It would be another six years before he found fame. Lionel Hampton, after leaving Hite, had his own band in Los Angeles' Paradise Cafe, until one night in 1936 when Benny Goodman came into the club and discovered him. Soon, Hampton recorded with B.G., Teddy Wilson, and Gene Krupa as the Benny Goodman Quartet, and six weeks later he officially joined Goodman. An exciting soloist whose enthusiasm even caused B.G. to smile, Hampton became one of the stars of his organization, appearing in films with Goodman, at the famous 1938 Carnegie Hall concert, and nightly on the radio. In 1937, he started recording regularly as a leader for Victor with specially assembled all-star groups that formed a who's who of swing; all of these timeless performances (1937-1941) were reissued by Bluebird on a six-LP set, although in piecemeal fashion on CD.
Hampton stayed with Goodman until 1940, sometimes substituting on drums and taking vocals. In 1940, Lionel Hampton formed his first big band, and in 1942 had a huge hit with "Flying Home," featuring a classic Illinois Jacquet tenor spot (one of the first R&B solos). During the remainder of the decade, Hampton's extroverted orchestra was a big favorite, leaning toward R&B, showing the influence of bebop after 1944, and sometimes getting pretty exhibitionistic. Among his sidemen, in addition to Jacquet, were Arnett Cobb, Dinah Washington (who Hampton helped discover), Cat Anderson, Marshall Royal, Dexter Gordon, Milt Buckner, Earl Bostic, Snooky Young, Johnny Griffin, Joe Wilder, Benny Bailey, Charles Mingus, Fats Navarro, Al Gray, and even Wes Montgomery and Betty Carter. Hampton's popularity allowed him to continue leading big bands off and on into the mid-'90s, and the 1953 edition that visited Paris (with Clifford Brown, Art Farmer, Quincy Jones, Jimmy Cleveland, Gigi Gryce, George Wallington, and Annie Ross) would be difficult to top, although fights over money and the right of the sideman to record led to its breakup. Hampton appeared and recorded with many all-star groups in the 1950s including reunions with Benny Goodman, meetings with the Oscar Peterson Trio, Stan Getz, Buddy DeFranco, and as part of a trio with Art Tatum and Buddy Rich. He also was featured in The Benny Goodman Story (1956).
Since the 1950s, Lionel Hampton has mostly repeated past triumphs, always playing "Hamp's Boogie Woogie" (which features his very rapid two-finger piano playing), "Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop," and "Flying Home." However, his enthusiasm still causes excitement and he remains a household name. Hampton has recorded through the years for nearly every label, including two of his own (Glad Hamp and Who's Who). Despite strokes and the ravages of age, Lionel Hampton remained a vital force into the 1990s. In January 2001, a vibraphone he had played for 15 years was put into the National Museum of American History. On August 31, 2002, at age 94, Lionel Hampton suffered major heart failure and passed away.
It's Only A Paper Moon
Lionel Hampton & His Quintet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sailing over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree
But it wouldn't be make-believe
Without your love
It's a honky tonk parade
Without your love
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
It's a Barnum and Bailey world
Just as phony as it can be
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Say, it's only a paper moon
Sailing over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Without your love
It's a honky-tonk parade
Without your love
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
It's a Barnum and Bailey world
Just as phony as it can be
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
It's phony it's plain to see
How happy I would be
If you believed in me
The song "It's Only a Paper Moon" by Lionel Hampton Quintet is an optimistic love song about the power of belief and faith in love, even in a world that is not always as it seems. The lyrics depict a world that is made up of fake or artificial elements, such as a paper moon, a cardboard sea, a canvas sky, and a muslin tree. Despite this, the song expresses the idea that the love between two people is real and can transcend these phony elements if both partners believe and have faith in each other.
The song begins with the line "Say, it's only a paper moon," which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The paper moon represents the imaginary and unrealistic element of the world, while the sea, sky, and tree are also depicted as fake, but the singer's love is portrayed as genuine. The chorus emphasizes the idea that the world can be a "Barnum and Bailey world" that is "just as phony as it can be," but it wouldn't be make-believe if the singer's love interest believed in him. The second chorus again reinforces the point that without love, the world is like a "honky-tonk parade" or a "melody played in a penny arcade."
The song's message is a universal one that can resonate with anyone who has experienced the ups and downs of love. It is a reminder that real love requires both partners to believe in each other and to have faith in their relationship, even in a world that can often seem fake and artificial.
Line by Line Meaning
Say, it's only a paper moon
What we see isn't real, it's just a facade.
Sailing over a cardboard sea
The world is fake and doesn't have much to offer.
But it wouldn't be make-believe
The world would be more substantial than we think.
If you believed in me
If we have someone we can rely on, things would be different.
Yes, it's only a canvas sky
The things we think are beautiful are only illusions.
Hanging over a muslin tree
The beauty we see is not real, it's just a fabrication.
Without your love
Without the love of those important to us, life can be bleak and unfulfilling.
It's a honky tonk parade
The world can be chaotic and without order.
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
Our lives can feel insignificant and cheap.
It's a Barnum and Bailey world
The world is full of showmanship and illusions.
Just as phony as it can be
Everything we see is fake and shallow.
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If we had someone to believe in, the world would have more meaning.
If you believed in me
If we can have someone we can count on, life can be more fulfilling.
Say, it's only a paper moon
The world we live in is temporary and fleeting.
Sailing over a cardboard sea
The world's beauty is only surface deep.
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If there is someone who can support us, it would be more substantial than we perceive.
If you believed in me
Having someone who believes in us can greatly affect our outlook on life.
Without your love
Without the love of those we care for, life is empty.
It's a honky-tonk parade
Life can feel like a parade with no order or significance.
Without your love
We need the love of others to feel whole and happy.
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
The music of life can often feel cheap and insignificant.
It's a Barnum and Bailey world
The world often feels like a show full of illusions and grandeur.
Just as phony as it can be
The world is fake and unfulfilling.
But it wouldn't be make-believe
Having someone to believe in and trust can give life more meaning and purpose.
If you believed in me
Having someone who believes in us can change our entire outlook on life and make us happy.
It's phony it's plain to see
The world is fake and shallow.
How happy I would be
Having someone to believe in and rely on would make life so much happier.
If you believed in me
Having someone who believes in us can drastically improve our quality of life.
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: BILLY ROSE, E.Y. HARBURG, HAROLD ARLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind