Stan Getz (Stanley Gayetzky, February 2, 1927 Philadelphia – June 6, 19… Read Full Bio ↴Stan Getz (Stanley Gayetzky, February 2, 1927 Philadelphia – June 6, 1991 Malibu, California) was an American jazz tenor saxophone player. Known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, Getz's prime influence was the wispy, mellow tone of his idol, Lester Young.

His parents were Ukrainian Jews who immigrated from Kyiv city, Ukraine in 1903. The family later moved to New York City for better jobs. Stan worked hard in school receiving straight "A's" on average and finished 6th grade close to the top of his class. Stan's major interest was in musical instruments, and he felt a need to play every instrument in his sight. He played a number of instruments before his father bought him his first saxophone at the age of 13. Even though his father also got him a clarinet, Stan instantly fell in love with the saxophone and began practicing 8 hours a day. In 1941, he was accepted into the All City High School Orchestra of New York City. This gave Stan a chance to receive a private, free tutor from the New York Philharmonic, Simon Kovar - a bassoon player. He also began to spend more time playing the saxophone. He eventually dropped out of school in order to pursue his musical career, but was later sent back to the classroom by the school system’s truancy officers.

In 1943, he was accepted into Jack Teagarden's band, and because of his youth he became Teagarden's ward. Getz also played along with Nat King Cole and Lionel Hampton. After playing for Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman, Getz was a soloist with Woody Herman from 1947 to 1949 in 'The Second Herd' and he first gained wide attention as one of the band's saxophonists, who were known collectively as 'The Four Brothers', the others being Serge Chaloff, Zoot Sims and Herbie Steward. With Herman, he had a hit with "Early Autumn" and after Getz left 'The Second Herd' he was able to launch his solo career. He would be the leader on almost all of his recording sessions after 1950.

During the early '50s, Getz broke away from the Lester Young style to form his own musical identity and he was soon among the most popular of all jazzmen. He discovered Horace Silver in 1950 and used him in his quartet for several months. After touring Sweden in 1951, he formed an exciting quintet that co-featured guitarist Jimmy Raney; their interplay on up-tempo tunes and tonal blend on ballads was quite memorable. Getz's playing helped Johnny Smith have a hit in "Moonlight in Vermont," during 1953-1954 Bob Brookmeyer made his group a quintet and, despite some drug problems during the decade, Getz was a constant poll winner. After spending 1958-1960 in Europe, the tenorman returned to the U.S. and recorded his personal favorite album, Focus, with arranger Eddie Sauter's Orchestra.

Getz became a central figure in introducing bossa nova music to the U.S. audience. Teaming with guitarist Charlie Byrd, who had just returned from a U.S. State Department tour of Brazil, Getz recorded Jazz Samba in 1962 and it became a hit. The title track was an adaptation of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "One Note Samba". Getz won the Grammy for Best Jazz Performance of 1963 for "Desafinado". As a follow-up, Getz recorded Jazz Samba Encore! with one of the originators of bossa nova, Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfa.

He then recorded the album Getz/Gilberto with Tom Jobim, João Gilberto and his wife, Astrud Gilberto. Their "The Girl from Ipanema" won a Grammy Award. The piece became one of the most well-known latin jazz cuts of all time. Getz/Gilberto won two Grammys (Best Album and Best Single), besting The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night, a victory for Bossa Nova and Brazilian jazz. A live album, Getz/Gilberto Vol. 2, followed, as did Getz Au Go Go, a recording made live at the Cafe Au Go Go. Unfortunately, Getz' affair with Astrud Gilberto brought an end to his musical partnership with her and her husband and he began to move away from bossa-nova and back to cool jazz. Even while still working with the Gilbertos, he recorded Nobody Else But Me an album of straightforward jazz with a new quartet including vibraphonist Gary Burton, but Verve Records, wishing to continue building the Getz brand with bossa-nova, refused to release it. It eventually came out 30 years later, after Getz had died.

In 1972, Getz recorded in the fusion idiom with Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke. This group, without Getz, went on to become the famous Return to Forever, and many of the pieces including "La Fiesta" remained in their repertoire. In this period Getz experimented with an Echoplex on his saxophone, for which critics vilified him. He eventually discarded fusion and "electric jazz", returning to acoustic jazz, while at the same time gradually de-emphasizing the Bossa Nova, opting for more esoteric and less-mainstream jazz. He had a cameo in the movie The Exterminator (1980).

Towards the end of his life the now drug-free Getz had another creative peak with a group including the pianist Kenny Barron, whom Getz described as "my musical other half".

In 1986, he was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.

Getz married Beverly Byrne, a vocalist with the Gene Krupa band, on 7 November 1946; they had three children together: Steven, David, and Beverly (who married Michael McGovern).

Getz became involved with drugs and alcohol while a teenager. In 1954, he was arrested for attempting to rob a pharmacy to get a morphine fix. As he was being processed in the prison ward of Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, Beverly gave birth to their third child one floor below.

Getz tried to escape his narcotics addiction by moving to Copenhagen. He married Swedish aristocrat Monica Silfverskiöld on 3 November 1956 and had two children with her: Pamela and Nicolas. In 1957 Swedish girlfriend Inga Torgnér gave birth to a son Peter. Stan divorced Monica in 1987.

Zoot Sims, who had known Getz since their time with Herman, once described him as 'a nice bunch of guys', as a consequence of the wide behavioural range of which Getz was capable. In the final stages of his life Getz was able to end his addictions.

Getz died of liver cancer in 1991. His body was cremated and the ashes scattered at sea, off the coast of Malibu, California.

In 1998 the 'Stan Getz Media Center and Library' at the Berklee College of Music was dedicated through a donation from the Herb Alpert Foundation.

Foolish Rush In
Stan Getz Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

"Romance is a game for fools"
I used to say
A game I thought I'd never play
"Romance is a game for fools"
I said and grinned
Then you passed by
And here am I
Throwing caution to the wind

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
And so I come to you, my love, my heart above my head.
Though I see the danger there
If there's a chance for me, then I don't care

Mm-mm-mm-mm
Fools rush in where wise men never go
But wise men never fall in love, so how are they to know?
When we met, I felt my life begin
So open up your heart and let this fool rush in

Fools rush in where wise men never, never, never go
Eh, but wise men never fall in love, so how are they to know?
Ah, when we met, girl, I felt my life begin
So open up your heart and let this fool rush in

Just open up your heart and let this fool rush on in

Just open up your heart because I-I-I-I-I-I-I am coming in
Open up your heart and let this fool rush in!!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Foolish Rush In" by Stan Getz revolves around the notion of taking risks in matters of romance. The singer initially scoffs at the idea of falling in love, calling it a game for foolish people. He cites his reservations, saying he thought he'd never play. But all that changes when the object of his attraction comes along. They make him forget his fears and inhibitions, and he throws caution to the wind.

The song's main theme is captured in the line, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." He knows the danger involved in pursuing someone he loves, but he's willing to take a chance anyway. The chorus further emphasizes his willingness to follow his heart, no matter where it leads him. He acknowledges that wise men never fall in love, never taking any risks, but insists that he is not afraid to be a fool and rush headlong into love.

In the end, he urges his love interest to open up her heart and let him in, exclaiming that he is coming in, regardless. In total, "Foolish Rush In" is a beautiful and classic expression of irrational love, capturing the emotions of falling in love and taking a chance on a romantic endeavor.

Line by Line Meaning

Romance is a game for fools
I used to believe that love was something for naive people who don't know any better

A game I thought I'd never play
I was convinced that I would never fall in love, because I saw it as a foolish and pointless activity

Romance is a game for fools
I said this with a smirk, feeling confident in my cynicism about love

I said and grinned
I took pleasure in mocking the idea of romance and found it amusing to belittle other people's feelings

Then you passed by
But when I saw you, everything changed

And here am I
I am now in a situation where I am risking my rationality and self-control for the sake of my feelings

Throwing caution to the wind
I am taking a risk and ignoring any warnings or signs that might indicate that my decision is ill-advised

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
I am fully aware that I am entering a situation that could be dangerous or harmful, but I am doing it anyway out of emotional impulse

And so I come to you, my love, my heart above my head.
Despite the risks, I am pursuing a romantic relationship with you, even if it seems illogical or irrational

Though I see the danger there
I am not blind to the risks and potential consequences of my actions

If there's a chance for me, then I don't care
But I am willing to take that chance because my desire for love and connection is stronger than my fear of getting hurt

Fools rush in where wise men never go
People who are logical and cautious about their actions would never take the same risks that I am taking

But wise men never fall in love, so how are they to know?
However, these same people may be missing out on the transformative and deeply rewarding experience of falling in love

When we met, I felt my life begin
Meeting you sparked a newfound sense of vitality and purpose in my life

So open up your heart and let this fool rush in
I am asking you to take the same emotional risk that I am taking, and to let yourself be vulnerable and open to the possibility of love

Just open up your heart and let this fool rush on in
My desire for love is strong, and I am willing to put myself out there, even if it means taking a leap of faith

Just open up your heart because I-I-I-I-I-I-I am coming in
I am committed to pursuing this relationship with you, and I hope that you will reciprocate my feelings and allow me into your life

Open up your heart and let this fool rush in!!
I am eager and enthusiastic to explore the possibilities of love with you, and I hope that you will take a chance on me

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Rube Bloom

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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