Wilson studied piano and violin at Tuskegee Institute. After working in the Speed Webb and Louis Armstrong bands, he joined Benny Carter's Chocolate Dandies in 1933. In 1935 he joined the Benny Goodman Trio (which consisted of Goodman, Wilson and drummer Gene Krupa, later expanded to the Benny Goodman Quartet with the addition of Lionel Hampton). The trio performed during the big band's intermissions. By joining the Trio, Wilson became the first black musician to perform in public with a previously all-white jazz group.
In the 1930s and 1940s he recorded fifty hit records with various singers such as Lena Horne and Helen Ward, including many of Billie Holiday's most successful records. During these years he also recorded many highly regarded sessions with a wide range of important swing musicians, such as Lester Young, Roy Eldridge, Charlie Shavers, Red Norvo, Buck Clayton and Ben Webster.
Wilson formed his own short-lived big band in 1939, then led a sextet at Cafe Society from 1940 to 1944. In the 1950s he taught at the Juilliard School. Wilson performed as a soloist and with pick-up groups up until the final years of his life.
It's The Talk Of The Town
Teddy Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were more than sweethearts,
It's so hard to understand.
Don't know why it happened,
Don't know how it started,
Why should we be strangers,
After all we planned.
I can't show my face,
Can't go anyplace,
People stop an' stare,
It's so hard to bear,
Everybody knows you left me,
It's the talk of the town
Every time we meet,
My heart skips a beat,
We don't stop to speak,
'Though it's just a week,
Everybody knows you left me,
It's the talk of the town
We send out invitations,
To friends and relations,
Announcing our weddin' day
Friends and our relations,
Gave congratulations,
How can you face them?
What can you say?
Let's make up sweetheart,
We can't stay apart,
Don't let foolish pride,
Keep you from my side,
How can love like ours be ended?
It's the talk of the town
How can you face them?
What can you say?
Let's make up sweetheart,
We can't stay apart,
Don't let foolish pride,
Keep you from my side,
How can love like ours be ended?
It's the talk of the town, hm
It's the talk of the town.
The song "It's The Talk Of The Town" by Teddy Wilson talks about a failed relationship and the aftermath of it. The first stanza describes how much more the couple was than just sweethearts and lovers. The second stanza expresses confusion about the ending of the relationship and the resulting awkwardness that has arrived between them. The chorus talks about how their separation has become the gossip of the town and how the singer can't face people without feeling embarrassed. The third stanza describes how they had sent invitations to the wedding and received congratulations from friends and relatives, but now that they have broken up, they cannot face them. The last stanza is a plea to get back together, stating that the foolish pride should not keep the couple apart and that their love is too strong to be ended.
The lyrics express a sense of pain and regret about the broken relationship. The song portrays the sad emotions of the singer and the social pressures from being the subject of town gossip. The lyrics are a testament to the fact that relationships can be highly emotional and breakups are equally painful. The line, "How can love like ours be ended," encapsulates the essence of the song's meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
We were more than lovers,
Our relationship was more than just a physical one.
We were more than sweethearts,
Our relationship was deeper than just a romantic one.
It's so hard to understand.
I don't comprehend why we broke up.
Don't know why it happened,
I don't know why our relationship ended.
Don't know how it started,
I don't know what caused our relationship to begin in the first place.
Why should we be strangers,
Why do we have to act as if we don't know each other?
After all we planned.
We had a lot of plans for our future together.
I can't show my face,
I feel too embarrassed to be seen in public.
Can't go anyplace,
I don't want to leave the house.
People stop an' stare,
People look at me with pity or curiosity.
It's so hard to bear,
It's difficult to cope with the situation.
Everybody knows you left me,
Everyone is aware that you broke up with me.
Every time we meet,
Whenever we run into each other.
My heart skips a beat,
I feel a surge of emotions when I see you.
We don't stop to speak,
We don't talk to each other.
'Though it's just a week,
Even though it's only been a week since we broke up.
We send out invitations,
We sent out invites to our wedding.
To friends and relations,
To our close acquaintances and family members.
Announcing our weddin' day
Informing them of the date of our wedding.
Gave congratulations,
They expressed their joy and offered their best wishes.
How can you face them?
How can you confront them with this turn of events?
What can you say?
What explanation can you offer them?
Let's make up sweetheart,
Let's reconcile with each other.
We can't stay apart,
We can't continue to be separated.
Don't let foolish pride,
Don't allow your ego to prevent us from making amends.
Keep you from my side,
Don't let your unwillingness to compromise keep us apart.
How can love like ours be ended?
How could we let a love as special as ours fade away?
It's the talk of the town
Our breakup is the subject of gossip among the locals.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL J NEIBURG, JERRY LEVINSON, MARTY SYMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind