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.
Sophisticated Lady
Teddy Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just because you're caught in your social maze
I think it's 'bout time that you realize
Your money and your power's got you mesmerized
Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
Educated lady with your college degree
Amazes me why you just can't see
Learned everything from your books on the shelf
But no one ever taught you how to think for yourself
Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea, sweet thing
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
Sophisticated lady take a lesson from me
I can help you be what you want to be
Together we'll see many brighter days
If it takes forever, gonna change your ways
Pretty lady, get back
Pretty lady, yea, sweet thing
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
The song "Sophisticated Lady" by Teddy Wilson is a plea for a high-class woman to break free from the constraints of her status and embrace her individuality. The lyrics suggest that the woman is wrapped up in her wealth and education, to the point where she has lost touch with her true self. The chorus encourages her to put on her blue jeans, symbolizing a return to simplicity and a rejection of societal expectations.
Throughout the song, the singer tries to convince the woman to break free from her "social maze." He argues that her education has failed to teach her independent thinking, a quality he sees as essential to personal growth. He also warns her that her wealth and status are a trap that will hold her back from true happiness.
In the end, the chorus serves as a call to action. The singer urges the sophisticated lady to embrace her authentic self by stripping away the trappings of her social status. By putting on her blue jeans, she can shed the expectations of others and begin to live on her own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
Sophisticated lady tryin' to change my ways
The person addressing the 'sophisticated lady' thinks they are trying to change them.
Just because you're caught in your social maze
The person thinks the 'sophisticated lady' is trapped in her social status.
I think it's 'bout time that you realize
The person thinks the 'sophisticated lady' needs to realize something important.
Your money and your power's got you mesmerized
The person thinks the 'sophisticated lady' is too obsessed with her own financial and social status.
Pretty lady, get back
The person is addressing the 'sophisticated lady' and telling her to back off.
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
The person is urging the 'sophisticated lady' to be more down-to-earth.
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
The person is suggesting that the 'sophisticated lady' needs to learn how to take care of herself.
Educated lady with your college degree
The person is acknowledging the 'sophisticated lady's' education.
Amazes me why you just can't see
The person thinks the 'sophisticated lady' is not able to understand something that is very clear to them.
Learned everything from your books on the shelf
The person is suggesting that the 'sophisticated lady' has not learned how to be independent and think for herself.
But no one ever taught you how to think for yourself
The person believes that the 'sophisticated lady' has not developed the ability to think critically and make her own decisions.
Sophisticated lady take a lesson from me
The person is offering to teach the 'sophisticated lady' something.
I can help you be what you want to be
The person is telling the 'sophisticated lady' that they can help her achieve her goals.
Together we'll see many brighter days
The person is suggesting that the 'sophisticated lady' will have a better future if they work together.
If it takes forever, gonna change your ways
The person is willing to invest a lot of time and effort to help the 'sophisticated lady' change her behavior.
Sophisticated lady put your blue jeans on
The person is repeating their advice for the 'sophisticated lady' to be more down-to-earth.
You're anybody's baby when your mama's gone
The person is emphasizing the need for the 'sophisticated lady' to learn how to take care of herself.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Edward Kennedy Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
pianistatbrookhurst
good job. enjoyed listening!!
BuckshotLaFunke1
Sophisticated Teddy. Thanks, man!
Ti Xu
beautiful.
Rodney Thompson
You got Oscar Peterson you’ve got Art Tatum then you get Terry Wilson!
jamie
inner voices in the tenths, Pentatonic scales=modern Mozart.
Ko Yasmt
Makes me cry