Black was born as Solomon Schwartz on 14 June 1913 in Whitechapel, England. His parents were Polish and Romanian Jews. He began piano lessons at the age of seven. He was aged only 12 when his first composition was broadcast on BBC Radio and continued his early success by winning a Melody Maker arranging competition aged 15.
In the early 1930s he was employed as a jazz player and composer and had worked with Howard Jacobs, Joe Orlando, Lew Stone, Maurice Winnick and Teddy Joyce by the time he joined Harry Roy in 1936. He had also broadcast and recorded with several American musicians, including jazz saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, who had first heard Black on late night radio shows with Lew Stone's band. When the two eventually met in London, the reviewer Edgar Jackson suggested they record together, and a notable collaboration is a duet version of Honeysuckle Rose.
During World War II, Black joined the Royal Air Force, and became involved in managing the entertainment of servicemen based at Wolverhampton. In 1944 he was appointed conductor of the BBC Dance Orchestra, and remained in the job for almost nine years, broadcasting as many as six nights a week.
By this time he had also begun recording under his own name for Decca. Now well involved with the film industry, he went on to compose, arrange and direct music for about 200 more films, notably after being appointed music director at Elstree Studios in 1958. He was also principal conductor of the Associated British Picture Corporation Orchestra and musical director composer of that organisation from 1958-1963.
Stanley Black's radio work kept him in contact with a large listening audience through his incidental music for shows such as Much Binding in the Marsh and the first two series of The Goon Show. He later presented his own programmes on radio and television, including Black Magic and The Marvellous World of Stanley Black.
In the early 1950s he regularly topped the Melody Maker lists of the most-heard musicians on radio. He was chosen to be included on Decca's first release of long-playing records in the UK in June 1950. This enabled him to continue his conducting, arranging and performing and resulted in a large number of albums. He was particularly popular in United States, as evidenced by his inclusion in the Billboard best-sellers lists.
During his life, he conducted many of Britain's major orchestras, and until the 1990s he was still directing regular broadcast sessions at the BBC studios, despite the onset of deafness in later life.
Stanley Black is remembered for writing numerous scores for radio, television and cinema, including the theme-tune for The Goon Show.
Other films he composed scores for include Laughter in Paradise (1951), The Naked Truth (1957), Blood of the Vampire (1958), Too Many Crooks (1958), The Long and the Short and the Tall (1961), West 11 (1963), The System (1964), Crossplot (1969), and the Cliff Richard musicals The Young Ones (1961) and his orchestral backing for Richard's follow up, Summer Holiday (1962), which won him an Ivor Novello Award. His work also became familiar to millions of cinema audiences as a consequence of his theme tune and music library for Pathé News, written in 1960.
He also recorded many classical works, including collections of Tchaikovsky and George Gershwin. In 1965 he won a Gramophone Award for his version of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol. In addition, he arranged and conducted many commercially successful albums on LP and later CD like Tropical Moonlight, Cuban Moonlight, Black Magic, and series of Film Spectacular and Broadway Spectacular for Decca Records.
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Stanley Black Lyrics
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Lives a life that isn't necessarily sunny
Likewise the man who works for fame
There's no guarantee that time won't erase his name
The fact is, the only work that really brings enjoyment
Is the kind that is for girl and boy meant
Fall in love and you won't regret it
Holding hands at midnight
'Neath a starry sky
Nice work if you can get it
And you can get it if you try
Strolling with the one girl
Sighing sigh after sigh
Nice work if you can get it
And you can get it if you try
Just imagine someone
Waiting at the cottage door
Where two hearts become one
Who could ask for anything more?
Loving one who loves you
And then taking that vow
It's nice work if you can get it
And if you get it, won't you tell me how?"
Just imagine someone
Waiting at the cottage door
Where two hearts become one
Who could ask for anything more?
Loving one who loves you
And then taking that vow
Nice work if you can get it
And if you get it, won't you tell me how?"
In the song "Nice Work If You Can Get It," Stanley Black highlights the idea that material pursuits -- such as money and fame-- ultimately do not bring contentment or joy. The song suggests that true happiness comes from love and companionship. According to the lyrics, the only "work" that truly brings enjoyment is falling in love. The song encourages listeners to find the kind of love that will make them happy and urges them to hold on to it tightly.
The opening two lines, "The man who only lives for making money/Lives a life that isn't necessarily sunny," suggest that those who are solely focused on acquiring wealth live limited lives. Along the same vein, the following lines, "Likewise, the man who works for fame/There's no guarantee that time won't erase his name," implies that fleeting fame can be easily forgotten or overshadowed by the passage of time.
The chorus emphasizes that happiness can be found in simple pleasures, such as holding hands under a starry sky or strolling with a loved one. The final lines of the song --"Just imagine someone/Waiting at the cottage door/Where two hearts become one/Who could ask for anything more?"-- suggest that true happiness comes from being with someone who loves you and with whom you can build a life.
Line by Line Meaning
The man who only lives for making money
The man who prioritizes making money above all else
Lives a life that isn't necessarily sunny
This lifestyle does not necessarily lead to happiness
Likewise the man who works for fame
Similarly, those who work for fame are not immune to being forgotten
There's no guarantee that time won't erase his name
Their name may be forgotten over time
The fact is, the only work that really brings enjoyment
Real fulfillment only comes from work that is intended for both men and women
Is the kind that is for girl and boy meant
The kind of work that enables one to fall in love
Fall in love and you won't regret it
Once you fall in love, you will not regret it
That's the best work of all, if you can get it
Falling in love is truly the best and most satisfying work if it can be achieved
Holding hands at midnight
Walking hand in hand under the moonlit sky
'Neath a starry sky
Under the stars
Nice work if you can get it
This is a luxurious experience if it's attainable
And you can get it if you try
This kind of relationship is possible if one actively seeks it
Strolling with the one girl
Walking slowly with your significant other
Sighing sigh after sigh
Experiencing contentment by simply breathing with each other
Just imagine someone
Picture someone in your life
Waiting at the cottage door
Imagining your loved one waiting for you at home
Where two hearts become one
As two hearts unite into one
Who could ask for anything more?
Everyone should be grateful for this sort of bond.
Loving one who loves you
Loving someone who loves you in return
And then taking that vow
Deciding to take the vow of marriage
It's nice work if you can get it
If you can secure this kind of commitment, it is worthwhile
And if you get it, won't you tell me how?
If you have obtained such a beautiful connection, pass on the story of how you found it.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind