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.
Falling in Love With Love
Toots Thielemans Lyrics
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To keep my mind off other things
So, ladies, let your fingers dance
And keep your hands out of romance
Lovely witches
Let the stitches
Keep your fingers under control
The whole heart whole
Merry maids can sew and sleep
Wives can only sew and weep
Falling in love with love
Is falling for make-believe
Falling in love with love
Is playing the fool
Caring too much is juvenile fancy
Learning to trust is just
For children in school
I fell in love with love one night
When the mood was full
I was unwise with eyes
Unable to see
I fell in love with love
With love everlasting
But love fell out with me
The lyrics to Toots Thielemans's "Falling in Love With Love" express a cautionary warning about the perils of falling in love. The singer admits to being infatuated with love itself rather than a particular person, describing the experience as being "unwise with eyes unable to see." The singer weaves with brightly colored strings to distract from other things, suggesting that love may distract us from more productive pursuits or cause us to ignore potential red flags in a relationship. The refrain "falling in love with love" is juxtaposed with the assertion that caring too much is a "juvenile fancy," implying that love is something we should approach with caution rather than abandon ourselves to completely.
The second verse appeals to a traditional gender binary, contrasting "merry maids," who can sew and sleep, with "wives," who can only sew and weep. This may suggest the importance of maintaining independence and avoiding dependence on others for fulfillment. The final lines, "But love fell out with me," suggest that the singer has learned from their mistake, realizing that love can be fleeting and not always reliable.
Overall, the lyrics of "Falling in Love With Love" caution against putting too much faith in something as ephemeral as love and suggest that it's important to maintain independence and not lose oneself in romantic fantasies.
Line by Line Meaning
I weave with brightly colored strings
I engage in a creative activity to distract myself from other thoughts and feelings
To keep my mind off other things
To avoid dwelling on or being preoccupied with unrelated matters
So, ladies, let your fingers dance
So, women, occupy yourselves with a task that keeps your hands moving
And keep your hands out of romance
And refrain from becoming romantically involved
Lovely witches
Charming women
Let the stitches
Sew with care
Keep your fingers under control
Exercise restraint in your actions
Cut the thread, but leave
End the activity without causing harm or damage
The whole heart whole
Keep your emotions intact and protected
Merry maids can sew and sleep
Unattached young women can focus on their craft and rest
Wives can only sew and weep
Married women have responsibilities and potential sorrows that must be tended to
Falling in love with love
Becoming infatuated with the idea of romance
Is falling for make-believe
Is being taken in by a false reality
Falling in love with love
Becoming infatuated with the idea of romance
Is playing the fool
Is engaging in foolish behavior
Caring too much is juvenile fancy
Excessive concern is immature and naive
Learning to trust is just
Gaining confidence in others is a basic skill
For children in school
Only a rudimentary level of trust is needed at that age
I fell in love with love one night
I became euphoric about the concept of romance on one particular occasion
When the mood was full
When my emotions were heightened and intense
I was unwise with eyes
I acted foolishly with regard to what I saw or perceived
Unable to see
Blind to the true nature of the situation
I fell in love with love
I became infatuated with the concept of romance
With love everlasting
With an enduring, undying version of love
But love fell out with me
But my romantic hopes and dreams were eventually shattered
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GUS KAHN, M. NEUMAN, VICTOR POPULAR YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind