Joe Henderson was encouraged by his parents and older brother James T. to study music. He dedicated his first album to them "for being so understanding and tolerant" during his formative years. Early musical interests included drums, piano, saxophone and composition. According to Kenny Dorham, two local piano teachers who went to school with Henderson's brothers and sisters, Richard Patterson and Don Hurless, gave him a knowledge of the piano. He was particularly enamored of his brother's record collection. It seems that a hometown drummer, John Jarette, advised Henderson to listen to musicians like Lester Young, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon and Charlie Parker. He also liked Flip Phillips, Lee Konitz and the Jazz at the Philharmonic recordings. However, Parker became his greatest inspiration. His first approach to the saxophone was under the tutelage of Herbert Murphy in high school. In this period of time, he wrote several scores for the school band and rock groups.
By eighteen, Henderson was active on the Detroit jazz scene of the mid-'50s, playing in jam sessions with visiting New York stars. While attending classes of flute and bass at Wayne State University, he further developed his saxophone and compositional skills under the guidance of renowned teacher Larry Teal at the Teal School of Music. In late 1959, he formed his first group. By the time he arrived at Wayne State University, he had transcribed and memorized so many Lester Young solos that his professors believed he had perfect pitch. Classmates Yusef Lateef, Barry Harris and Donald Byrd undoubtedly provided additional inspiration. He also studied music at Kentucky State College.
Shortly prior to his army induction in 1960, Henderson was commissioned by UNAC to write some arrangements for the suite "Swings and Strings", which was later performed by a ten-member orchestra and the local dance band of Jimmy Wilkins.
He spent two years (1960–1962) in the U.S. Army: firstly in Fort Benning, where he even competed in the army talent show and won the first place, then in Fort Belvoir, where he was chosen for a world tour, with a show to entertain soldiers. While in Paris, he met Kenny Drew and Kenny Clarke. Then he was sent to Maryland to conclude his draft. In 1962, he was finally discharged and promptly moved to New York. He first met trumpeter Kenny Dorham, an invaluable guidance for him, at saxophonist Junior Cook's place. That very evening, they went to see Dexter Gordon playing at Birdland. Henderson was asked by Gordon himself to play something with his rhythm section; needless to say, he happily accepted.
Although Henderson's earliest recordings were marked by a strong hard-bop influence, his playing encompassed not only the bebop tradition, but also rhythm & blues, Latin and avant-garde as well. He soon joined Horace Silver's band and provided a seminal solo on the jukebox hit "Song for My Father". After leaving Silver's band in 1966, Henderson resumed freelancing and also co-led a big band with Kenny Dorham. His arrangements for the band went unrecorded until the release of Joe Henderson Big Band (Verve) in 1996.
From 1963 to 1968, Joe appeared on nearly thirty albums for Blue Note, including five released under his name. The recordings ranged from relatively conservative hard-bop sessions (Page One, 1963) to more explorative sessions (Inner Urge and Mode for Joe, 1966). He played a prominent role in many landmark albums under other leaders for the label, including most of Horace Silver's swinging and soulful Song for My Father, Herbie Hancock's dark and densely orchestrated The Prisoner, Lee Morgan's hit album The Sidewinder and "out" albums with pianist Andrew Hill (Black Fire 1963 and Point of Departure, 1964) and drummer Pete La Roca (Basra, 1965).
In 1967, there was a notable, but brief, association with Miles Davis's quintet featuring Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, although the band was never recorded. Henderson's adaptability and eclecticism would become even more apparent in the years to follow.
Signing with Orrin Keepnews's fledgling Milestone label in 1967 marked a new phase in Henderson’s career. He co-led the Jazz Communicators with Freddie Hubbard from 1967-1968. Henderson was also featured on Hancock's Fat Albert Rotunda for Warner Bros. It was during this time that Henderson began to experiment with jazz-funk fusion, studio overdubbing, and other electronic effects. Song and album titles like Power to the People, In Pursuit of Blackness, and Black Narcissus reflected his growing political awareness and social consciousness, although the last album was named after the Powell and Pressburger film of 1947.
After a brief association with Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1971, Henderson moved to San Francisco and added teaching to his résumé.
Though he occasionally worked with Echoes of an Era, the Griffith Park Band and Chick Corea, Henderson remained primarily a leader throughout the 1980s. An accomplished and prolific composer, he began to focus more on reinterpreting standards and his own earlier compositions. Blue Note attempted to position the artist at the forefront of a resurgent jazz scene in 1986 with the release of the two-volume State of the Tenor recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City. The albums (with Ron Carter on bass and Al Foster on drums) revisited the tenor trio form used by Sonny Rollins in 1957 on his own live Vanguard albums for the same label. Henderson established his basic repertoire for the next seven or eight years, with Monk's "Ask Me Now" becoming a signature ballad feature.
It was only after the release of An Evening with Joe Henderson, a live trio set (featuring Charlie Haden and Al Foster) for the Italian independent label Red Records that Henderson underwent a major career change: Verve took notice of him and in the early 1990s signed him. That label adopted a 'songbook' approach to recording him, coupling it with a considerable marketing and publicity campaign, which more successfully positioned Henderson at the forefront of the contemporary jazz scene. His 1992 'comeback' album Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn was a commercial and critical success and followed by tribute albums to Miles Davis, Antonio Carlos Jobim and a rendition of the George Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess.
On June 30, 2001, Joe Henderson died due to heart failure after a long battle with emphysema.
Snap Your Fingers
Joe Henderson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back to you-ou on bended knee
Snap your fingers (doo-doo), I'll come runnin' (doo-doo)
I'll be true (doo-doo-doo), take a chance on me (doo-doo-doo)
Let your light turn green, baby, I've gotta know
Give me some kind of clue, should I stay or go?
Let me love you like a lover, un-huh, that you used to know
(Wah-wah-wah-wah)
I had it but I lost it
Now I've got a broken heart to mend
I don't care what the cost is
I know I got to find my way back in
Snap your fingers, baby, I'll come runnin'
I'll do anything to get back again
(Wah-wah-wah-wah)
I had it but I lost it
Now I've got a broken heart to mend
I don't care what the cost is
I've got to find my way back in
Snap your fingers (doo-doo-doo) I'll come runnin' (doo-doo-doo)
I'll do anything (doo-doo-doo) to get back again
The lyrics of Joe Henderson's "Snap Your Fingers" speaks to a lover who's been left feeling unrequited and struggling to find their way back into the affections of their former partner. The singer implores his lover to "snap their fingers" and he'll come running back to them, apologizing for any wrongdoing and hoping for a second chance to prove his devotion. He's willing to do anything to win them back, even falling to his knee in supplication.
Throughout the song, the singer expresses a sense of desperation and regret, as he realizes he had it all but somehow lost it. He's willing to take any chance and any cost to make amends, to be with his lover once again. The lyrics contain a lot of emotive language and imagery, reflecting the pain felt by someone longing for their lost love.
The catchy rhythm and melody of the song belies its sad, melancholic lyrics. Overall, the song communicates a sense of longing, love, and regret, and speaks to the heart of anyone who has loved and lost, and is seeking a second chance to make things right.
Line by Line Meaning
Snap your fingers, I'll come runnin'
I'll be at your side in a flash, just beckon me
Back to you-ou on bended knee
I'll come back to you humbly and submissively
Snap your fingers (doo-doo), I'll come runnin' (doo-doo)
Just like a reflex, I'll come to you at any time
I'll be true (doo-doo-doo), take a chance on me (doo-doo-doo)
I promise to remain loyal if you'll give me a shot
Let your light turn green, baby, I've gotta know
Please give me a sign that lets me know where we stand
Give me some kind of clue, should I stay or go?
I need some indication of whether I should move on or stay
Let me love you like a lover, un-huh, that you used to know
I want to treat you with the same passion we once shared
Turn the key and let me in through that same old door
Allow me into your life once again through familiar means
(Wah-wah-wah-wah) I had it but I lost it
I once had your love, but it slipped away
Now I've got a broken heart to mend
I'm left with a heartache that requires repair
I don't care what the cost is
I'm willing to pay any price necessary to reignite our love
I know I got to find my way back in
I must find a way to restore what's been lost
Snap your fingers, baby, I'll come runnin'
All it takes is your signal, and I'll be there
I'll do anything to get back again
I will make the effort to regain what's been taken from me
(Wah-wah-wah-wah) I had it but I lost it
My former happiness slipped through my fingers
I've got to find my way back in
I need to rediscover what was once mine
Snap your fingers (doo-doo-doo) I'll come runnin' (doo-doo-doo)
With a simple gesture, I'll answer your call
I'll do anything (doo-doo-doo) to get back again
Whatever it takes, I'll do to rekindle our love
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALEX ZANETIS, GRADY MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sauquoit13456
On this day in 1962 {July 8th} "Snap Your Fingers" by Joe Henderson peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Hot R&B Sides'* chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "I Can't Stop Loving You" by Ray Charles...
"Snap Your Fingers" reached #8 on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
The Lima, Ohio native had two more charted records on the Top 100 chart in 1962, "Big Love" {#74 in September} and "The Searching Is Over" {#94 in November}...
Joe Henderson passed away at the age of 64 on June 30th, 2001 {heart failure}...
May he R.I.P.
* And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Hot R&B Sides' Top 10 on July 8th, 1962:
At #3. "Any Day Now" by Chuck Jackson
#4. "Having A Party" by Sam Cooke
#5. "Bring It On Home To Me" by Sam Cooke
#6. "Playboy" by The Marvelettes
#7. "You'll Lose A Good Thing" by Barbara Lynn
#8. "Twist and Shout" by The Isley Brothers
#9. "The Wah-Watusi" by The Orlons
#10. "I Need Your Loving" by Don Gardner and Dee Dee Ford
@georgephinn822
Joe Henderson “Snap Your Fingers” sounds just as Good as it did in 1962. A true “Do Woop” in 1962 Sound to me. A great record then - A great record in 2023. Music like this “Never” gets OLD. We will be playing this in 2888. I think the music from the 1950’S - 1960’S - 1970’s. Will never die - The future generation needs some of this good stuff.
@georgephinn822
Joe Henderson “Snap Your Fingers” one of the Best Songs from 1962. Joe Henderson sounding like “Brook Benton” A Number One song for Sure - Thanks Joe Henderson
@pearlinagemma523
First time hearing this and I love it! What a gorgeous powerful voice. XO its still reverberating in my soul, a bit of magick right here.
@georgephinn822
Thanks Joe Henderson for this beautiful song. “Snap Your Fingers” one of the best songs from 1962. Joe Henderson sounds a little like Brook Benton - just a great voice and a beautiful song - I keep playing it over and over and over - thanks Joe Henderson. And thanks Todd Records
@georgephinn822
Still playing this beautiful song - just one of the best songs from 1962 - still sounds like Brook Benton - What ever happened to Joe Henderson ?
@andrewmartin6217
Wow! What a gem. Thank you.
@mkl62
This hit from Joe Henderson went to #8 on the Top 40 charts. It hit #2 on the Rhythm & Blues charts and #5 on the Adult Contemporary charts. It would finish at #66 for the year, 1962.
@angelsandanglesgayle6775
Did I ever love this one, one great "blast from the past!" Thank you for this post.
@BigAlWeimer
*Hello Angel, I haven't been here for few days so i had a number of songs to listen to. This is the one that works the best for me. I have always liked the Doo Wop sound. It picks you up even if it's a sad song. Joe Henderson's voice is amazing. So this will be my pick for today.
@angelsandanglesgayle6775
Big Al Weimer Yes, I have found I am drawn to the rhythm inherent in the "Doo Wop" sound and just never knew what it was. This is a great song and was lost in my memory for a while. So glad you like it. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.