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.
Somebody Loves Me
Teddy Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wonder who
I wonder who she can be;
Somebody loves me
I wish I knew,
Who can she be worries me
I shout, hey! maybe,
You were meant to be my loving baby;
Somebody loves me
I wonder who,
Maybe it's you.
The lyrics of Teddy Wilson's "Somebody Loves Me" are a reflection of the wonders of love and the desire to find a significant other. The first two lines of the song express the curiosity of the singer regarding who loves him. He then expresses his desire to know who the person could be. This line expresses concern because it suggests that the person the singer loves might not feel the same about him.
The third and fourth lines express the singer's insecurity and anxiety regarding the situation, and his inability to ascertain who the person is. The verses suggest that he is unable to focus on anything else other than wondering who the loving person is. He becomes restless and tries to catch the attention of every passing girl, hoping one of them would be his loving baby.
The last stanza expresses the hope that the person that loves them is among the listeners of the song. The song is an ode to the power of love and the need for human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody loves me
There is someone who loves me and cares for me.
I wonder who
I am curious and uncertain about the identity of the person who loves me.
I wonder who she can be;
I am wondering and speculating about the possible identity and characteristics of the person who loves me.
Somebody loves me
There is someone who loves me and cares for me.
I wish I knew,
I desire to know and identify the person who loves me.
Who can she be worries me
My lack of knowledge and uncertainty about the person who loves me causes me concern and anxiety.
For every girl who passes me
Whenever I encounter any woman along my way or path,
I shout, hey! maybe,
I exclaim and call out loudly, suggesting or hypothesizing that perhaps the woman could be my lover or beloved.
You were meant to be my loving baby;
I imagine and hope that the woman I encounter could be my destined and beloved partner in a romantic relationship.
Somebody loves me
There is someone who loves me and cares for me.
I wonder who,
I am curious and uncertain about the identity of the person who loves me.
Maybe it's you.
It is possible and probable that the person who loves me could be the woman I am with or interacting with right now.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buddy DeSylva, Ballard MacDonald, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind