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.
Fly Me to the Moon
Harry James and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like on
A-jupiter and Mars
In other words, hold my hand
In other words, baby, kiss me
And let me sing forevermore
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you
Fill my heart with song
Let me sing forevermore
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words
In other words
I love
You
The song "Fly Me to the Moon" by Harry James and His Orchestra is an iconic love song that was composed by Bart Howard in the late 1950s. The lyrics describe a desire to be taken away to other planets and galaxies and to explore the mysteries of the universe. The singer is asking their lover to be their companion on this journey, to hold their hand, kiss them and to be true in their love for each other.
The opening lines, "Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars" reflects a strong desire for adventure and the exploration of new frontiers. The reference to Jupiter and Mars adds to this sense of adventure, as these two planets are considered to be the most intriguing planets in our solar system. The following lines, "In other words, hold my hand, in other words, baby, kiss me", are a call to intimacy and an expression of the singer's desire to be close to their lover.
The refrain of the song, "Fill my heart with song, let me sing forevermore", adds to the romantic atmosphere of the song. The singer is expressing their desire to be filled with joy and love and to be granted the opportunity to express it in song. Finally, the song ends with a call to the lover to be true, to love them as they are being asked to do, with the words "In other words, I love you".
Line by Line Meaning
Fly me to the moon
Take me on a journey so wondrous, as if we were flying to the moon
Let me play among the stars
Allow me to frolic and embrace the stars, as if they were my playthings
Let me see what spring is like on
A-jupiter and Mars
Let me experience the seasons of other planets, such as the freshness of a Jupiter or Mars spring
In other words, hold my hand
To make myself clear, I crave your touch and support by holding my hand
In other words, baby, kiss me
To put it more succinctly, I desire your affection in the form of a tender kiss
Fill my heart with song
Empower my heart with the strength and beauty of music
And let me sing forevermore
Allow me to express my love through song, with joy and passion for eternity
You are all I long for
My heart's desire is for you alone, as you are the only true object of my affection
All I worship and adore
You are my one and only, and I hold you in the highest esteem and admiration
In other words, please be true
What I am asking of you is to be honest and faithful, as that is paramount to our love
In other words, I love you
To simplify, what I am trying to express is that I am deeply in love with you
Fill my heart with song
Again, I plead to have my heart filled with the inspiration and happiness of music
Let me sing forevermore
Once more, let me have the opportunity to sing and rejoice in my love for you
In other words, please be true
As before, I beg of you to remain sincere and genuine in our love
In other words
To summarize and conclude
In other words
To reiterate and emphasize
I love
I feel an intense and profound affection towards
You
You, my beloved, are the focus and object of my love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bart Howard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind