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.
That's Life
Teddy Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What's in store for me
Your love could open
Heaven's door to me
But you don't care a straw for me
That's life I guess
My days and nights
My sugar kisses taste like salt to you
But why should I find fault with you
That's life I guess.
The world was bright when you loved me
Sweet was the touch of your lips
The world went dark when you left me
And then there came a total eclipse
Nobody knows how cruel fate can be
How close together love and hate can be
Goodbye, just clean the slate for me
That's life I guess
The lyrics of Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra's song "That's Life I Guess" depict a hopeless romantic who wonders what the future holds for them in terms of love. The first stanza has the singer yearning for the love of their significant other, who seems to remain indifferent towards them, despite the singer feeling that their love could potentially open heavenly doors for them. The second stanza talks about how the singer's days and nights revolve around their love to an extent that their sweet moments, such as sugar kisses, feel sour because of their lover's indifference. The singer, however, chooses not to blame the lover for anything, as they acknowledge that this is how life goes sometimes.
In the third stanza, the singer talks about how the world seemed bright when their lover loved them, and the touch of their lover's lips was sweet. However, things changed drastically when the lover left them, and the world became dark, leading to a total eclipse in their life. The last two lines emphasize that nobody knows how cruel fate can be, and how love and hate can be close to each other. The singer bids adieu, asking the lover to clean the slate for them, as they resign themselves to accept that it is life that's playing the cards.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I wonder
At times, I feel curious
What's in store for me
What the future holds for me
Your love could open
Your love has the power to unlock
Heaven's door to me
The gates of heaven for me
But you don't care a straw for me
Your indifference towards me is apparent
That's life I guess
I accept that it's the way things are
My days and nights
Every moment of my life
Are starting off with you
Begin in your presence
My sugar kisses taste like salt to you
You seem to be unhappy with my affectionate gestures
But why should I find fault with you
However, blaming you won't help
That's life I guess.
Guess, that's just the way things are
The world was bright when you loved me
Everything was wonderful when you loved me
Sweet was the touch of your lips
I cherished every moment with you
The world went dark when you left me
Everything became gloomy when you departed
And then there came a total eclipse
The darkness completely engulfed me
Nobody knows how cruel fate can be
Fate can be extremely harsh at times
How close together love and hate can be
Love and hate can exist very close to each other
Goodbye, just clean the slate for me
Farewell, let's begin afresh
That's life I guess
Well, that's just the way things go
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PETER DE ROSE, SAM M. LEWIS, SAMUEL M. LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind