Dorham was one of the most active bebop trumpeters. He played in the big bands of Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton and Mercer Ellington and the quintet of Charlie Parker. He was a charter member of the original cooperative Jazz Messengers. He also recorded as a sideman with Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins, and he replaced Clifford Brown in the Max Roach Quintet after Brown's death in 1956. In addition to sideman work, he led his own groups, including the Jazz Prophets (formed shortly after Art Blakey took over the Jazz Messengers name). The Jazz Prophets can be heard on the 1956 Blue Note live album Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia.
Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did. For this reason, his name has become (in the words of writer Gary Giddins) "virtually synonymous with 'underrated.'"
During his final years Dorham suffered from kidney disease, of which he died.
Alone Together
Kenny Dorham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let him go, he gave up
I gave up
Lisa says, "Take time for me"
Dropping him down to his knees
Ah, chest down.
Take me away
See I've got to explain
Things, they have changed
In such a permanent way
Life seems unreal
Can we go back to your place?
Oh, "You drink too much"
Makes me drink just the same
People tried. Felt so right
Giving themselves good advice
Looking down sometimes felt nice.
He knows it's justified to kill to survive
He then in dollars makes more dead than alive
Let's suck more blood, let's run three hours a day
The world is over but I don't care
'Cause
I am with you
Now I've got to explain
Things, they have changed
In such a permanent way
Life seems unreal
Can we go back to your place?
"You drink too much"
Makes me drink just the same
The first time, it happened too fast
The second time, I thought it would last
We all like it a little different.
The lyrics of Kenny Dorham's song Alone Together present an intricate mix of emotions and thoughts. The first verses of the song depict a sense of resignation, as the singer acknowledges that it's too late to change the past and that both him and someone else gave up. The mention of Lisa and her plea to take time for her introduces a dimension of abandonment and maybe a failed relationship. The chest down imagery suggests a sense of defeat and vulnerability, as if the person has been broken down physically and emotionally.
The following verses introduce a sense of nostalgia and longing for the past. The singer wants to go back to a time where life seemed less unreal and where he could connect with someone that is no longer there. The repetition of the line "you drink too much" indicates a sense of dependency and maybe addiction, as if the singer is searching for a reason to keep drinking. The mention of people giving themselves advice and feeling nice when looking down suggest a sense of superiority, as if the singer is distancing himself from others.
The final verses of the song change the tone again, maybe criticizing the violent and self-destructive tendencies of some people. The justification of killing to survive might refer to the harsh realities of life, or it might be a commentary on the selfishness of humanity. The line "the world is over but I don't care" suggests a sense of nihilism or apathy, as if there's nothing left to do or care about. In the end, the singer repeats his desire to explain how things have changed permanently and to find some comfort or escape in the company of another person.
Line by Line Meaning
No choice now, it's too late
We no longer have options; it's too late to do anything now.
Let him go, he gave up
Leave him alone; he has given up.
I gave up
I have given up too.
Lisa says, "Take time for me"
Lisa wants me to spend more time with her.
Dropping him down to his knees
Making him feel intense emotional pain and weakness.
Ah, chest down.
Feeling completely defeated.
Take me away
Save me from this situation.
See I've got to explain
I need to talk about what's happening.
Things, they have changed
Everything is different now.
In such a permanent way
These changes are lasting and significant.
Life seems unreal
It's hard to believe what's happening is real.
Can we go back to your place?
Can we escape to your home?
Oh, "You drink too much"
Someone is telling me I drink too much.
Makes me drink just the same
But even when I try to cut back, I end up drinking anyway.
People tried. Felt so right
Others have tried to help and it seemed like the right thing to do.
Giving themselves good advice
They give themselves advice, but it doesn't always work.
Looking down sometimes felt nice.
Sometimes it's satisfying to feel superior to others.
He knows it's justified to kill to survive
He believes that killing is necessary for survival.
He then in dollars makes more dead than alive
He profits more from death than he does from life.
Let's suck more blood, let's run three hours a day
We should keep taking advantage of others and push ourselves to the limit.
The world is over but I don't care
The world may be ending, but it doesn't matter to me.
'Cause I am with you
I don't care about anything else because I am with you.
Now I've got to explain
I need to talk about what's happening now.
The second time, I thought it would last
The second time I experienced something like this, I thought it would be permanent.
We all like it a little different.
We all have different preferences and desires.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: ARTHUR SCHWARTZ, HOWARD DIETZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind