Hodges was apparently aware of this effect, leaving the Ellington orchestra in the 1950's, to be replaced by the stellar alto man, Willie Smith, formerly the lead alto star of the Jimmy Lunceford Orchestra. This situation somehow benefitted neither Ellington or Hodges, with the Ellington orchestra losing a certain luster despite Mr. Smith's excellence, and with major stardom just beyond Mr. Hodges' reach.
Luckily for the listener the recordings Mr. Hodges left behind as a leader, while arguably eluding stardom for the artist at the time, are nonpareil examples of relaxed swing, subtle inflection and perfect phrasing, peerless tone and seemingly effortless technique. More luck for the listener, Mr. Hodges later rejoined the Ellington fold, returning a signature sound to the orchestra's unique palette for many years after.
It has been reported that the Ellington orchestra worked nearly 365 days a year. When asked about this grueling schedule Mr. Ellington said something to the effect that he would settle for nothing less than the finest artists for his orchestra. What with the necessarily high salaries accorded an orchestra of virtuosos, the band had to work often in order to survive. Certainly no one in the Ellington orchestra more exemplified Mr. Ellington's highest standards than Johhny Hodges.
Loveless Love
Johnny Hodges Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like some friendships when your money's gone
Love stands in with the loan sharks when your heart's in pawn
If I had some strong wings like an aeroplane
Had some broad wings like some aeroplane
I would fly away forever
Never to come again
For love, oh, love, oh, loveless love
Has set our hearts from gold-less gold
From milk-less milk and silk-less silk
We are growing used to soul-less souls
Such grafting times we never saw
That's why we have a pure full law
In everything we find a flaw
Even love, oh, love, oh, loveless love
Just to fly away from loveless love
The lyrics of the song "Loveless Love" by Johnny Hodges Duke Ellington are a commentary on the fickleness of love and how it can turn on and off like a water hydrant. The lyrics make the comparison that love is like a friend who only sticks around when you have money, but disappears when the money runs out. Love is also likened to a loan shark who takes advantage of someone in a vulnerable situation, like having their heart in pawn.
The mentions of flying away with strong wings are most likely referring to the desire to escape from the pain of loveless love. The singer wishes to fly away forever, never to return. The repeated phrase "oh love, oh loveless love" in the chorus emphasizes the feeling of emptiness and the lack of value that love can sometimes bring. The description of everything becoming soulless and flawed, even love, paints a bleak picture of the present time. This interpretation highlights the idea that love is about more than just one person but involves various external factors like society, money, and even the law.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is like a hydrant: it turns off and on
Love can be unpredictable, just like a hydrant that can be turned off and on at any time.
Like some friendships when your money's gone
Some friendships might end abruptly when you no longer have the funds to maintain them and the same can happen to love.
Love stands in with the loan sharks when your heart's in pawn
When you're in love and you feel like you've lost control, sometimes it can feel like you owe your heart to your partner and they have the power to collect debts like loan sharks.
If I had some strong wings like an aeroplane
If I had the ability to escape my problems as easily as an airplane, I would use it.
Had some broad wings like some aeroplane
If I had wings as wide as an airplane's, I could fly away from this loveless love forever.
I would fly away forever
Escape from loveless love is desirable to the singer and they would do anything to achieve it.
Never to come again
The singer wants to leave loveless love behind permanently and never revisit it.
For love, oh, love, oh, loveless love
Repetition of the word love emphasizes that the artist is talking about a type of love that is devoid of any true emotion or joy.
Has set our hearts from gold-less gold
Loveless love has caused our hearts to become empty of true feelings, like gold that has lost its luster.
From milk-less milk and silk-less silk
Loveless love has sucked the life out of us, leaving us with empty promises, much like milk with no nutritional value and silk with no softness.
We are growing used to soul-less souls
Loveless love has failed to bring any real soulfulness into our lives and we have become accustomed to that emptiness.
Such grafting times we never saw
Times are so difficult, we've never experienced anything quite like this.
That's why we have a pure full law
The difficulties we are facing remind us of the importance of the law, as it helps us maintain control in chaotic times.
In everything we find a flaw
Despite everything, we find flaws in everything, including love.
Even love, oh, love, oh, loveless love
Again, repetition of the word love emphasizes that the singer is talking about an empty, unfulfilling kind of love.
Just to fly away from loveless love
The artist would do anything to escape the emptiness that comes with loveless love.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Peermusic Publishing, HANDY BROTHERS MUSIC CO.,INC.
Written by: W. C. HANDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind