Wilson studied piano and violin at Tuskegee Institute. After working in the Speed Webb and Louis Armstrong bands, he joined Benny Carter's Chocolate Dandies in 1933. In 1935 he joined the Benny Goodman Trio (which consisted of Goodman, Wilson and drummer Gene Krupa, later expanded to the Benny Goodman Quartet with the addition of Lionel Hampton). The trio performed during the big band's intermissions. By joining the Trio, Wilson became the first black musician to perform in public with a previously all-white jazz group.
In the 1930s and 1940s he recorded fifty hit records with various singers such as Lena Horne and Helen Ward, including many of Billie Holiday's most successful records. During these years he also recorded many highly regarded sessions with a wide range of important swing musicians, such as Lester Young, Roy Eldridge, Charlie Shavers, Red Norvo, Buck Clayton and Ben Webster.
Wilson formed his own short-lived big band in 1939, then led a sextet at Cafe Society from 1940 to 1944. In the 1950s he taught at the Juilliard School. Wilson performed as a soloist and with pick-up groups up until the final years of his life.
How High The Moon
Teddy Wilson Lyrics
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How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
There is no moon above
When love is far away too
Till it comes true
That you love me as I love you
Somewhere there's music
How near, how far
Somewhere there's heaven
It's where you are
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon
Somewhere there's music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon
The lyrics of Teddy Wilson's song "How High The Moon" express the longing and yearning of a lover who is separated from their partner. The music and heaven are described as being present somewhere, though they are out of reach. The metaphor of the moon is used to convey the distance between the lovers, as the moon becomes invisible when love is far away. The lyrics speak of a hope that the love between the two will be reciprocated, and that once this happens, the music will be more audible, the heaven will be closer, and the darkness will give way to light.
The repetition of the lines "Somewhere there's music" and "How high the moon" emphasizes the theme of longing and distance, while the change in tense in the last two lines to the second-person address indicates a shift towards a more hopeful tone. The lyrics convey the power of love to transform the world around us, to make music more audible and darkness less impenetrable. Teddy Wilson's rendition of "How High The Moon" is characterized by his virtuosic piano playing and the elegant, melodious phrasing of his vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere there's music
Music exists somewhere, but its location is unknown
How faint the tune
The melody is very soft and hard to detect
Somewhere there's heaven
Heaven exists somewhere, but its location is unknown
How high the moon
The moon is very high in the sky
There is no moon above
The moon is not currently visible in the sky
When love is far away too
When separated from loved ones, the moon is not visible in the sky
Till it comes true
The moon will not be visible until love is reunited
That you love me as I love you
Love must be reciprocated in order to see the moon again
Somewhere there's music
Music exists somewhere, but its location is unknown
How near, how far
The distance to the music is unclear
Somewhere there's heaven
Heaven exists somewhere, but its location is unknown
It's where you are
Heaven is where the loved one is
The darkest night would shine
The night sky would become bright if the loved one returned
If you would come to me soon
The loved one needs to return soon to brighten up the night sky
Until you will, how still my heart
My heart will remain still until the loved one returns
How high the moon
The moon remains high in the sky, waiting for the return of the loved one
Somewhere there's music
Music exists somewhere, but its location is unknown
How faint the tune
The melody is very soft and hard to detect
Somewhere there's heaven
Heaven exists somewhere, but its location is unknown
How high the moon
The moon is very high in the sky
The darkest night would shine
The night sky would brighten up if the loved one returned
If you would come to me soon
The loved one needs to return soon to brighten up the night sky
Until you will, how still my heart
My heart will remain still until the loved one returns
How high the moon
The moon remains high in the sky, waiting for the return of the loved one
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Morgan Lewis, Nancy Hamilton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind