Art Blakey continues to be a legend among drummers, while the works of his Jazz Messengers are treasured among jazz musicians.
Caravan
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The myst'ry of their fading light
That shines upon our caravan
Sleep upon my shoulder as we creep
Across the sand so I may keep
The mem'ry of our caravan
You are so inviting
Resting in my arms
As I thrill to the magic charms
Of you beside me here beneath the blue
My dream of love is coming true
Within our desert caravan
The opening lyrics of Art Blakey's classic jazz song 'Caravan' evoke a sense of mystique and wonder that stay consistent throughout the song. The reference to the night and the stars above that shine so bright creates a romantic ambiance and a feeling that something magical is about to happen. The artist plays with the idea of how the light of these stars fades away, creating a sense of impermanence and fragility. This is juxtaposed with the sturdy and enduring nature of a caravan, which is almost like a safe haven for the lovers. The idea that they are crossing the sand together, with the singer promising to hold his lover close to him, highlights the importance of togetherness as they venture out into the unknown expanse of the desert.
Line by Line Meaning
Night and stars above that shine so bright
The night sky is full of bright stars shining brilliantly.
The myst'ry of their fading light
The mystery lies in the way stars fade away gradually.
That shines upon our caravan
The caravan is illuminated by the stars emitting light above.
Sleep upon my shoulder as we creep
As we move across the desert slowly, you can sleep on my shoulder.
Across the sand so I may keep
While we cross the sand, I want to store the memory of our journey.
The mem'ry of our caravan
The memory I want to keep fresh in my mind is the journey in the caravan.
This is so exciting
I find the journey exhilarating and thrilling.
You are so inviting
I find you very attractive and irresistible.
Resting in my arms
You can find comfort and safety in my arms.
As I thrill to the magic charms
I am enchanted by the magic of you being with me.
Of you beside me here beneath the blue
With you beside me under the vast blue sky, I feel complete.
My dream of love is coming true
Being with you is fulfilling my dream of experiencing love.
Within our desert caravan
We are journeying together in our caravan through the vast desert.
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RACHEL MARY BERKELEY PORTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Henri de Lagardère
00:00 [01] Caravan
09:42 [02] Sweet 'n' Sour (take 4)
15:10 [03] Sweet 'n' Sour
20:38 [04] In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
24:41 [05] This Is for Albert
32:58 [06] Skylark
37:45 [07] Thermo (take 2)
45:11 [08] Thermo
[02] and [09] are additional tracks not on original LP release.
Marta Lledo Video Channel
Caravan has been recorded so many times but this is my all time favorite! Full of movement, excitement and tension and of course, the amazing drum solo...nothing less than perfect! Drums under certain drummers, Blakey, Roach and a few others, becomes an instrument capable of more than just rhythm. They could produce their own melody within the framework of the piece and the solo in this piece is an example. I am 69 years old and discovered Blakey's Caravan at 14...it is still as fresh as always.
Hadron Of Theseus
I'm just three minutes and I'm already extremely impressed, especially by Freddie Hubbard and Art Blakey. (Wayne Shorter's solo began as I was typing this, and it too is extraordinary.)
Cosmic Man
...beautiful 🐝🌈💫
Pra Daswani
You look very young for being 69 Marta..and beautiful!
Marta Lledo Video Channel
@Pra Daswani Hello Pravin...My name is Mark and Marta is my wife. She is a concert pianist and I help her by posting many of her performance videos on YouTube. I am 69 and she is much younger than I.
Henri de Lagardère
00:00 [01] Caravan
09:42 [02] Sweet 'n' Sour (take 4)
15:10 [03] Sweet 'n' Sour
20:38 [04] In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
24:41 [05] This Is for Albert
32:58 [06] Skylark
37:45 [07] Thermo (take 2)
45:11 [08] Thermo
[02] and [09] are additional tracks not on original LP release.
Reddy Reyalls
Best arrangement of Caravan I have ever heard...and there are a ton of them!
Ronald Unkel
Henri de Lagardère This was how it used to be Henri. Superb! Cheers!
Luke Hauser
Thanks - I needed that!
William Hill
Track 9? @Henri de Lagardere