The Preservation Hall Jazz Band usually performs nightly at Preservation Hall in New Orleans, and tours around the world over 150 days a year. Hurricane Katrina, however, forced Preservation Hall to close through the fall and winter of 2005, and the building remained shut until April 2006. The band continued to tour while the hall was closed.
Art dealer Larry Borenstein opened an art gallery in a building he called Associated Artists Studio in 1961. This evolved into Preservation Hall. A young tuba player, Allan Jaffe, ran the hall and organized tours for the musicians who often performed there, naming the band after the venue. The late Allan Jaffe was often in the Preservation Hall band; his son string bass player Ben Jaffe often is now.
The group has been touring the United States for more than 25 years. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band seek to preserve music evolved in New Orleans, and to bring it to contemporary audiences.
In 2006, the band was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
Current members include: Lucien Barbarin (trombone), Mark Braud (trumpet), Frank Demond (trombone), Charlie Gabriel (clarinet & saxophone), Ben Jaffe (bass & tuba), Leroy Jones (trumpet), Joseph Lastie, Jr (drums), Carl Le Blanc (banjo), Freddie Lonzo (trombone), Clint Maedgen (vocalist & saxophone), Rickie Monie (piano), Walter Payton (bass), Shannon Powell (drums), Mari Watanabe (piano)
A partial listing of the musicians who have played under the Preservation Hall Jazz Band name includes:
* Kid Thomas Valentine - trumpeter
* Punch Miller - trumpeter
* De De Pierce - trumpeter
* Percy Humphrey - trumpeter
* Kid Sheik Colar - trumpeter
* Louis Nelson - trombonist
* Jim Robinson - trombonist
* Frank Demond - trombonist
* George Lewis - clarinetist
* Albert Burbank - clarinetist
* Willie Humphrey - clarinetist
* Raymond Burke - clarinetist
* Joseph Rochambeau - pianist
* Billie Pierce - pianist
* "Sweet Emma" Barrett - pianist
* Jeanette Kimball - pianist
* Sing Miller - pianist
* Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau - bass
* Narvin Kimball - banjo
* Emanuel Sayles - banjo
* Josiah "Cie" Frazier - drums
* Walter Payton - bass
* Clint Maedgen - saxophone, clarinet, vocals
* Shannon Powell - drums
Exactly Like You
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not a real one, just a dream
A wonderful vision of us as a team
Can you imagine how I feel now
Love is real now, it's ideal
You're just what I wanted
And now it's nice to live
Paradise to live
I know why I've waited
Know why I've been blue
Prayed each night for someone
Exactly like you
Why should we spend money
On a show or two
No one does those love scenes
Exactly like you
You make me feel so grand
I want to hand the world to you
I hope you'll understand
Each foolish little scheme I'm schemin'
And dream I'm dreamin'
Now I know why mother
Taught me to be true
She meant me for someone
Exactly like you
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band's song "Exactly Like You" is a love song that expresses the sentiments of the singer towards their new partner. The lyrics highlight the fact that the singer had previously pictured an ideal partner in their mind but never found anyone who met their standards. However, their new partner is just the person they had imagined, and they're ecstatic about their current relationship. They're grateful to be with someone who meets their ideal vision of a love interest, and they feel it's like living in paradise. The singer muses about why he previously waited for someone like his partner and why he'd longed for that person. He realizes that his mother had taught him to stay true to his dreams, which led him to his ideal partner.
The lyrics also convey how the singer's partner has transformed their life for the better. They mention how being with their partner makes them feel grand and how they want to do anything to make them happy. The singer also hopes that their partner can understand their whims and dreams, which may seem foolish to others. The lyrics describe how the relationship is natural and comfortable, unlike what they've seen in the movies and the entertainment industry. They don't need any fancy productions of love scenes when being with someone like their partner feels so natural.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to have a perfect sweetheart
I once had a dream where everything was perfect
Not a real one, just a dream
This wasn't a real person, but a figment of my imagination.
A wonderful vision of us as a team
In my dream, we were a perfect match.
Can you imagine how I feel now
Do you realize how incredible it is that you're now in my life?
Love is real now, it's ideal
My dream has finally become a reality, and it's everything I wanted and more.
You're just what I wanted
You're everything I ever dreamed of.
And now it's nice to live
My life is complete because you're in it.
Paradise to live
I feel like I'm in paradise every day because of you.
I know why I've waited
I understand why I had to wait for the right person to come along.
Know why I've been blue
I know now that I was sad because I hadn't found someone like you yet.
Prayed each night for someone
I used to pray every night for the perfect person to come into my life.
Exactly like you
Someone who is just like you.
Why should we spend money
Why waste our time and money on anything else?
On a show or two
We don't need fancy things or extravagant displays of love.
No one does those love scenes
We don't need to see other people's displays of affection because we have our own special connection.
Exactly like you
I know that we're unique and special in our own way.
You make me feel so grand
You bring out the best in me and make me feel amazing.
I want to hand the world to you
I would do anything for you, even give you the world.
I hope you'll understand
I hope you know how much you mean to me and how deeply I care for you.
Each foolish little scheme I'm schemin'
Even my wildest dreams and crazy ideas seem possible with you by my side.
And dream I'm dreamin'
Every dream I have is one where you're in it.
Now I know why mother
My mom always told me to wait for someone special, and now I know why.
Taught me to be true
She taught me to be true to myself and to wait for the right person.
She meant me for someone
My mom always knew that I was meant to be with someone special.
Exactly like you
Someone who is just like you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy Mchugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
L.V the Truth
on Rattlin' Bones
The lyrics of Preservation Hall Jazz Band's "Rattlin' Bones" is a spooky tale about the supernatural phenomena that takes place in St. Josephine, a part of New Orleans. The opening lines of the song act as a warning to those who might wish to visit the place as it is plagued with rattling bones that make a frightening sound. The singer suggests that the sound is not coming from any ordinary source, but from the bones of the dead who have risen from the grave and started walking around.
As the song progresses, the singer presents himself as a witness to the terrifying events that take place in the graveyard. He admits that initially, he did not believe in the stories about the rattling bones. However, after spending a night in the cemetery out of a dare, he saw the horrifying sight of the dead rising from their graves. The chorus is an ominous warning to those who might venture near the St. Josephine graveyard, with the rattling bones creeping up behind the headstones, effectively sealing the fate of any curious visitors.
Edit: Others argue that a deeper meaning hides between the lines. It has been said that homosexuality was a heavy taboo around the turn of the century. Evidence shows that the occasional (sexual) encounter was not uncommon in graveyards, at night. Many young men sought hidden corners of the city so they could get their "bones rattled." Hotels were reserved for "Socially Acceptable" Folks. So if you didn't want to see anyone's bones getting rattled, it's best to visit a graveyard during appropriate visiting hours.