Giuseppe (Joe) Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was a U.S. jaz… Read Full Bio ↴Giuseppe (Joe) Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was a U.S. jazz musician and violinist. Venuti claimed to have been born aboard a ship as his parents emigrated from Italy, though many believe he was simply born in Philadelphia. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie Lang, a childhood friend of his. Through the 1920s and early 1930s, Venuti produced many recordings. He worked with Benny Goodman, the Dorsey Brothers, Bing Crosby, the Boswell Sisters and most of the other important white jazz and semi-jazz figures of the late 1920s and early 1930s. However, following Lang's early death in 1933, he began to slip off the radar. After a period of relative obscurity in the 1940s and 1950s, he was 'rediscovered' in the late 1960s and established a musical relationship with tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, that was almost as fruitful as his previous collaboration with Lang. Venuti and Sims produced a number of very exciting recordings in 1974/75: an appropriate coda to the great violinist's career.

In the mid-1970s, Venuti performed and recorded, again in the limelight: good examples of his latter-day recordings are the Chiaroscuro CD's Joe Venuti and Zoot Sims (CR(D) 142) and Joe & Zoot & More (CR(D)126). He died in Seattle, Washington.

Venuti was also a legendary practical joker.

Angelina
Joe Venuti Lyrics

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Lost in the sound of the city like a shadow in the rain.
Memories come back to haunt me and I still feel the pain.
Some days are better than others but the nights remain.
I sit and watch the dawn breaking and I whisper your name.
Angeline, you're living proof, it's not the way it seems.
Angeline now I can only hold you in my dreams.
Words left unspoken and hearts are broken in two shades of blue.
I should have seen it coming like a silent scream

I felt a cold chill when I heard the message on the answering machine.
Angeline, the love I have for you still lingers on.

Angeline, you never know what you got till it's gone.
Angeline.

Overall Meaning

In Joe Venuti's song "Angelina," the lyrics portray a sense of loss and longing for someone who is no longer present. The singer describes feeling lost in the bustling sound of the city, like a shadow in the rain. Memories of this person come back to haunt them, causing continued pain. Although some days may be better, the nights remain difficult as the singer sits and watches the break of dawn, whispering the name of their lost love.

The chorus, "Angeline, you're living proof, it's not the way it seems. Angeline now I can only hold you in my dreams," reflects the realization that things are not always what they appear to be. The singer acknowledges that they can only hold onto the person in their dreams now, as they are no longer physically present. The lyrics express regret over words left unspoken and hearts broken in two shades of blue. The singer acknowledges that they should have seen the end coming, comparing it to a silent scream.

Overall, "Angelina" is a heartfelt ballad that delves into themes of loss, regret, and the lingering love one feels for someone who is no longer part of their life. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the singer's emotional state, capturing the pain and longing they experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Lost in the sound of the city like a shadow in the rain.
Feeling overwhelmed and unnoticed amidst the chaos of urban life.

Memories come back to haunt me and I still feel the pain.
Past experiences resurface to torment me, causing ongoing emotional anguish.

Some days are better than others but the nights remain.
Occasionally, life seems brighter during the day, but the darkness of night brings back feelings of longing and sorrow.

I sit and watch the dawn breaking and I whisper your name.
In moments of solitude at daybreak, I quietly utter your name, yearning for your presence.

Angeline, you're living proof, it's not the way it seems.
Angeline, your existence serves as undeniable evidence that things are not as they initially appear.

Angeline now I can only hold you in my dreams.
Now, the only way I can embrace you is through the realm of dreams.

Words left unspoken and hearts are broken in two shades of blue.
Feelings and desires left unexpressed result in shattered emotions resembling two different shades of sadness.

I should have seen it coming like a silent scream
I ought to have anticipated the impending disappointment, much like an inaudible scream.

I felt a cold chill when I heard the message on the answering machine.
A chilling sensation engulfed me upon listening to the message left on the answering machine.

Angeline, the love I have for you still lingers on.
Angeline, my affection for you continues to persist.

Angeline, you never know what you got till it's gone.
Angeline, one fails to appreciate something until it is no longer present.

Angeline.
Angeline.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, MUSHROOM MUSIC PTY LTD
Written by: FRANCIS KEANEY, JOSEPH RUSSO, THOMAS RUSSO, MARCEL TUSSIE, JOSEPH WHITE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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