Big Stuff (1944)

lyrics & music by Leonard Bernstein

(Toots Camarata Orchestra version)

So you cry
What’s it about, baby?
You ask why
The blues had to go and pick you
So you go
Down to the shore kid’s stuff
Don’t you know
There’s honey in the store for you big stuff
Let’s take a ride on my gravy train
The doors open wide
Come in from out of the rain

So you stare
Call it despair big stuff
Don’t you care
I’m on the square about you
Let’s have a try
It maybe that I’m the guy

(bridge)

So you stare
Call it despair big stuff
Don’t you care
I’m on the square about you
Let’s have a try
It maybe that I’m the guy

2nd version

(Bob Haggart Orchestra version)

So you cry
What’s it about, baby?
You ask why
The blues had to go and pick you
So you go
Down to the shore kid’s stuff
Don’t you know
There’s honey in the store for you big stuff
Let’s take a ride on my gravy train
The doors open wide
Come in from out of the rain

So you stare
Call it despair big stuff
Don’t you care
I’m on the square about you
Let’s have a try
It maybe that you’re my guy

(bridge)

So you stare
Call it despair big stuff
Don’t you care
I’m on the square about you
Let’s have a try
It maybe that you’re my guy

3rd version

(Bill Stegmeyer Orchestra version)

So you cry
What’s it about, baby?
You ask why
The blues had to go and pick you
So you go
Down to the shore kid’s stuff
Don’t you know
There’s honey in the store for you big stuff
Let’s take a ride in my gravy train
The doors open wide
Come in from out of the rain

So you stare
Call it despair big stuff
Don’t you care
I’m on the square about you
Let’s have a try
It maybe that you’re my guy

(bridge)

So you stare
Call it despair big stuff
Don’t you care
I’m on the square about you
Let’s have a try
It maybe that you’re my guy

 

4th version

(Billie Holiday Orchestra version – small band)

So you cry
What’s it about, baby?
You ask why
The blues had to go and pick you
So you go
Down to the shore kid’s stuff
Don’t you know
There’s honey in the store for you big stuff
Let’s take a ride in my gravy train
The doors open wide
Come in from out of the rain

So you stare
Call it despair baby
Don’t you care
I’m on the square about you
Let’s have a try
It maybe that you’re my guy

(very short bridge)

Let’s take a ride in my gravy train
The doors open wide
Come in from out of the rain

So you stare
Call it despair baby
Don’t you care
I’m on the square about you
Let’s have a try
It maybe that you’re my guy

 

Quite unusual song: Decca did 4 different recordings, in 4 different dates with 4 different bands. The only one generally marked as MT is the fourth (actually, the best of them all). In this work, however, I considered all four as MT: they are actually completely independent recordings.

The song was composed for “Fancy Free” (1944), The first Bernstein’s foray into the world of the ballet, and it immediately became extremely popular.