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
Solitude
Ruby Braff Lyrics
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You haunt me
With dreadful ease
Of days gone by
In my solitude
You taunt me
With memories
I sit in my chair
And filled with despair
There's no one could be so sad
With gloom everywhere
I sit and I stare
I know that I'll soon go mad
In my solitude
I'm afraid
Dear Lord above
Send back my love
I sit in my chair
Filled with despair
There's no one, no one
No onecould be so sad
With gloom everywhere
I sit and I stare
I know that I'll soon go mad
In my solitude
I'm afraid
Dear Lord above
Send back my love
The song 'Solitude' by Ruby Braff is a melancholy ballad that expresses the singer's intense feelings of isolation and loneliness. The lyrics describe how the memories of a lost love haunt and taunt the singer in their moments of solitude. The opening lines immediately set the mood for the song, as the singer is haunted by the memories of days gone by. The second stanza describes the singer's overwhelming sense of despair and the fear of madness that comes with their ongoing solitude. The refrain of the song emphasizes the depth of the singer's emotions and their longing for the return of their lost love.
The use of repetition in the lyrics emphasizes the singer's sense of despair and hopelessness. The repetition of phrases such as 'in my solitude' and 'I sit in my chair' emphasizes the singer's ongoing distress and their inability to escape their feelings of isolation. The image of 'gloom everywhere' further emphasizes the overwhelming feeling of sadness, loneliness, and despair that the singer is feeling. The final plea to the Lord above to 'send back my love' is a final desperate cry to alleviate the terrible isolation that the singer is experiencing.
Overall, this song speaks to the universal human experience of loneliness and our need for human connection. It is a poignant reminder of how isolation can affect our mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Line by Line Meaning
In my solitude
When I am alone
You haunt me
Your presence haunts me
With dreadful ease
Easily and painfully
Of days gone by
Of the past
You taunt me
You tease and torture me
With memories
With reminiscences
That never die
That persist forever
I sit in my chair
I sit down in my armchair
And filled with despair
And overwhelmed with hopelessness
There's no one could be so sad
There's nobody who could be as miserable
With gloom everywhere
With depression all around
I sit and I stare
I sit still and look blankly
I know that I'll soon go mad
I am aware that I will soon become insane
I'm afraid
I am scared
Dear Lord above
God Almighty
Send back my love
Return my beloved to me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, EDDIE LANGE DE, IRVING MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind