Herman was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a child he worked as a singer in vaudeville, then became a professional saxophone player at age 15. When Isham Jones's band, of which Herman had been a member, broke up in 1936, he formed his own band, the Woody Herman Orchestra, with some of his band mates. This band became known for its orchestrations of the blues and was sometimes billed as "The Band That Plays The Blues".
On April 12, 1939 Woody Herman recorded his greatest commercial and mega popular hit record "Woodchoppers' Ball", featuring Woody on clarinet, Neal Ried on trombone, Saxie Mansfield on Sax, Steady Nelson on trumpet and Hy White on guitar. Other big early hits were "Blue Flame," "Dupree Blues", "Blues Upstairs and Downstairs" and "Blues in the Night" with Joe Bishop on flugelhorn, Tommy Linehans on piano, Cappy Lewis on trumpet, and the strong rhythm team of Walt Yoder and Frankie Carlson.
This popular swing band took off and was listed number three in the country in a popularity poll by Down Beat Magazine in 1940. This band recorded for the Decca label. The band was first pinned "Herman's Herd" in a Martin band instrument advertisement in the same magazine on April 1, 1941.
This band's music was heavily influenced by Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Its lively, swinging arrangements, combining bop themes with swing rhythm parts, were greatly admired; Igor Stravinsky wrote "Ebony Concerto" for this band. Other pieces for which the band was known include "Caldonia" and "Northwest Passage." During this time, Woody Herman recorded for the Columbia label. Featured musicians were trumpeter Sonny Berman,trumpeter/arranger Neil Hefti, trumpeter/vocalist Steady Nelson, tenor saxist Flip Phillips, trombonist Bill Harris, vibraphonist Red Norvo, pianist/arranger Ralph Burns, drummers Davey Tough and Don Lamond and bassist Chubby Jackson, who was the driving force/talent scout behind the bands progressive development.
Herman was forced to disband the orchestra in 1946 at the height of its success, his only financially successful band, to spend more time with his wife and family. During this time, he and his family had just moved into the former Hollywood home of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Another reason Herman may have disbanded was his wife Charlotte's growing problems with alcoholism and pill addiction. In 1947 Herman organized the Second Herd and in 1948 moved to the Capitol label. This band featured a cooler sound, provided by such musicians as Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Serge Chaloff, Al Cohn, Gene Ammons, Lou Levy, Oscar Pettiford, Terry Gibbs, Shelly Manne, and Herbie Steward. Among this band's hits were "Early Autumn," "The Goof and I," and "Four Brothers". This band was also known as the Four Brothers band.
Herman's many later bands included the Third Herd and the New Thundering Herd. He was known for hiring the best young musicians and using their arrangements. His band's book consequently came to be heavily influenced by rock and roll.
By the 1970s, Herman had returned to straight forward jazz, dropping some of the newer, even rock-oriented approaches. A highlight of the nineteen seventies was the appearance of the Woody Herman orchestra with Frank Sinatra at Madison Square Garden for his "Main Event" television special and "Main Event" recording for Reprise records.
He continued to perform into the 1980s, chiefly to pay back taxes caused by an incompetent manager in the 1960s. When his health began to fail, he delegated most of his duties to leader of the reed section, Frank Tiberi, before his death in 1987. Tiberi leads the band in performances to this day.
After the death of Herman, Charles Mingus, and other jazz greats, ASCAP created a retirement fund in 1991 to which artists were given the opportunity to fund their latter years when they no longer were recording artists.
I Cried for You
Woody Herman Lyrics
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Over things you said to me; I couldn't even sleep
You forgot your promises, every single vow
All you did was laugh at me, but things are different now
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
Every road has a turning
That's one thing you're learning
Now I found two eyes just a little bit bluer
I found a heart just a little bit truer
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
How can I forget the hours that I worried through
Wondering the live long day just what next thing to do?
In those days you never thought anything of me
But the slave that was all yours and now at last is free
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
Every road has a turning
That's one thing you're learning
I cried for you; what a fool I used to be
Now I found two eyes just a little bit bluer
I found a heart just a little bit truer
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
The lyrics of Woody Herman's song, "I Cried For You," tell the story of a failed relationship. The singer reminisces about a time when they were in love with someone who did not appreciate them. They cried due to the hurtful words the other person said, but the tables have now turned. The person who caused the tears is now the one experiencing heartache. The phrase "how I used to weep, Over things you said to me; I couldn't even sleep," describes how the singer was affected by the hurtful words of their lover. They were unable to sleep, and the words kept replaying in their head. The phrase "All you did was laugh at me, but things are different now," shows that they have now moved on and are in a better place.
The chorus, "Every road has a turning, That's one thing you're learning," is a reminder that life has a way of changing things, and what goes around comes around. The person who caused tears will eventually experience their own tears. The phrase "what a fool I used to be, Now I found two eyes just a little bit bluer, I found a heart just a little bit truer," shows that the singer has now found someone who treats them better and appreciates them. They have moved on from the pain and have found someone who makes them happier.
Overall, the song is about finding closure after a failed relationship. It describes the emotional journey that the singer went through and how they were able to overcome it.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember other days how I used to weep
I recall the times when I used to cry a lot because of what you said to me.
Over things you said to me; I couldn't even sleep
The words you uttered caused me so much distress that I couldn't even get a good night's sleep.
You forgot your promises, every single vow
You disregarded all the pledges you made to me, every single one of them.
All you did was laugh at me, but things are different now
You never took me seriously and just laughed at me, but now the situation has changed.
I cried for you; now it's your turn to cry over me
I shed tears for you in the past, but now it's your turn to feel the pain of losing me.
Every road has a turning
Every path leads to unexpected twists and turns.
That's one thing you're learning
You're discovering this truth now.
I cried for you; what a fool I used to be
I wept for you, even though it made me look foolish in hindsight.
Now I found two eyes just a little bit bluer
I discovered someone else with brighter eyes, who captivates me more.
I found a heart just a little bit truer
I discovered someone else whose heart is more genuine, loyal, and sincere.
How can I forget the hours that I worried through
I can't erase the moments I spent anxiously thinking about what to do.
Wondering the live long day just what next thing to do?
I spent endless days pondering what to do next and how to fix our problems.
In those days you never thought anything of me
In the past, you didn't value or consider me highly enough.
But the slave that was all yours and now at last is free
But the person who used to do everything for you out of love is now free from that bondage.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gus Arnheim, Arthur Freed, Abe Lyman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind