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.
It Must Be Jelly
Woody Herman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And here are those world travelers, the dashing Three Kaydets
In a town in Sweeden, by a stream so clear and cool,
A boy would sit, and fish, and dream, when he should have been in school.
Now he couldn't read or write a word, but happiness he found
In a little song he heard, and here's how it would sound:
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, brawla sooit
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, so-oit
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, brawla sooit
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, so-oit
Now the Rawlson is a Sweedish town, the Rillerah is a stream,
The brawla is the boy and girl, the Hut-Sut is their dream
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, brawla sooit
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, so-oit
Soo, if you visit Sweeden, and you wander near a stream
You'll want to sit and sleep a bit, and this is what you'll dream;
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, brawla sooit
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, so-oit
and a brawla, so-oit
and a brawla, so-oit
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, so-oit!
The Hut-Sut Song is a light-hearted and whimsical tune, made popular in the 1940s by the Woody Herman Orchestra. The song tells the story of a boy who would rather fish and dream by the river in the Swedish town of Rawlson than attend school. He finds happiness in a little song that he heard and sings it while he fishes. The lyrics of the song are simple and repeat the same phrases over and over again, making it easy to follow and sing along.
The chorus of the song, "Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, brawla sooit", is a made-up phrase that does not have any particular meaning. However, the lyrics paint a vivid picture of the boy's dream as he sits by the river. The Rawlson is a Swedish town, the Rillerah is a stream, and the brawla refers to the boy and girl who are dancing in the boy's dream. The song's playful and nonsensical lyrics have made it a popular tune for audiences of all ages.
Line by Line Meaning
And here are those world travelers, the dashing Three Kaydets
Introducing the Three Kaydets, who are known as world travelers.
In a town in Sweeden, by a stream so clear and cool,
A boy would frequently sit by a stream in a town in Sweden.
A boy would sit, and fish, and dream, when he should have been in school.
The boy would skip school and spend his time fishing and dreaming by the stream.
Now he couldn't read or write a word, but happiness he found
Although the boy was illiterate, he found joy in life regardless.
In a little song he heard, and here's how it would sound:
The boy found comfort in a simple tune.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, brawla sooit
The lyrics to the boy's favorite song went like this:
Now the Rawlson is a Sweedish town, the Rillerah is a stream,
The song mentions a Swedish town and a stream, which are part of the boy's surroundings.
The brawla is the boy and girl, the Hut-Sut is their dream
The song's lyrics describe a dream shared by a boy and a girl.
Soo, if you visit Sweeden, and you wander near a stream
The song sets the scene for anyone who might visit Sweden and come across a stream.
You'll want to sit and sleep a bit, and this is what you'll dream;
If you find yourself by the stream, you might feel inclined to sit and daydream.
and a brawla, so-oit
The dream involves the boy and girl from the song's lyrics.
and a brawla, so-oit
They are accompanied by a cheerful melody.
Hut-Sut Rawlson on the Rillerah, and a brawla, so-oit!
The dream ends with a repetition of the song's upbeat chorus.
Writer(s): George Williams, Sunny Skylar, J. Chalmers Mac Gregor
Contributed by Gabriella Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@louissavich5431
The lyrics of the original 1942 Glenn Miller recording:
It must be jelly 'cause jam don't shake like that
It must be jelly 'cause jam don't shake like that
Oh, mama, you're so big and fat
The Sunny Skylar lyrics as featured in the Woody Herman recording featuring Frances Wayne:
BAND:
It must be jelly 'cause jam don't shake like that
It must be jelly 'cause jam don't shake like that
Oh, mama, you're so big and fat
HERMAN:
Must be Monday, I feel low down and blue
Said it must be Monday, I feel low down and blue
Baby, see what you can do
WAYNE:
Lost my sugar on Sugar Hill
Lost my sugar way on Sugar Hill
Sugar, that's a bitter pill
Must be Shorty 'cause Joe's got hair
Said must be Shorty 'cause Joe's got hair
Say, Shorty, put your rug up there
HERMAN:
You must be Mary 'cause Tilly's big and fat
You must be Mary 'cause Tilly's big and fat
Mary, Mary, don't you get like that, don't you do it
(Instrumental Break)
HERMAN:
Must be jelly 'cause it ain't like jam
It ain't jam, I don't know what it am
Sure looks like jelly to me
"It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That)", Music by J.C. Chummy MacGregor and George Williams. Lyrics by Sunny Skylar. Copyright 1942. Mutual Music Society, New York. Originally recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra on RCA Victor in 1942. The 78 single was released in 1943 and charted in 1944. The single reached no. 2 on the Billboard Harlem Hit Parade chart.
@ruthiekurpinsky6710
Mom loved this!!
@kingoma61
It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That) was originally recorded by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra circa 1942 and was released as an RCA Victor 78 with only one verse of lyrics. The music was written by Glenn Miller Orchestra pianist Chummy MacGregor and George Williams. The Woody Herman version from 1944 has additional lyrics by Sunny Skylar.
@mickflaire
What a great blues song from WW II era Woody! Now If I could only find "125th St. Prophet" composed by Phil Moore from that same time period of the first Herd...
@kingoma61
Woody Herman recorded a different version for release as V-Disc 320 B1, issued in November, 1944. The lyrics are slightly different in the V-Disc version with Frances Wayne on vocals with Woody Herman. Harry James and Johnny Long also recorded versions of this song first recorded by Glenn Miller in 1942.
@TomDjll
Tenor saxophone solo by Budd Johnson. In answer to the questions about the drummer, it is Cliff Leeman.
@CreoleGuh504
I was just watching Sanford and son and he was singing this i had no idea the song was real
@kingoma61
Glenn Miller released "It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That)" originally in 1942 as a Victor 78, Victor 20-1546A as a Fox Trot with The Modernaires on vocals. Glenn Miller also recorded the song after he joined the U.S. Army with the Army Air Force Band. The 1942 recording featured Chummy MacGregor on piano. MacGregor co-wrote the song with George Williams and lyricist Sunny Skylar. Woody Herman recorded his version in 1944.
@gregoryagogo
The male vocal sounds like a cross between Tex Beneke and Johnny Mercer!
@swinginkatz
Great.
@mcmlxii4419
it's gotta be JAM... 'cause jelly don't make no noise