George Benson's career timeline through the years

About the Song

George Benson’s “This Masquerade” is a quintessential example of the artist’s ability to seamlessly blend jazz and pop elements into a captivating musical experience. Released in 1976, the song became a massive hit, showcasing Benson’s exceptional guitar skills and soulful vocals.

Benson’s interpretation of Leon Russell’s composition transformed the song into a sophisticated and soulful masterpiece. His smooth vocals and impeccable guitar playing create a mesmerizing atmosphere, inviting listeners into a world of introspection and emotion. The song’s arrangement is equally impressive, featuring a perfect balance of jazzy elements and pop sensibilities.

“This Masquerade” has become a timeless classic, beloved by music fans across generations. Its enduring popularity is a testament to the song’s universal appeal and Benson’s extraordinary talent. It’s a song that continues to inspire and captivate audiences, solidifying its place as one of the greatest vocal and instrumental performances of all time.

GEORGE BENSON discography (top albums) and reviews

Video

Lyrics: This Masquerade

Are we really happy here
With this lonely game we play
Looking for words to say
Searching but not finding
Understanding anywhere
We’re lost in a masquerade

Both afraid to say we’re just too far away
From being close together from the start
We tried to talk it over but the words got in the way
We’re lost inside this lonely game we play

Thoughts of weeping disappear
Every time I see your eyes
No matter how hard I try

To understand the reasons
That we carry on this way
We’re lost in a masquerade

We both afraid to say we’re just too far away
From being close together from the start
We tried to talk it over but the words got in the way
We’re lost inside this lonely game we play

Thoughts of weeping disappear
Every time I see your face
No matter how hard I try

To understand the reasons
Why we carry on this way
We’re lost in a masquerade

You Missed

MINNIE PEARL WALKED ONSTAGE AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY FOR 50 YEARS WITH A $1.98 PRICE TAG ON HER HAT — AND THEN ONE NIGHT, SHE JUST COULDN’T ANYMORE. Here’s something most people don’t think about with Minnie Pearl. That price tag hanging off her straw hat? It wasn’t random. Sarah Cannon — that was her real name — created it as a joke about a country girl too proud of her new hat to take the tag off. And audiences loved it so much that it became the most recognizable prop in country music history. For over fifty years, that tag meant Minnie was here, and everything was going to be fun. So imagine what it felt like when she couldn’t put the hat on anymore. In June 1991, Sarah had a massive stroke. She was 79. And just like that, the woman who hadn’t missed an Opry show in decades was gone from the stage. But here’s what gets me. She didn’t die in 1991. She lived another five years after that stroke, mostly out of the public eye, unable to perform, unable to be “Minnie” the way she’d always been. Her husband Henry Cannon took care of her at their Nashville home. Friends visited, but they said it was hard. The woman who made millions of people laugh couldn’t get through a full conversation some days. Roy Acuff, her old friend from the Opry, kept her dressing room exactly the way she left it. Nobody used it. The hat sat there. She passed on March 4, 1996. And what most people remember is the comedy. The “HOW-DEEE” catchphrase. The big goofy grin. What they don’t remember is that Sarah Cannon was also a serious fundraiser for cancer research. Centennial Medical Center in Nashville named their cancer center after her — not after Minnie, after Sarah. She raised millions and rarely talked about it publicly. There’s a story about the very last time Sarah tried to put on the hat at home, months after the stroke, and what her husband said to her in that moment — it’s the kind of detail that makes you see fifty years of comedy completely differently. Roy Acuff kept Minnie Pearl’s dressing room untouched for years after she left — was that loyalty to a friend, or was he holding a door open for someone he knew was never coming back?