Reuben "Ruby" Braff (March 16, 1927 – February 9, 2003) was an American jaz… Read Full Bio ↴Reuben "Ruby" Braff (March 16, 1927 – February 9, 2003) was an American jazz cornetist and trumpeter.

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

This Can
Ruby Braff Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This can't be love because I feel so well
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
This can't be love I get no dizzy spells
My head is not in the sky

My heart does not stand still just hear it beat
This is too sweet to be love
This can't be love because I feel so well

But still I love to look in your eyes

My heart does not stand still just hear it beat
This is too sweet to be love
This can't be love because I feel so well

But still I love to look in your eyes
I love to look in your eyes

Overall Meaning

In "This Can't Be Love", Ruby Braff uses irony to deliver a message about love. The first line of the song, "This can't be love because I feel so well", sets up a contradiction. We're used to hearing about love causing people to feel sick or dizzy, but Braff is saying that he's not experiencing any of those negative symptoms. The song's narrator then goes on to describe all the ways he doesn't feel like he's in love: no sobs, no sorrows, no sighs, and his head is not in the sky. He even declares that "this is too sweet to be love", creating yet another paradox.

However, despite all the indications that the singer isn't in love, they reveal that they still love looking into the eyes of the person they're addressing. This suggests that the singer is perhaps in denial about their true feelings or is trying to convince themselves that what they're feeling can't possibly be love.

Overall, "This Can't Be Love" is a clever deconstruction of the classic love song. Rather than following the usual tropes of the genre, Braff turns them on their head to create something fresh and intriguing.

Line by Line Meaning

This can't be love because I feel so well
The feeling is too good to be love

No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
I am not experiencing any negative emotions

This can't be love I get no dizzy spells
I am not experiencing any disorientation

My head is not in the sky
I am not lost in thought

My heart does not stand still just hear it beat
My heart is beating steadily and not racing

This is too sweet to be love
The feeling is too pleasant to be love

But still I love to look in your eyes
Despite the lack of intense emotions, I enjoy looking into your eyes

I love to look in your eyes
Looking into your eyes is a source of joy for me

Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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