong’s ; They were good friends and had a lot of admiration for each other,
jwhill7
At this time Harry James tried to sound like Louis Armstrong. Less so later.
Alonzo Church
Hm. I enjoy all the parts when the violin section is silent and hate the strings. Who is playing the excellent sax?
Chuck Par-Due
Dave Matthews was the alto soloist.