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ME AND MY SHADOW ... ALL ALONE AND FEELIN' BLUE

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 19:47

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In years gone by there was a bandleader of great renown called Ted Lewis [pictured left, as well as below]. Lewis is sometimes referred to as the ‘King of Jazz,’ and in many respects he was the originator of the ‘Big Bands.’

With his battered, tilted top hat and cane, he was certainly the most successful, and perhaps the best-known, bandleader and musician (a clarinetist) of the 1920s and ‘30s, and his long career spanned some 70 years, with appearances in vaudeville, nightclubs, theatres and concert halls, in films, and on radio and television … not to mention lots of recordings. He left us way back in 1971 but I can still hear in my mind’s ear his famous catchphrase, ‘Is everybody happy?’

You can find a lot of Ted Lewis’s music, and some of his film and TV performances, on the internet. I first became aware of who he was when I was a kid watching Abbott and Costello films. In one of their classic films, Hold that Ghost, Ted Lewis appeared with his orchestra. One of the musical numbers performed by Lewis in that film was ‘Me and My Shadow.’ In the following Universal musical short from 1941, entitled—wait for it—Is Everybody Happy? and comprised of numbers from as well as cut from Hold That Ghost, you can see [at 5:31-6:42] Lewis performing the number with his African-American ‘sidekick’:

Note how Lewis’s ‘shadow’ follows and mimicks Lewis’ gestures. In all, it’s a fascinating musical number, and the lyrics [more-or-less but not exactly as 'sung' by Lewis here] are interesting, if not curious, to say the least:

Me and my shadow
Strolling down the avenue
Me and my shadow
Not a soul to tell our troubles to

And when it’s twelve o’clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
For nobody’s there

Just me and my shadow
All alone and feelin’ blue

And when it’s twelve o’clock
We climb the stair
We never knock
For nobody’s there

Just me and my shadow
All alone and feelin’ blue.

Who or what is your ‘shadow’? Now, I am not so much referring to the concept of the ‘shadow’ in Jungian psychology. That is perhaps too narrow a concept for present purposes. The fact is each one of us has one or more shadows which follow us around, leaving us at times ‘all alone and feelin’ blue.’

The shadow may be some failure or disappointment from the past, the memory of a failed relationship or a deceased loved one, a hurt or resentment, anger, a sense of inferiority or insecurity, loneliness, fear, anxiety, or practically anything that is capable of holding us back. Here’s another common shadow—tired, worn-out beliefs and belief-systems. In fact, all beliefs prevent us from seeing and experiencing life as it really is, that is, as it unfolds from one moment to the next.

Now, I am not one to say, ‘Forget the past.’ I would never want to forget certain wonderful things and people from the past. For me, they are a present reality through the faculty of memory. Never forget that our remembrance of things and people past is a present one—a presentexperience. It is never ‘just’ the past. Then, again, there are some less pleasant things that ought to be left in the past—period. They are our ‘shadow.’

What is your shadow? Perhaps you have more than one. First, work out what are your shadows, and then decide whether they are holding you back. (Be very honest with yourself about that.) Then make a decision—there is great power in so doing—to set yourself free from all that is holding you back from seeing and experiencing life as it really is. Next, start to live differently, that is, as a free man or woman, unencumbered by the failures and disappointments of the past as well as all negative thoughts and emotions. If you are painstaking about all that, then you will be able to ‘stroll down the avenue’ … without your shadow.

And you will no longer feel blue.

Ted Lewis performing ‘Me and My Shadow’ at the Hollywood Canteen

IMPORTANT NOTICE: See the Terms of Use and Disclaimer. The information provided on this blogspot is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your medical practitioner or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on this blogspot. For immediate advice or support call Lifeline on 13 1 1 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. For information, advice and referral on mental illness contact the SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) go online via sane.org

Source: http://ianellis-jones.blogspot.com/2014/01/me-and-my-shadow-all-alone-and-feelin.html

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