A jazz standard by Toots Thielemans is "Bluesette," where he used whistling and guitar in unison. He worked both as a bandleader and as a sideman, including many projects with composer/arranger Quincy Jones. He performed on many film soundtracks, such as Midnight Cowboy, Cinderella Liberty, Jean de Florette, The Sugarland Express, The Yakuza, Turkish Delight, the 1972 version of The Getaway, French Kiss, Dunderklumpen!, and in various television programs, including Sesame Street, whose closing credits (which did not list him accordingly) featured his performance, on harmonica, of the show's theme, the Belgian television series Witse, and in the Netherlands, for the Baantjer series.
Thielemans started his career as a guitar player. In 1949 he joined a jam session in Paris with Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Max Roach and others. In 1951 he went on tour with Bobbejaan Schoepen.
He moved to the United States in 1952 where he was a member of Charlie Parker's All-Stars. He played and recorded with names like Ella Fitzgerald, The George Shearing Quintet, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Astrud Gilberto, Elis Regina and others.
A jazz standard by Toots Thielemans is "Bluesette" where he used whistling and guitar in unison. Bluesette became a major 1962 world-wide hit for him and this still much beloved and requested piece has been re-recorded by him and commercially released on records/CDs many times over both in various studio versions and live on-stage performances performed in several different countries. His trademark harmonica playing can also be heard in movie scores such as Breakfast at Tiffany's (where his plaintive "Moon River" solo in the opening scene brilliantly establishes the film's mood of romance noir), Midnight Cowboy, Bagdad Café, French Kiss, and in various TV programs like Sesame Street, the Belgian TV series Witse and the Dutch TV series Baantjer. His professional whistling and harmonica playing can be heard on Old Spice radio and TV commercials that have been made over the years. In 1983 he contributed to Billy Joel's album An Innocent Man, and his trademark harmonica can be heard on "Leave a Tender Moment Alone."
In the 90s Thielemans embarked on theme projects that included world music. In 1998 he released the a French flavoured album titled "Chez Toots" that included the Les Moulins De Mon Coeur (The Windmills of My Heart) featuring guest singer Johnny Mathis. This CD continues to sell well.
Today Jean "Toots" Thielemans remains a strong favorite among jazz aficionados and professional critics alike. His music CDs continue to delight (many of which were recorded in the 2000s) and have introduced him to entire new generations of keen fans.
Apart from his popularity as an accomplished musician, he is well liked for his modesty and kind demeanor. In his native Belgium, he is also popular for describing himself as a Brussels "ket", which means "street kid" in old Brussels slang. He received a joint honorary doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and in 2001 Thielemans was ennobled a baron by King Albert II of Belgium.
In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 20th place, in the Walloon version he ended 44th place.
Thielemans may have had a significant impact on The Beatles, (John Lennon in particular), during the group's pre-fame formative years. When performing in a 1959 Hamburg Germany with the pre-fame Beatles, John Lennon (sometimes with fellow Beatle George Harrison in tow) would often go over to the club where Toots was performing (at a noontime venue) as a member of The George Shearing Quintet. Lennon evidently was taken with Toot's harmonica playing and also for the guitar Toots was playing, an electric American made Rickenbacker with a short play neck. Based on the sound Lennon heard, he decided to purchase a natural alder wood "alderglo" colored three pickup Rickenbacker 1958 model 325 Capri guitar with a short scale as former Beatle and friend, George Harrison would recall to various interviewers many years later. (This iconic famous guitar often fondly referred to as the "Holy Grail" of all guitars, which was customized and tinkered with many times over the years by Lennon including being re-painted to jetglo black in September 1962, is the very same guitar that he played on The Beatles first and third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show during February 1964).
Toots Thielemans died peacefully in his sleep on August 22, 2016 after being hospitalized for a fall a month earlier.
Don't Blame Me
Toots Thielemans Lyrics
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I've hung around you just like a fool
Falling head and heels in love like a kid out of school.
My poor heart is in an awful state now
But it's too late now to call a halt
So if I become a nuisance it's all your fault!
Don't blame me for falling in love with you
I'm under your spell but how can I help it!
Don't' blame me!
Can't you see when you do the things you do!
If I can't conceal the thrill that I'm feeling,
Don't blame; me.
Ican't help it if that doggoned moon above
Makes me need someone like you to love!
Blame your kiss as sweet as a kiss can be
And blame all your charms that melt in my arms
But don't blame me.
I like every single thing about you
Without a doubt you are like a dream
In my mind I find a picture of us as a team
Ever since the hour of our meeting
I've been repeating a silly phrase
Hoping that you'll understand me one of these days.
Don't blame me for falling in love with you
I'm under your spell but how can I help it!
Don't' blame me!
Can't you see when you do the things you do!
If I can't conceal the thrill that I'm feeling,
Don't blame; me.
Ican't help it if that doggoned moon above
Makes me need someone like you to love!
Blame your kiss as sweet as a kiss can be
And blame all your charms that melt in my arms
But don't blame me.
Toots Thielemans's song "Don't Blame Me" captures the feeling of falling in love with someone and being unable to control it. The lyrics describe how the singer can't help but hang around the other person despite feeling like a fool and falling in love like a kid out of school. The singer's heart is in an awful state because he is so in love with the other person, but it is too late to call a halt to these feelings. If the singer becomes a nuisance, it is all the other person's fault for having such a powerful effect on him.
The chorus of the song repeats the lyrics "Don't blame me for falling in love with you. I'm under your spell but how can I help it! Don't' blame me! Can't you see when you do the things you do! If I can't conceal the thrill that I'm feeling, Don't blame me." These lyrics convey the idea that falling in love is not a choice, but rather a force that cannot be controlled. The singer is pleading with the other person to not hold him responsible for his feelings, which he cannot help.
The last verse of the song describes how the singer likes every single thing about the other person and envisions them as a team. The singer hopes that the other person will eventually understand his feelings. The song ends with the chorus repeating, further emphasizing the idea that love cannot be controlled and shouldn't be blamed.
Overall, "Don't Blame Me" is a beautiful love song that captures the feeling of falling in love and being unable to control it. The lyrics convey the idea that love is a force that cannot be tamed and shouldn't be blamed.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever since the lucky night I found you
Since the moment fate brought us together
I've hung around you just like a fool
I've followed you around foolishly
Falling head and heels in love like a kid out of school.
Falling deeply in love like a teenager
My poor heart is in an awful state now
My heart is in pain now
But it's too late now to call a halt
It's too late to turn back
So if I become a nuisance it's all your fault!
If I become bothersome, it's entirely your fault
Don't blame me for falling in love with you
I shouldn't be held responsible for falling in love with you
I'm under your spell but how can I help it!
I'm enchanted by you, what can I do?
Don't' blame me!
Don't hold me responsible!
Can't you see when you do the things you do!
When you perform your charming acts
If I can't conceal the thrill that I'm feeling,
I can't hide the excitement I'm experiencing
Don't blame; me.
It's not my fault!
Ican't help it if that doggoned moon above
It's not my fault that the moon above
Makes me need someone like you to love!
Compels me to need someone like you to love
Blame your kiss as sweet as a kiss can be
Blame your kiss that's as perfect as it is
And blame all your charms that melt in my arms
Blame your allure that weakens me when you're in my embrace
But don't blame me.
But don't hold me responsible.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOROTHY FIELDS, JIMMY MC HUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind