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.
My Baby Just Cares For Me
Woody Herman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My baby don't care for clothes
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for furs and laces
My baby don't care for high-tone places
My baby don't care for rings
Or other expensive things
She's sensible as can be
My baby just cares for me
My baby's no Crosby fan, Dick Tracy is not her man,
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for Mr. Tibbits
She'd rather have me around to kibbits
Roy Rogers is not her style and even Clark Gable's smile
Is something that she can't see
(oh, you lucky so-and-so)
I wonder what's wrong with baby,
My baby just cares for me.
The song "My Baby Just Cares for Me" by Woody Herman is a timeless classic that describes the beauty of true love. The song tells us about the singer’s love, who is a simple person and not materialistic. The lyrics indicate the singer's mate isn't impressed by the superficial things in life like fancy clothing and expensive jewelry - they only care about the singer. The song implies the woman is content with little because she genuinely cares for the singer, and that's all that matters.
The singer compares his love to others and says his baby doesn't care for things like shows, furs, rings, and high-tone places. Instead, the singer's baby is sensible and values him for who he is. They are not interested in famous actors like Crosby or even idols like Dick Tracy; she doesn't need someone famous or an icon in their life. Even Clark Gable's looks can't win her over. The lyrics read, "Roy Rogers is not her style, and even Clark Gable's smile is something that she can't see." This shows that she only cares about the singer and doesn't need anything else.
Line by Line Meaning
My baby don't care for shows
My partner is not interested in attending events or concerts
My baby don't care for clothes
My partner is not concerned with dressing in expensive or fashionable clothing
My baby just cares for me
My partner's only concern is me and our relationship
My baby don't care for furs and laces
My partner is not drawn to luxurious materials like fur or lace
My baby don't care for high-tone places
My partner doesn't enjoy fancy or exclusive locations
My baby don't care for rings
My partner is not interested in expensive jewelry, like rings
Or other expensive things
Nor does my partner value any other costly items
She's sensible as can be
My partner is practical and level-headed
My baby don't care who knows it
My partner is not secretive or embarrassed about our relationship
My baby's no Crosby fan, Dick Tracy is not her man,
My partner doesn't care for certain entertainers, like Bing Crosby or fictional characters like Dick Tracy
My baby just cares for me
But my partner cares for me, above all else
My baby don't care for Mr. Tibbits
My partner doesn't have a preference for certain people or social circles, like someone named Mr. Tibbits
She'd rather have me around to kibbits
My partner enjoys spending time with me, doing things like chatting or bantering
Roy Rogers is not her style and even Clark Gable's smile
My partner is not swayed by famous icons of masculinity, like Roy Rogers or Clark Gable
Is something that she can't see
My partner doesn't care about superficial charms or looks
(oh, you lucky so-and-so)
The artist is teasing the listener, implying that they should feel fortunate to have a partner who only cares for them
I wonder what's wrong with baby,
The artist is pretending to question what might be wrong with their partner, since they seem so devoted
My baby just cares for me.
Ultimately, the singer stresses that their partner is devoted to them, above all else
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind