Begin the Beguine

To get into the proper creative mood for his 1935 Broadway musical Jubilee, Cole Porter hied himself off on an around-the-world cruise. Many exotic locales obligingly furnished the inspiration for some of his creations, most notably the Indonesian island of Kalabahi where a native war dance inspired the theme for "Begin the Beguine," once described by Time magazine as being "structured as artfully as a classical sonata, the theme elaborated and subtly expanded each time it returns, developed until it finally crests and crashes...."

Words and Music by Cole Porter.

Artie Shaw, the jazz legend who epitomized the Big Band era with hits such as "Begin the Beguine" and "Stardust" before abandoning the music world for writing and other pursuits, died Thursday, December 30, 2004. He was 94. He had been in declining health for some time and died at his home. His band's recording of Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" topped the charts for six weeks in 1938 and made Shaw famous at age 28.

Among his other hits, some with his big band and some with his quartet, the Gramercy Five: "Frenesi," "Dancing in the Dark," "Nightmare," "Back Bay Shuffle," "Accent-tchu-ate the Positive," "Traffic Jam," "They Say," "Moonglow," "Stardust," "Thanks for Ev'rything," "Summit Ridge Drive" and "My Little Nest of Heavenly Blue."

The hits blocked in red can be found in the Ol'Kunnel's Jukebox [Click Here!]

When they Begin The Beguine
It brings back the sound of music so tender,
It brings back a night of tropical splendour,
It brings back a memory ever green.

I'm with you once more under the stars,
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing,
And even the palms seem to be swaying
When they Begin The Beguine.

To live it again is past all endeavour,
Except when that tune clutches my heart,
And there we are, swearing to love forever,
And promising never, never to part.

What moments divine, what rapture serene,
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we tasted,
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted,
I know but too well what they mean;

So don't let them Begin The Beguine,
Let the love that was once afire remain an ember;
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
When they Begin The Beguine.

Oh, yes, let them Begin the Beguine, make them play
Till the stars that were there before return above you,
Till you whisper to me once more, "Darling, I love you!"
And we suddenly know

What heaven we're in,
When they Begin
The Beguine,
When they Begin The Beguine.

Music provided by: Mel -- The MIDI Arranger!

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