He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a traveling circus. By the age of 10 he was taking trumpet lessons from his father, who placed him on a strict daily practice schedule. Each day, James was given one page to learn from the Arban's book and was not allowed to pursue any other pastime until he had learned that particular page.
In 1931 the family settled in Beaumont, Texas, where James began playing with local dance bands.
He joined the nationally popular Ben Pollack in 1935 but at the start of 1937, left Pollack to join Benny Goodman's orchestra, where he stayed through 1938.
In February 1939 James debuted his own big band in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His hit "You Made Me Love You" was in the Top 10 during the week of December 7, 1941. He toured with the band into the 1980s.
His was the first "name band" to employ vocalist Frank Sinatra, in 1939. He wanted to change Sinatra's name to 'Frankie Satin' but Sinatra refused. His later band included drummer Buddy Rich.
He played trumpet in the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn, dubbing Kirk Douglas. James's recording of "I'm Beginning to See the Light" appears in the motion picture My Dog Skip (2000). His music is also featured in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters. James recorded many popular records and appeared in many Hollywood movies.
He was second only to Glenn Miller as the most successful recording artist of 1942.
James was married three times. On May 4, 1935, he married singer Louise Tobin, with whom he had two children. They divorced in 1943. That same year, he married actress Betty Grable. They had two daughters, Victoria and Jessica, before divorcing in 1965. James married a third time in 1968 to Las Vegas showgirl Joan Boyd, whom he would divorce in March 1970. Contrary to some assertions, he did not marry a fourth time. He had five children (two by Tobin, two by Grable, one by Boyd) and (as of his death) 16 grandchildren.
James owned several thoroughbred racehorses that won races such as the California Breeders' Champion Stakes (1951) and the San Vicente Stakes (1954). He was also a founding investor in the Atlantic City Race Course. His knowledge of horse racing was demonstrated during a 1958 appearance on The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour entitled "Lucy Wins A Racehorse."
In 1983, James was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, but he continued to work, playing his last professional job on June 26, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, just nine days before his death in Las Vegas, Nevada. Frank Sinatra gave the eulogy at the Bunkers Eden Vale Memorial Park in Las Vegas.
Don't Take Your Love From Me
Harry James and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the sky feels blue
Tear a petal from a rose
And the rose weeps too
Take your heart away from mine
And mine will surely break
My life is yours to make
Would you take the wings from birds
So that they can't fly?
Would you take the ocean's roar
And leave just a sigh?
All this your heart won't let you do
This is what I beg of you
Don't take your love from me
The lyrics of the song Don't Take Your Love From Me by Harry James and His Orchestra speaks to an individual's feeling of dependency on the love of their significant other. The lines "Tear a star from out the sky, and the sky feels blue, tear a petal from a rose, and the rose weeps too" convey the idea that the love between the singer and their partner is just as integral as the components that make up the natural world. The next lines "Take your heart away from mine, and mine will surely break, my life is yours to make, so please, keep the spark awake" further emphasize the idea that the singer's happiness is contingent on the feelings of their partner.
As the song continues, the comparisons become more intense, with the lyrics questioning if the partner would "take the wings from birds so that they can't fly?" or "take the ocean's roar and leave just a sigh?" The idea that the singer's partner has the power to take away the things that make life beautiful and joyous is an impactful message that resonates deeply with listeners. The call to action in the chorus "Don't take your love from me" is a plea for the partner to understand the gravity of their love and the impact it has on the singer's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Tear a star from out the sky
If you remove something beautiful and meaningful from the world, its absence will be felt deeply
And the sky feels blue
Just like the sky feels empty and sad without the star, life without love can feel lonely and needlessly harsh
Tear a petal from a rose
When something delicate and fragile is damaged or destroyed, even a small loss can cause pain
And the rose weeps too
Just like the rose sheds petals in response to harm, the human heart can break or withdraw when it feels threatened or hurt
Take your heart away from mine
If someone loses their feelings of affection or connection to another person, it can be devastating and cause real emotional pain
And mine will surely break
Without love, a person's sense of self can be diminished and life can lose its meaning or purpose
My life is yours to make
When two hearts are intertwined, they become part of each other's story, hopes, and dreams
So, please, keep the spark awake
To keep love and passion alive, it requires attention, nurturing, and respect - not just taking it for granted
Would you take the wings from birds
Just as it would be cruel to deprive birds of their ability to fly, it is painful to rob someone of their freedom or spirit
So that they can't fly?
Taking away someone's independence or agency can be just as cruel and unfair as clipping a bird's wings
Would you take the ocean's roar
The vast, powerful ocean can represent the intensity and depth of emotions like love or desire
And leave just a sigh?
But if the passion or depth of feeling is lost or abandoned, it can leave behind emptiness or regret, like a sigh of disappointment
All this your heart won't let you do
Although impulses and emotions can be strong, our hearts often protect us from acting on instincts that would cause harm, regret, or heartbreak
This is what I beg of you
When a relationship is truly valuable and meaningful, it is worth fighting for and protecting to avoid losing something irreplaceable
Don't take your love from me
The ultimate plea of the song is a simple and heartfelt request to the person the singer loves to not abandon or give up on their relationship
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HENRY NEMO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Swingman 56
Very nice. I'm guessing Helen arrived on the scene soon after,but Lynn does a fine job here.
BubbaTex
@Swingman 56 You nailed it. The next HJ release on Columbia that included a female vocalist was with Helen Forrest on "He's 1-A in the Army and He's A-1 in My Heart" recorded October 1941. Fine vocals from Lynn Richards here, but per Discogs, this is the only tune she recorded with HJ. I see she recorded a few tunes with Bunny Berigan, so she must have liked singing with trumpet players.😊
Swingman 56
@BubbaTex I would like to sing with trumpet players too,if I could sing. 😂 I'll just have to be content listening to all of James' great vocalists.