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
Stardust
Ruby Braff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.
The song "Stardust" by Ruby Braff is a poignant ballad that explores the bittersweet nature of love and its ephemeral nature. In the opening lines of the song, the singer describes the purple dusk of twilight time, which symbolizes the fading of a relationship. The metaphorical "meadows of my heart" signify the landscape of the singer's emotions, which are filled with nostalgia and longing. The little stars in the sky serve as a constant reminder of the singer's separation from their loved one. The second stanza continues this theme of sadness, with the singer dreaming of a song and the melody haunting their reverie. They remember their love when it was new and each kiss was an inspiration. However, time has passed and their lover is gone, leaving the stardust of a song as their only consolation.
The final stanza of the song is a dream-like sequence where the singer imagines their lover in their arms, surrounded by the beauty of nature. The nightingale's fairytale serves as a reminder of the paradise that they once shared, where roses grew and their love was strong. Although the singer knows that they are dreaming in vain, they cannot help but hold onto the memory of their love's refrain, which is the stardust melody of the song.
Overall, "Stardust" is a beautiful and emotional song that captures the fleeting nature of love and how the memories of a relationship can last long after it has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
The sky is darkening as the day comes to an end
Steals across the meadows of my heart
The writer is feeling nostalgic and sentimental
High up in the sky the little stars climb
The night sky is filled with shining stars
Always reminding me that we're apart
The writer is missing a loved one
You wander down the lane and far away
The loved one has gone away
Leaving me a song that will not die
The writer is comforted by a song that reminds them of the loved one
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The writer is looking back on a past love
The music of the years gone by.
The writer is recalling memories of a past relationship
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The writer is contemplating their emotions
The lonely nights
The writer is often alone at night
Dreaming of a song
The writer dreams about a song that reminds them of the loved one
The melody
The tune of the song is comforting to the writer
Haunts my reverie
The tune stays in the writer's thoughts
And I am once again with you
The writer feels as though they are with the loved one again
When our love was new
The writer remembers the beginning of the relationship
And each kiss an inspiration
The writer remembers how happy each kiss made them feel
But that was long ago
The writer is reflecting on past events
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
The writer finds comfort in the memory of the loved one through the song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
In the peacefulness of night, the writer finds comfort
You are in my arms
In the writer's thoughts, the loved one is with them once again
The nightingale
A bird that brings peace and comfort to the writer
Tells his fairytale
The writer imagines a fairytale of the loved one
Of paradise, where roses grew
The writer imagines a beautiful, romantic setting
Though I dream in vain
The writer knows their dreams will not come true
In my heart it will remain
The memory of the loved one will remain in the writer's heart
My stardust melody
The song that comforts the writer with memories of the loved one
The memory of love's refrain.
Memories of the relationship and the love that was shared
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER GENTRY, JOHN HUTCHINSON DEAN, MATTHEW EVERITT, SIMON IAN WHITE, STUART BLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alberto Juarez
Uno de los mejores trompetistas de este mundo.
Syd Potter
One of the rare moments that I have ever heard Ruby playing trumpet! And he always sounds so great!
john choquette
Ruby played so freakin' beautifully.
Roy Willis
Lovely Track with the great Ruby at his best......thank you
Eugene Fagnano
I asked Ruby who the lady was on the album cover of Stardust.I thought it might be his mother. He laughed and said it was the cleaning lady at the hotel they were staying at.The picture was taken at the spur of the moment.I think that album was one of his best.
Elijah Terrence
I dont mean to be so off topic but does someone know a tool to get back into an instagram account..?
I was stupid lost my password. I would appreciate any help you can give me
Waylon Joshua
@Elijah Terrence instablaster ;)
Elijah Terrence
@Waylon Joshua I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm in the hacking process atm.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
Elijah Terrence
@Waylon Joshua it worked and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy:D
Thanks so much, you really help me out :D
Waylon Joshua
@Elijah Terrence No problem xD