André Previn was born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany. His brother wa… Read Full Bio ↴André Previn was born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany. His brother was the director Steve Previn (1925-1993). With his family, he emigrated to the United States in 1939 to escape the Nazi Regime in Germany. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1943, and grew up in Los Angeles. At his Summer 1946 graduation from Beverly Hills High School Previn played a musical duet with Richard M. Sherman: Previn played the piano, accompanying Sherman (who played flute). Coincidentally, twenty one years later, both composers won Oscars for different films, both winning in musical categories.

In 1967, Previn became music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra. In 1968, Previn began his tenure as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), serving in that post until 1979. During his LSO tenure, he and the LSO appeared on television in the programme André Previn's Music Night. From 1976-1984, Previn was music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO), and in turn had another television series with the PSO titled Previn and the Pittsburgh. He was also principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 1984, he was named music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, officially taking over the position in 1985. While Previn's tenure with the orchestra was musically satisfactory, other conductors including Kurt Sanderling, Simon Rattle, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, did a better job at the box office. Previn clashed frequently with Ernest Fleischmann (the orchestra's Executive VP and General Manager), most notably when Fleischmann had failed to consult him before deciding to name Salonen as Principal Guest Conductor of the orchestra, complete with a tour of Japan. Because of Previn's objections, Salonen's title and Japanese tour were withdrawn; however, shortly thereafter in April 1989, Previn resigned as Music Director.[2] Four months later, Salonen was named Music Director Designate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, officially taking the post of Music Director in October 1992.

Previn's many recordings include the three complete ballets of Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, and the complete symphonies of Ralph Vaughan Williams, all with the LSO. With the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he made other recordings of music by Sergei Prokofiev (most notably, the Symphonies 1 and 5, the score to Alexander Nevsky, and the Symphony-Concerto for Cello & Orchestra with Heinrich Schiff as soloist), symphonies and other pieces by Antonín Dvořák, and works by contemporary composers including William Kraft, John Harbison, and Harold Shapero.

Previn has composed film scores and other musical works including a cello concerto and a guitar concerto. He has also adapted and conducted the music for several films—some of them stage-to-film adaptations, such as My Fair Lady, Kismet, Porgy and Bess, and Paint Your Wagon, but several were written especially for film, including the Academy Award-winning Gigi. Several of the film scores were collaborations with his second wife, Dory Previn.

In the mid-to-late 1950s, and more recently, he toured and recorded as a jazz pianist. In the 1950s, mainly recording for Contemporary Records, he worked with Shelly Manne, Leroy Vinnegar, Benny Carter, and others. An album he recorded with Manne and Vinnegar of songs from My Fair Lady was a best-seller (see My Fair Lady (album)). Andre Previn made two albums with Dinah Shore as arranger, conductor, and accompanist in 1960 and made several appearances on The Dinah Shore Chevy Show in the early 1960s. He collaborated with Julie Andrews on a collection of Christmas carols in 1966, focusing on rarely heard carols. This popular album has been reissued many times over the years, and is now available on CD.

In later years, he has concentrated on composing classical music. He collaborated with Tom Stoppard on Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, a play with substantial musical content, which was first performed in London in 1977 with Previn conducting the LSO. His first opera, A Streetcar Named Desire, premiered at the San Francisco Opera in 1998. His numerous other classical works include vocal, chamber, and orchestral music. Occasionally he has made recordings of jazz music on the Telarc label.

In the United Kingdom, where he was knighted in 1996, Previn first became well-known as a result of his television appearances with the LSO. He is now particularly remembered for his performance as "Mr Andrew Preview" (or "Privet") on the Morecambe and Wise comedy show in 1971, which involved his conducting a spoof performance of Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto, with Eric Morecambe as soloist. Because of other commitments, the only time available for Previn to learn his part was during a transatlantic flight, but the talent he showed for comedy won high praise from his co-performers. At a concert in Britain afterwards, Previn had to stop the playing of the concerto to allow the audience time to stop giggling as they remembered the sketch. It is still voted one of the funniest comedy moments of all time.

Black and Blue
Andre Previn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Cold empty bed, springs hard as lead
Pains in my head, feel like old Ned
What did I do to be so black and blue?

No joys for me, no company
Even the mouse ran from my house
All my life through I've been so black and blue

I'm white inside, but that don't help my case
Cause I can't hide what is on my face
I'm so forlorn. Life's just a thorn
My heart is torn. Why was I born?
What did I do to be so black and blue?

I'm hurt inside, but that don't help my case
Cause I can't hide what is on my face
How will it end? Ain't got a friend
My only sin is in my skin
What did I do to be so black and blue?
Tell me, what did I do?
What did I do? What did I do?
What did I do? What did I do?
What did I do? What did I do?

What did I do? Tell me, what did I do to be so black and blue?
What did I do to be so black and blue?

Overall Meaning

The song Black and Blue is a poignant commentary on the racism and discrimination experienced by many African Americans. The first stanza describes the physical and psychological pain that the singer is feeling, with a cold and empty bed, hard springs, and pains in the head. The repeated refrain “What did I do to be so black and blue?” highlights the sense of confusion and helplessness that many African Americans have felt in the face of systemic racism and discrimination. The singer’s sense of isolation and loneliness is also depicted, with “no joys” or company, even the mouse running from their house.

The second stanza takes a deeper dive into the psychological toll that racism takes, with the singer expressing their internal struggle to find a sense of worth and belonging. Despite being “white inside,” their external appearance means they are still subjected to discrimination and hatred. The use of the metaphor “life’s just a thorn” reinforces the sense of struggle and difficulty. The repeated refrain further emphasizes the sense of frustration and injustice that the singer is experiencing.

The final refrain takes on a particularly powerful tone, with the singer highlighting the fact that their only weakness or sin is in their skin, encapsulating the impact of racism on people of color. The repeated question “what did I do?” emphasizes that the singer, and many others like them, have done nothing wrong to deserve this treatment. The song ends on a melancholic note with the hopelessness of the singer’s situation, with no end in sight and no friends to turn to.

Line by Line Meaning

Cold empty bed, springs hard as lead
The bed is empty and uncomfortable, making it difficult to find rest or comfort.

Pains in my head, feel like old Ned
Suffering from intense headaches, to the point of feeling exhausted and drained.

What did I do to be so black and blue?
Asking why they have to experience prejudice and discrimination based on the color of their skin.

No joys for me, no company
Feeling lonely and excluded, unable to find pleasure or companionship.

Even the mouse ran from my house
Being so pitiable that even a small creature like a mouse would want to avoid them.

All my life through I've been so black and blue
Experiencing discrimination and being ostracized throughout their entire life.

I'm white inside, but that don't help my case
Having good intentions and a pure heart, but still facing discrimination because of their outward appearance.

Cause I can't hide what is on my face
Being unable to change the color of their skin, which immediately marks them as different in society.

I'm so forlorn. Life's just a thorn
Feeling deeply sad and hopeless in life, where every day brings new challenges and difficulties.

My heart is torn. Why was I born?
Questioning the purpose of their existence and wondering why they have to suffer from discrimination and hate.

How will it end? Ain't got a friend
Worrying about what the future holds and not having anyone to turn to for support and comfort.

My only sin is in my skin
Feeling guilty for something that is beyond their control—who they are as a person.

Tell me, what did I do to be so black and blue?
Continuing to search for an answer as to why they have to suffer and face prejudice and discrimination.

What did I do? What did I do?
Repeatedly asking the question without receiving a satisfactory answer, leading to frustration and despair.

Tell me, what did I do to be so black and blue?
Ending with the same question, still searching for an explanation for why they have to endure such pain and hardship.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: HARRY BROOKS, ANDY RAZAF, FATS WALLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS