Hampton was born on 20th April 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky, but moved to Chicago as a child, where he began his career as a drummer. He relocated to Los Angeles to play drums in Les Hite's band. They soon became the house band for Frank Sebastian's New Cotton Club, a popular L.A. jazz club.
During a 1930 recording date in the NBC studios in L.A., Louis Armstrong discovered a vibraphone. He asked Hampton if he could play it. Hampton, who knew how to play the xylophone, tried it and they agreed to record a few records with Hamp on vibes. Hampton is credited with popularizing the vibraphone as a jazz instrument.
In the mid-1930s, the Benny Goodman Orchestra came to Los Angeles to play the Palomar Ballroom. John Hammond brought Goodman to see Hampton play. Goodman asked Hampton to move to New York City and join Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and Gene Krupa who'd already formed a Benny Goodman Trio within the large band - to expand into the Benny Goodman Quartet. The Trio and Quartet were among the first racially integrated bands to record and play before wide audiences; they were just as well received at Goodman's famous 1938 Carnegie Hall concert as was the full Goodman band.
While Hampton worked for Goodman in New York, he recorded with several different small groups known as the Lionel Hampton Orchestra as well as assorted small groups within the Goodman band. In the early 40s he left the Goodman organization to form his own touring band.
Hampton's band fostered the talents of Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Ernie Royal, Jack McVea, Charlie Mingus, Monk Montgomery, Wes Montgomery, Quincy Jones, Benny Golson, Fats Navarro, Kenny Dorham, Clifford Brown, Dinah Washington, Betty Carter, Joe Williams, Arnett Cobb, Earl Bostic, and John Colianni among many others.
Hampton's recording of "Flying Home" (1939) with the famous honking tenor sax solo by Jacquet, later refined and expanded by Cobb (1946), is considered by some to be the first rock and roll record. He was known for his tireless energy and his skill on the vibes, drums, and lightning speed two-fingered piano. The bars on the vibraphone are laid out like the piano; Hampton played both instruments the same way.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, Hampton and his band started playing at the University of Idaho's jazz concert, which in 1985 was renamed the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. In 1987 the University's music college was renamed the Lionel Hampton School of Music, the first and only university music college to be named after a jazz musician.
Lionel Hampton died of cardiac arrest at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York on 31st August 2002. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.
I surrender dear
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sworn enemy of love
Kept my lips from saying
Things I was thinking of.
But now my pride you've humbled,
I've cast it to the winds,
Broken, beaten, sick at heart
My confession begins.
We've played the game of stay away
But it cost more that I can pay.
Without you I can't make my way,
I surrender, dear.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
I surrender, dear.
Little mean things we were doing
Must have been part of the game,
Lending a spice to the wooing,
But I don't care who's to blame.
When stars appear and shadows fall,
Why then you'll hear My poor heart call,
To you my love, my life, my all
I surrender, dear.
We've played the game of stay away
But it cost more that I can pay.
Without you I can't make my way,
I surrender, dear.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
I surrender, dear.
Little mean things we were doing
Must have been part of the game,
Lending a spice to the wooing,
But I don't care who's to blame.
When stars appear And shadows fall,
Why then you'll hear My poor heart call,
To you my love, my life, my all
The lyrics of Lionel Hampton's "I Surrender Dear" depict a speaker who is coming to terms with their vulnerability in love. The singer reflects on their past actions, describing their pride as a "splendid liar" and a "sworn enemy of love" that kept them from expressing their true emotions. However, the singer now admits that their pride has been humbled and they feel broken and beaten. The words "I surrender" serve as a confession of the singer's love and a plea for forgiveness and reconciliation.
The lyrics suggest that the singer and their beloved have been playing a game of "stay away" which has only ended up hurting them both. The singer realizes that they cannot make their way without their beloved and admits that their aloofness has just been a façade. The repetition of the phrase "I surrender, dear" emphasizes the singer's sincerity and desperation to be with their beloved. The singer acknowledges that some of their actions may have been hurtful but they no longer care who is to blame because the desire to be with their beloved is now all consuming.
Line by Line Meaning
Pride, sad, splendid liar,
My pride has made me dishonest with myself and others, causing sadness and isolation.
Sworn enemy of love
My pride has prevented me from showing and accepting love.
Kept my lips from saying Things I was thinking of.
My pride has caused me to hold back my true thoughts and feelings.
But now my pride you've humbled, I've cast it to the winds, Broken, beaten, sick at heart My confession begins.
You have humbled me and forced me to admit my wrongs and vulnerability.
We've played the game of stay away But it cost more that I can pay. Without you I can't make my way, I surrender, dear.
Our attempt to stay apart has caused too much emotional and personal damage. I need you, and I give up.
I may seem proud, I may act gay, It's just a pose, I'm not that way, 'Cause deep down in my heart I say I surrender, dear.
I may have acted proud and carefree, but deep down I am not that way. I truly surrender to you.
Little mean things we were doing Must have been part of the game, Lending a spice to the wooing, But I don't care who's to blame.
Our teasing and banter may have been part of our courting, but I don't care who was at fault. I just want to move forward with you.
When stars appear and shadows fall, Why then you'll hear My poor heart call, To you my love, my life, my all I surrender, dear.
When the darkness and uncertainty of life come, you'll hear my heart calling out to you as my love, my life, and my everything. I surrender to you completely.
We've played the game of stay away But it cost more that I can pay. Without you I can't make my way, I surrender, dear.
Our attempt to stay apart has caused too much emotional and personal damage. I need you, and I give up.
I may seem proud, I may act gay, It's just a pose, I'm not that way, 'Cause deep down in my heart I say I surrender, dear.
I may have acted proud and carefree, but deep down I am not that way. I truly surrender to you.
Little mean things we were doing Must have been part of the game, Lending a spice to the wooing, But I don't care who's to blame.
Our teasing and banter may have been part of our courting, but I don't care who was at fault. I just want to move forward with you.
When stars appear And shadows fall, Why then you'll hear My poor heart call, To you my love, my life, my all
When the world is dark and lonely, my heart will call out to you as my love, my life, and my everything.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music
Written by: GORDON CLIFFORD, HARRY BARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sophia-is-trying
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