Stacy was born Jesse Alexandria Stacy in Bird's Point, Missouri, a small village across the Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois. He grew up along the Mississippi river and initially played on riverboats,
In the 1920s he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he made a name for himself playing with Paul Mares. Later he worked with Benny Goodman and performed with him at Carnegie Hall in 1938. The Carnegie Hall performance has gained attention due to an unplanned, yet widely praised, solo by Jess during "Sing Sing Sing". His solo performance will live forever as a new generation marvels at the compact discs of that concert.
Stacy also spent time with the bands of Bob Crosby, Horace Heidt, and Tommy Dorsey and recorded with Eddie Condon. He put together a big band of his own and recorded with Lee Wiley to whom he was married for a time. By the late 1940s he moved to California, his career declined to mostly club work and he eventually retired from public playing. For a time, he worked as a salesman for Max Factor cosmetics. That is until the 1950 recording of the Carnegie Hall concert came out and there was renewed interest in the man’s playing, and a realisation that he was a genius. He returned to playing again in 1974 and produced Stacy Still Swings in 1977. The years after that included compilations and some club work. He died of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles, California.
Since his death in 1995 he has gained new attention and honors. In 1996 he was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame and in 1998 a biography of him titled Jess Stacy: the Quiet Man of Jazz. a Biography and Discography ISBN 0-9638890-4-4 by Derek Coller came out.
It's Only A Paper Moon
Jess Stacy Lyrics
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Sailing over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree
But it wouldn't be make-believe
Without your love
It's a honky tonk parade
Without your love
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
It's a Barnum and Bailey world
Just as phony as it can be
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Say, it's only a paper moon
Sailing over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Without your love
It's a honky-tonk parade
Without your love
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
It's a Barnum and Bailey world
Just as phony as it can be
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
It's phony it's plain to see
How happy I would be
If you believed in me
The lyrics of Jess Stacy's It's Only A Paper Moon are a metaphorical representation of the power of faith and belief when it comes to love. The singer is acknowledging that the world they live in is full of artificiality and illusion - a cardboard sea, a canvas sky, a Barnum and Bailey world. However, none of it matters when they have the belief and trust of their loved one - without it, life becomes a superficial and meaningless parade or a penny arcade melody. The singer implores their beloved to have faith in their love, to believe that it is real and not mere make-believe.
The repetition of the phrase "But it wouldn't be make-believe if you believed in me" emphasizes the importance of trust and faith in a relationship. The singer recognizes that while the world can be a façade, love has the potential to be genuine and unshakable if both parties have the belief and commitment to make it so. The lyrics are a plea to their beloved to see beyond the illusions of the world and to have faith in their love, to understand that their relationship can be more than just a paper moon or a canvas sky.
Line by Line Meaning
Say, it's only a paper moon
Acknowledging that what may seem real is actually fake
Sailing over a cardboard sea
The fake world that he's referring to is made of cheap material
But it wouldn't be make-believe
The fake world can become real if the person he's singing to believes in him
If you believed in me
He's appealing to the person's belief
Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Once again emphasizing that what they see around them is not real
Hanging over a muslin tree
The fake world is held up by cheap material
Without your love
Without the person he's singing to, his world would be meaningless
It's a honky-tonk parade
He would be reduced to very low levels of happiness
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
He would be bored with the routine of everyday life
It's a Barnum and Bailey world
Referring to a circus and how the world is full of spectacle but at its heart is no substance
Just as phony as it can be
The world is completely fake
It's phony it's plain to see
Reiterating that the world is very obviously fake
How happy I would be
Letting the person he's singing to know that they complete his world and make him happy
If you believed in me
This line reinforces the idea that he is searching for belief from the other person
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: BILLY ROSE, E.Y. HARBURG, HAROLD ARLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind