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.
No Time
Woody Herman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, what's the reason I get the go by
Like to know why long time no see
Long time adore
If you're on the level why don't you tell me
Why me no see you any more
Let him go, let him go
Everyone keeps tellin' me
Guess my heart knows best
And the rest is up to you
Honestly, am I just a fool for stringin' along
Oh baby what's wrong
Long time no see
Long time no see
Baby, what's the reason I get the go by
Like to know why long time no see
Long time oh I adore
If you're on the level why don't you tell me
Why me no see you any more, more, more
Let him go, let him go, let him go, let him go
Everyone keeps tellin' me
But my heart can no agree
Ra-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
You, me no see, what can it be
Maybe I'm crazy, but long time no see
Ra-ra-ra long time no see
What's the reason I get the go by
Like to know why long time no see
Me love you, you love who
Is it yes or is it no
Do I stay or do I go
I'd be in a stew if you ever said we're through
What to do
If you loved me the way that I love you
It wouldn't be, it wouldn't be
Long time no see
It could be true that I love you
I miss you so, long time no see
The lyrics to Woody Herman's song, "Longtime No See," are an expression of a love that is being questioned. The singer is expressing his or her confusion as to why their significant other has been absent from their life for an extended period. The lyrics suggest that the singer is deeply in love with their partner and is unsure why they have been ignored. The phrase "long time no see" is used to express the singer's emotional state, conveying both a sense of longing and frustration.
Throughout the song, the singer asks questions about why their partner has been absent, wondering if they are "on the level," or if the singer is "just a fool for stringin' along." Despite the uncertainty, the singer's heart "knows best," and they remain hopeful that their partner will return. The chorus serves as a reminder of how long it has been since the singer has seen their loved one and their desire to be reunited.
One possible interpretation of "Longtime No See" is that the song is about the uncertainty and doubts that arise in a long-distance relationship. The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling with the distance between them and their loved one, questioning the strength and authenticity of their relationship. However, despite the doubts, the singer remains hopeful that their love will be sustained.
Overall, Woody Herman's "Longtime No See" is a poignant expression of the difficulties that come with long-distance relationships and the sense of longing and uncertainty that can often accompany them.
Line by Line Meaning
Long time no see
It's been a long time since we last saw each other.
Baby, what's the reason I get the go by
Like to know why long time no see
Why have you been avoiding me? I'd like an explanation for why we haven't seen each other in so long.
Long time adore
If you're on the level why don't you tell me
Why me no see you any more
I've liked you for a long time, and if you're being honest with me, then why have we stopped seeing each other?
Let him go, let him go
Everyone keeps tellin' me
But my heart can no agree
Other people are telling me to move on, but my heart still loves you.
Guess my heart knows best
And the rest is up to you
I trust my heart, but whether or not we see each other again is up to you.
Honestly, am I just a fool for stringin' along
Oh baby what's wrong
Long time no see
Am I just wasting my time hoping to see you again? What's wrong between us?
Me love you, you love who
Is it yes or is it no
Do I stay or do I go
I love you, but who do you love? Do you love me back, or not? Should I move on or hold on?
I'd be in a stew if you ever said we're through
What to do
I'd be heartbroken if we ever broke up. What should I do in this situation?
If you loved me the way that I love you
It wouldn't be, it wouldn't be
Long time no see
If you returned my love, we wouldn't have gone so long without seeing each other.
It could be true that I love you
I miss you so, long time no see
It's possible that I really do love you, and I miss you now that it's been so long since we've seen each other.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: A. ALTMAN, J. CAVANAUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind