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.
Little White Lies
Harry James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But heaven was in your eyes
The night that you told me
Those little white lies
The stars all seemed to know
You didn't mean all those sighs
The night that you told me
I try, but there's no forgetting
When evenin' appears
I sigh but there's no regretting
In spite of my tears
Who wouldn't believe those lips
Who wouldn't believe those eyes
The night that you told me
Those little white lies
I try, but there's no forgetting
When evenin' appears
I sigh but there's no regretting
In spite of my tears
The Devil was in your heart
But Heaven was in your eyes
The night that you told me
Those little white lies
Those lies
Teeny-weeny little white lies
The song, Little White Lies by Harry James, is a beautiful yet melancholic tune about love that is deceiving. In the beginning of the song, Harry describes the night that his lover told him "those little white lies" and how the moon was shining brightly. He explains how heaven was in her eyes even though she was deceiving him with her words. It is clear that Harry is struggling to forget those lies and move on with his life. He questions who wouldn't believe those lips or those eyes, which shows just how much he trusted his lover. He goes on to explain how the devil was in her heart, but heaven was in her eyes, which summarizes the internal battle that Harry is going through.
The lyrics of Little White Lies can be interpreted in many different ways, but the overall meaning of the song is clear. Harry James is telling a story about love that is built on deceit and how sometimes, it is hard to get over it. The use of the moon and the stars highlights the romanticism and beauty of the night on which those lies were told, but it also shows how those lies can linger and hurt long after the night has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
The moon was all aglow
The night was beautiful and bright
But heaven was in your eyes
You looked incredibly lovely
The night that you told me
On the specific date and time when you spoke to me
Those little white lies
The small falsehoods you spoke to me
The stars all seemed to know
The otherworldly objects could sense that you were not sincere
You didn't mean all those sighs
The sounds you made were insincere
I try, but there's no forgetting
I attempt to erase the memory but it persists
When evenin' appears
As the night approaches
I sigh but there's no regretting
I feel disappointment but no guilt
In spite of my tears
Despite the sadness I feel
Who wouldn't believe those lips
Who could doubt the words from those lips
Who wouldn't believe those eyes
Who would question the sincerity in those eyes
The Devil was in your heart
You had malicious intentions
But Heaven was in your eyes
Your physical appearance was angelic
Those lies
The falsehoods that you spoke
Teeny-weeny little white lies
The small, insignificant lies
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOB MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jan Procházka
on All or Nothing at All
trumpet boogie