James "Jimmy" Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was a prominent Am… Read Full Bio ↴James "Jimmy" Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD". He composed the jazz and pop standards "I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary People)" and "It's The Dreamer In Me".

During his early days as a musician, Jimmy Dorsey performed with various other ensembles and artists including the Scranton Sirens, The California Ramblers, Red Nichols, Jean Goldkette, Ben Pollack, and Paul Whiteman. He and his younger brother Tommy formed several bands known as “The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra” during the late 1920s and early 1930s which suddenly ended in May, 1935, when Tommy stormed off the bandstand after an onstage argument.

For several months, Jimmy continued leading the band, keeping the Dorsey Brothers name, hoping that his younger brother would return, but he did not. In September, 1935, the Dorsey Brothers band legally became the "Jim Dorsey Orchestra", after Jimmy found out that Tommy Dorsey now had his own band, and had signed a recording contract with RCA Victor. Jimmy Dorsey remained with Decca Records as the two brothers were now competing with each other musically.

Jimmy Dorsey's first hit record was "You Let Me Down" in 1935. His early band was considered to be more jazz-oriented than his brother's, and recordings of some instrumental swing classics soon followed: Dorsey Stomp, Tap Dancer's Nightmare, Parade of the Milk Bottle Caps, John Silver, and Dusk in Upper Sandusky. The band was featured on Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall radio show, and did quite well commercially, although being overshadowed by Benny Goodman, (also a clarinetist), whose big band had grabbed center stage in the mid thirties.

Dorsey's main vocalist was Bob Eberly, considered to be the best in the music business, and in 1939, Helen O'Connell joined the band, and the idea to have them do duets together proved to be highly successful. Almost every record released during 1939-1943 were hits, but especially records made with a Latin American flavor like “Amapola”, "Maria Elena", and “Green Eyes”, which topped the charts in 1941.

Certainly vocalists Helen O’Connell and Bob Eberly, were two very important factors in Jimmy Dorsey’s rise in popularity. They continued singing with his band for future records and motion picture appearances. Despite personnel changes, Jimmy remained one of the top big band leaders after World War II and into the 1950s, always updating the sound of his band, but the big band business was beginning to decline.

Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey reunited on March 15, 1945 to record a V-Disc at Liederkranz Hall in New York City. Released in June, 1945, V-Disc 451 featured "More Than You Know" backed with "Brotherly Jump". The songs featured the combined orchestras of Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey.

In 1953, he and his brother reunited to form a (new) “Dorsey Brothers Orchestra.” Tommy was the leader of the group, making Jimmy the co-leader and featured soloist. In 1954, Jackie Gleason chose their band to star in a weekly television show that centered on their band. The show, called “Stage Show,” was a huge hit, and gave other big band leaders hope in a business that was steadily declining.

Tommy’s death in 1956 and Jimmy’s own health problems resulted in the end of his television and musical career in 1957.

When They Ask About You
Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I go for a walk
And meet old friends we knew,
We sit around and talk,
Then they ask about you,
What's the good if I say
That you and I are through,
I tell them you're okay
When they ask about you.

They wonder where we've been
And why we never call,
I take it on the chin
Until the teardrops fall,
They don't mean to be smart
But if they only knew,

They're stepping on my heart
When they ask about you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jimmy Dorsey's "When They Ask About You" sung by Kitty Kallen seem to be about a person who has broken up with their partner but is still hurting from the breakup. When the person walks around and meets old friends, they talk about the past until the friends ask about their ex-partner. The singer finds it useless to mention that the relationship is over and tells their friends that their ex is doing okay. It seems that the singer wants to avoid the topic altogether as talking about their ex brings back painful memories. When friends inquire about the relationship status and why they never call, the singer holds in their emotions until they can no longer bear it, and tears begin to fall. The singer reveals that talking about their ex makes them upset because they're still heartbroken.

The lyrics of the song give us an insight into the emotional turmoil that comes with a breakup. It's not easy to get over a relationship, and the process resonates with most people. The lyrics also point to the fact that while we might be trying to move on, we might still end up feeling the sting of the breakup from time to time. The question “When they ask about you,” is haunting, and we can feel the singer's pain in every line of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

When I go for a walk
When I take a stroll outdoors

And meet old friends we knew,
And come across old acquaintances

We sit around and talk,
We chat for a while

Then they ask about you,
And then they inquire about you

What's the good if I say
What good would it do if I were to say

That you and I are through,
That our relationship is over

I tell them you're okay
I inform them that you're fine

When they ask about you.
When they ask how you're doing.

They wonder where we've been
They're curious about where we've been

And why we never call,
And why we don't keep in touch

I take it on the chin
I take the hurtful comments and questions with grace