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.
I Can't Afford to Dream
Harry James and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can see
No matter how near you'll be
You'll never belong to me
But I can dream, can't I?
Can't I pretend that I'm locked in the bend of your embrace?
For dreams are just like wine
I'm aware
My heart is a sad affair
There's much disillusion there
But I can dream, can't I?
Can't I adore you
Although we are oceans apart?
I can't make you open your heart
But I can dream, can't I?
I'm aware
My heart is a sad affair
There's much disillusion there
But I can dream, can't I?
Can't I adore you
Although we are oceans apart?
I can't make you open your heart
But I can dream, can't I?
(Dream on, dream on, dream on)
The song "I Can't Afford to Dream" by Harry James and His Orchestra is a lament about unrequited love. The singer knows that the person they love will never belong to them, but they continue to dream and pretend that they are in a loving relationship. The metaphor of dreams being like wine represents how intoxicating and all-consuming these fantasies can be.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of loneliness and disillusionment. The singer acknowledges that their heart is a sad affair, filled with disillusionment, but still clings to the hope of love. They yearn to adore the person they love, even though they are separated by oceans and they know that their love may never be reciprocated.
Overall, the song captures the bittersweet experience of unrequited love and the power of dreams to provide solace even in the midst of heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see
I am aware of the reality of our situation.
No matter how near you'll be
Even if we are physically close, emotionally we are distant.
You'll never belong to me
Our relationship can never be what I want or need it to be.
But I can dream, can't I?
Despite the harsh reality, I can still hope for something more.
Can't I pretend that I'm locked in the bend of your embrace?
Can't I imagine that we are closer than we really are?
For dreams are just like wine
Dreams can be intoxicating and make me feel good in the moment.
And I am drunk with mine
I am consumed and overwhelmed by my dreams.
My heart is a sad affair
My emotions are in a state of sadness and despair.
There's much disillusion there
I have lost hope for what I thought was possible.
Can't I adore you
Can't I have feelings of deep love and respect for you?
Although we are oceans apart?
Despite the distance between us, these feelings still exist.
I can't make you open your heart
I cannot force you to feel the same way about me.
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Continue to hold onto these dreams, even though they may never come true.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Irving Kahal, Sammy Fain
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Swingman 56
I gave this a like for Harry and the boys' performance. I never liked the little girl style of vocals,that was trending in the late 30s-early 40s,and Connie never lost it through her career. Ella's "A Tisket a Tasket",is my exception.
BubbaTex
@Swingman 56 - Thanks for the like! I agree on not caring much for the little girl style of vocals. I don't know that much about Connie Haines, and I heard her on a later Tommy Dorsey (I think) recording in which I did not detect this same style, so I thought maybe she was just really young when she cut this tune with Harry James. Best I can tell she only cut two commercial sides with HJ. So I'm starting chronological playlists of HJ's recordings with Columbia - I started the first here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0E0123v1zlOiS1yRQIdo01WEijmUHjC5. I think all of his Columbia tunes are now on Youtube, but some of them are not very high quality transfers. My goal is to add better-quality transfers to replace those, and this was one of them. As always, thanks for listening!
Swingman 56
@BubbaTex Your welcome! And,yes,your ultra-clean vids are very much appreciated and enjoyed!
The Great Gramophoner Sebastian
Wow! That’s a brilliant one! Early!!! Superb quality 👍
Are you on Facebook?? I have some materials about Harry
BubbaTex
@The Great Gramophoner Sebastian It's good to hear from you, and thanks for the kind words. I have a Facebook page at steve.scott.94043, but I'm really not big in to social media, so I rarely check Facebook. Go ahead and send me the Harry James material, and I'll check it out. Thanks.
The Great Gramophoner Sebastian
@BubbaTex cannot find you on Facebook Steve! Do you live in Texas?
BubbaTex
@The Great Gramophoner Sebastian Yes, I live in League City, Texas. I think this is the full link: https://www.facebook.com/steve.scott.94043/ (that's what I see when I'm on the page).