Braff was a wonderfully characterful and melodic player with an immediately identifiable sound and unique tone on the cornet, an uncommon instrument in post-war jazz. He style was fundamentally based on that of earlier players including Louis Armstrong, Bobby Hackett and Bunny Berigan but he transcended these influences to always sounds fresh, sparky and somehow modern.
He was born in Boston and began playing in local clubs in the 1940s. In 1949, he was hired to play with the Edmond Hall Orchestra. He relocated to New York in 1953 where he was much in demand for band dates and recordings.
He died February 10, 2003, in Chatham, Massachusetts.
"Sure, they’ve made statements about my supposedly combining a modern approach with a feeling for traditional forms. Well, people say all sorts of things, because they want to categorise and label. I’ve only ever had two labels. Either it’s good or it stinks." - Ruby Braff speaking in 1968
Body and Soul
Ruby Braff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For you I sigh, for you dear only
Why haven't you seen it
I'm all for you body and soul
I spend my days in longing
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I tell you I mean it
I can't believe it
It's hard to conceive it
That you'd turn away romance
Are you pretending
It looks like the ending
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for the very taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
The lyrics of Ruby Braff's song "Body and Soul" are a mournful declaration of love and longing for someone who is not reciprocating the singer's feelings. The opening lines set a somber tone, with the singer describing their heart as sad and lonely, sighing only for the addressee of the song. The repeated line "I'm all for you body and soul" reinforces this sense of complete devotion and surrender to the one the singer loves.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more beseeching, asking why their beloved cannot see how much they care and wondering why they are being wronged. The line "I tell you I mean it" underscores the earnestness of the singer's words, while the repetition of the title phrase "body and soul" reinforces the depth of emotion being expressed.
The final verse takes a more desperate turn, with the singer questioning whether their beloved is pretending and suggesting that the relationship may be ending unless they are given another chance to prove their love. The closing lines, "My life a wreck you're making / You know I'm yours for the very taking / I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul" are a final plea for the addressee to reciprocate the singer's feelings and offer a sense of surrender and devotion that is simultaneously romantic and tragic.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart is sad and lonely
My heart feels unhappy and isolated
For you I sigh, for you dear only
I deeply long for only you
Why haven't you seen it
Why have you not noticed my love for you
I'm all for you body and soul
I am completely devoted to you in every way
I spend my days in longing
I spend most of my time yearning for you
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I am perplexed as to why you mistreat me
I tell you I mean it
I am earnestly expressing myself
I'm all for you body and soul
I am completely devoted to you in every way
I can't believe it
I am having a hard time accepting it
It's hard to conceive it
It is difficult to understand or imagine it
That you'd turn away romance
That you would reject the possibility of love
Are you pretending
Are you acting like something you are not
It looks like the ending
It seems like our time together is coming to an end
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
Unless you allow me to demonstrate my love for you one more time
My life a wreck you're making
You are causing my life to fall apart
You know I'm yours for just the taking
You know that I am willing to give myself to you completely
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
I would happily give up everything for you, in every possible way
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: PAUL MICHAEL BARRY, PHIL SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind