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.
Oh Lady Be Good
Harry James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's terribly sad but true,
All dressed up, no place to go
Each evening I'm awfully blue.
I must win some handsome guy
Can't go on like this,
I could blossom out I know,
Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Oh, lady, be good to me
I am so awfully misunderstood
So lady, be good to me
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all-alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.
Oh lady be good to me.
This piece titled "Oh! Lady Be Good" is a song by Harry James that speaks of the singer's loneliness in the city, where every evening he is left to himself with nothing but his thoughts. He expresses his desire to win the heart of a stunning woman like the one he is making a plea to in the song. The singer hopes that she will be kind and compassionate enough to grant his wish and be good to him. He expresses that he is misunderstood, making it difficult for him to find a companion to share his life, and this makes him feel sad and blue most evenings.
The lyrics reflect a sense of sadness, which is highlighted by the singer's plea and his tone, which is quite melancholic. The use of phrases like "lonesome babe in the wood" adds to the sense of isolation and abandonment that the singer feels. The repeated use of "Oh, lady be good to me" emphasizes the singer's desperation and his longing to find someone to fill the emptiness he feels. The song's theme is a timeless one, as it revolves around the universal desire for companionship and love, which we all seek at some point in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to my tale of woe,
Please pay attention to my sad story,
It's terribly sad but true,
Although it's a sad story, it's still true,
All dressed up, no place to go
I'm dressed up but have nowhere to go,
Each evening I'm awfully blue.
I feel very sad every evening,
I must win some handsome guy
I need to find a handsome man to be with,
Can't go on like this,
I cannot continue living like this,
I could blossom out I know,
I have the potential to be happy and successful,
With somebody just like you. So
And I believe that person could be you. That's why I'm saying,
Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Please be good and kind to me, dear lady,
Oh, lady, be good to me
Be kind to me, dear lady,
I am so awfully misunderstood
People don't understand me at all,
So lady, be good to me
So I'm asking again, please be good to me,
Oh, please have some pity
I'm begging you to have some mercy on me,
I'm all-alone in this big city
I'm all alone in this huge metropolis,
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
I'm a lonely person without a clear direction,
So lady be good to me.
So I hope you will be kind to me and help me out,
Oh lady be good to me.
So once again, dear lady, please be good to me.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jan Procházka
on All or Nothing at All
trumpet boogie