Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was a popular United State… Read Full Bio ↴Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was a popular United States musician and band leader, and a well known trumpet virtuoso.

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.

I Need You Now
Harry James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I ever needed you, I need you now
I can't remember when I've ever been so blue
If I ever needed love, I need it now
I feel so all alone I don't know what to do
No day or night goes by when I don't have my cry
I feel like I could die from wanting you
I can't ease my aching heart, but you'd know how
If I ever needed you I need you now

I can't ease my aching heart, but you'd know how
If I ever needed you I need you now

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Harry James's song "I Need You Now" express a deep yearning for love and companionship. The singer is feeling incredibly lonely and hopeless, unable to ease the pain in their heart. They are consumed by their desire for the person they are addressing in the song, searching for comfort in this individual to alleviate their suffering. The repetition of "If I ever needed you, I need you now" emphasizes the urgency and intensity of the singer's feelings. They are reaching out to the person they love, pleading for them to come to their aid and be with them during this time of distress.

The singer describes their emotions as being so overwhelming that they feel like they could "die from wanting you." This line further emphasizes the magnitude of their longing and how desperate they are for the person they need. The lyrics also suggest that the singer has been struggling for a long time, crying day and night without any relief. They are in such a vulnerable state that they don't know what to do with themselves. The song ends on a melancholic note, with the realization that the singer's heartache cannot be eased without the presence of the person they love.

Line by Line Meaning

If I ever needed you, I need you now
The singer is expressing a desperate need for the person they are addressing in the present moment.

I can't remember when I've ever been so blue
The singer is indicating that they are feeling depressed and unhappy to an extent that they cannot recall ever having experienced before.

If I ever needed love, I need it now
The singer is requesting love from the person they are addressing to help them in their current situation.

I feel so all alone I don't know what to do
The artist is feeling lonely and without guidance or support, leading them to feel lost.

No day or night goes by when I don't have my cry
The artist frequently cries and feels emotional pain from their need for the person they are addressing.

I feel like I could die from wanting you
The singer is feeling extreme emotional pain and distress due to their intense desire for the person they are addressing.

I can't ease my aching heart, but you'd know how
The singer recognizes that the person they are addressing may have the ability to help them feel better and relieve their emotional pain.

If I ever needed you I need you now
The artist reiterates their current desperation and plea for immediate help from the person they are addressing.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Jacobs, Jimmie Crane

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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