Jelly Roll Morton ~~~ Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot … Read Full Bio ↴also listed as
Jelly Roll Morton ~~~ Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers ~~~ Jelly-Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers
The Red Hot Peppers were a jazz band from the 1920s featuring Jelly Roll Morton. He formed the Red Hot Peppers and made a series of classic records for Citor, who were just starting to get into the race records market and were looking for talent. The recordings he made in Chicago featured the best New Orleans sidemen including Baby Dodds, Kid Ory, and Barney Bigard. These recordings are considered some of the finest in the “hot style” of early jazz
Wild Man Blues
Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers Lyrics
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It brings back the sound of music so tender,
It brings back a night of tropical splendor,
It brings back a memory ever green.
I'm with you once more under the stars,
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
And even the palms seem to be swaying
To live it again is past all endeavor,
Except when that tune clutches my heart,
And there we are, swearing to love forever,
And promising never, never to part.
What moments divine, what rapture serene,
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted,
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted,
I know but too well what they mean;
So don't let them begin the beguine
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember;
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
When they begin the beguine.
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, make them play
Till the stars that were there before return above you,
Till you whisper to me once more,
"Darling, I love you!"
And we suddenly know, what heaven we're in,
When they begin the beguine
The lyrics to Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers' song Dead Man Blues is a nostalgic ode to a past love that is awakened by the sound of the beguine music. As the music starts, it stirs up memories of a tropical night filled with music so tender that the memory lingers like a forever evergreen. The singer is transported back in time to a moment of pure unadulterated bliss under the stars with an orchestra's music and the palms swaying.
However, the singer acknowledges that it is impossible to relive those moments again except when the tune touches their heart. They remember the moments that were divine and the rapture of that serene night, but clouds dispersed the joys they had tasted. They are aware of people who curse the chance that they had wasted, and they understand what that means all too well. They urge themselves to resist the temptation to rekindle the love that was once a fire and let it sleep like the dead desire they only remember when they begin the beguine.
The song's message is of the power of music to evoke memories, both pleasant and painful. The beguine, which was a popular dance music style originating in the Caribbean, with a mix of Latin, African, and European influences, is a metaphor for memory, and the singer's experience of it shows how music has the power to transport listeners through time and space. The lyrics convey a sense of wistful nostalgia for a past love, which will never return. Hence, the lyrics are an example of the romanticism that was popular in the 1920s, with its focus on sentimental longing, and it is a tribute to the power of music to move us.
Line by Line Meaning
When they begin the beguine
The start of the song reminds me of a night of music and memories.
It brings back the sound of music so tender,
The melody is sentimental, bringing back feelings of love and tenderness.
It brings back a night of tropical splendor,
The song reminds me of a wonderful night spent in a tropical paradise.
It brings back a memory ever green.
The memories associated with the song are always fresh and vivid.
I'm with you once more under the stars,
The song takes me back to a time when I was with someone special, under the stars.
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
The music reminds me of a beautiful ocean-side setting where an orchestra played.
And even the palms seem to be swaying
The music is so enchanting that even the palm trees appear to be swaying to the beat.
To live it again is past all endeavor,
It's impossible to recreate those same memories and feelings.
Except when that tune clutches my heart,
However, when I hear this song, it takes hold of my heart and mind.
And there we are, swearing to love forever,
The song reminds me of a time when we made promises of eternal love.
And promising never, never to part.
We pledged to never let anything come between us and our love.
What moments divine, what rapture serene,
Those were blissful and heavenly moments, filled with joy and peace.
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted,
Unfortunately, life threw obstacles at us that destroyed our happiness.
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted,
When others speak of lost opportunities, I can relate.
I know but too well what they mean;
I understand the pain of lost chances all too well.
So don't let them begin the beguine
Despite the happy memories and love associated with the song, it's best to avoid reliving the past.
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember;
Instead, keep the love alive in a small, controlled way.
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
Allow the love to rest, like a dormant desire that's only remembered and not acted upon.
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, make them play
Despite the warning, there's a strong desire to rekindle the past by hearing the song played once more.
Till the stars that were there before return above you,
The hope is that by hearing the song played again, the stars will align and bring back love.
Till you whisper to me once more, 'Darling, I love you!'
It's hoped that the song will bring back a declaration of love once spoken before.
And we suddenly know, what heaven we're in,
If the song is successful, it will make us realize that we're in a state of heavenly bliss.
When they begin the beguine
The start of the song is such a powerful trigger for our memories and emotions.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lembit Punapart
Morton really was a MUSICIAN in the deepest sense of word.the played jazz and blues with great feeling.there would be never anyone like him.the man was at least a MUSICIAN.in nowadays we have only people who make sound there are not musicians.the list would be so big i don't mention anyone.
Adrian Kelly
Great version of this classic.
Randy Thompson
I have loved this number since I was a child. Thanks for sharing !