Mr. Charlap began playing the piano at a very young age. He studied with jazz pianist Jack Reilly and classical pianist Eleanor Hancock and informally picked up pointers from jazz/popular song pianist Dick Hyman, who was a distant cousin on his father's side. Mr. Charlap was fully thrust into the jazz world in the late '80s when he joined baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan's quintet and in 1994 was enlisted by alto saxophonist Phil Woods for his band. Mr. Charlap was the musical director of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, A Celebration of Johnny Mercer as a part of the JVC Jazz Festival in New York and later took the revue on the road.
He started his solo recording career in 1994 and has released several albums. In 1996, he began playing with his fine working trio of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. The group has recorded four CDs: 1997's All Through the Night on Criss Cross Records and three Blue Note Records albums: 2000's Written in the Stars (a collection of Great American Songbook standards), 2002's Stardust (celebrating the songs of Hoagy Carmichael) and 2004's Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein, for which he received a Grammy nomination. Mr. Charlap received the pianist of the year Jazz Award in 2003 from the Jazz Journalists Association and was named outstanding jazz soloist by Manhattan's Night Life Awards in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, he and his mother received the top jazz duo Bistro Award for their engagement at the Algonquin in New York.
In 2004, Mr. Charlap and his trio opened Jazz at Lincoln Center's venue Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at the organization's new performance center on Columbus Circle in the Time-Warner Building. He was also enlisted by J@LC to put together a series of concerts honoring great songwriters, including Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Alden, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers. In July 2005, Charlap succeeded Dick Hyman as Artistic Director of Jazz In July at the 92nd Street Y's Tisch Center for the Arts.
Bill's two most recent releases for Blue Note Records are Bill Charlap Plays George Gershwin - The American Soul and a cd of ballads in duo with his mother Sandy Stewart titled Love Is Here To Stay.
How Long Has This Been Going
Bill Charlap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was kissed by my sisters, my cousins, and my aunties.
Sad to tell, it was hell, an inferno worse than Dante's.
So my dear I swore,
"Never, never more !"
On my list, I insisted that kissing must be crossed out.
Now, I find I was blind, and oh my! How I lost out!
I could cry salty tears,
Where have I been all these years?
Little wow, tell me now,
How long has this been going on?
There were chills up my spine,
And some thrills I can't define.
Listen, sweet, I repeat,
How long has this been going on?
Oh, I feel that I could melt,
Into Heaven I'm hurled!
I know how Columbus felt,
Finding another world.
Kiss me once, then once more.
What a dunce I was before.
What a break! For Heaven's sake!
How long has this been going on?
Dear, when in your arms I creep,
That divine rendezvous,
Don't wake me, if I'm asleep,
Let me dream that it's true!
Kiss me twice, then once more.
That makes thrice, let's make it four!
What a break! For Heaven's sake!
How long has this been going on?
How long has this, been going on?
The lyrics to Bill Charlap's "How Long Has This Been Going On" describe the realization of the singer's newfound love through a personal history of being opposed to kissing. The first stanza is a reflection on the singer's childhood when they disliked kissing from their female family members. As the singer grew up, they insisted that kissing should be excluded from their relationships. However, in the second stanza, the singer expresses their regret for such thinking, and how they had missed out on something beautiful that life had to offer. Through the use of metaphors, such as "there were chills up my spine and some thrills I can't define," the singer describes their current feelings of being in love. In the final stanza, the singer requests multiple kisses from their love interest, as they want to savor every moment. They ask how long they've felt this way and want to prolong the feeling.
The song explores the journey of self-discovery through romantic love, where the singer experiences a newfound appreciation for the beauty of kissing. They go from associating kissing with discomfort and distaste, to recognizing it as a deeply pleasurable and meaningful act. Throughout the lyrics, the singer's tone shifts from reflective to overwhelmed, then to hopeful and lustful. It portrays a sense of desperation and a refusal to waste any more time without experiencing true love.
Line by Line Meaning
As a tot, when I trotted in little velvet panties,
As a child, when I would run around in my small velvet underwear,
I was kissed by my sisters, my cousins, and my aunties.
My family members would give me kisses and show affection in their own ways.
Sad to tell, it was hell, an inferno worse than Dante's.
Unfortunately, these kisses were not enjoyable and felt more like torture rather than love.
So my dear I swore, "Never, never more !"
As a result, I made a promise to myself that I would never allow myself to be kissed again.
On my list, I insisted that kissing must be crossed out.
I made it clear on my personal list that kissing was not an activity I wanted to partake in.
Now, I find I was blind, and oh my! How I lost out!
However, as I have grown older and experienced life more, I realize that I was mistaken in thinking that kissing was not something I wanted.
I could cry salty tears,
I am filled with regret and sadness.
Where have I been all these years?
I am wondering why I have been missing out on this experience for so long.
Little wow, tell me now,
I am amazed and in disbelief, so I ask:
How long has this been going on?
How long have I been missing out on the joys of kissing?
There were chills up my spine,
When I finally experienced a kiss, it was filled with excitement and gave me goosebumps.
And some thrills I can't define.
There were some sensations that I am unable to put into words that made it a truly amazing experience.
Listen, sweet, I repeat,
I need to tell you again, my love,
How long has this been going on?
How long have I been missing out on the joys of kissing?
Oh, I feel that I could melt,
I am so overwhelmed with emotion that it feels like I am melting.
Into Heaven I'm hurled!
It feels like I have been transported to heaven.
I know how Columbus felt,
I now understand the feeling Christopher Columbus had when he discovered a new world.
Finding another world.
This experience has opened up a whole new world to me.
Kiss me once, then once more.
Please give me one more kiss, and another after that.
What a dunce I was before.
I feel foolish for ever thinking that kissing wasn't something I wanted.
What a break! For Heaven's sake!
This is a wonderful opportunity, and I can't believe my good fortune.
How long has this been going on?
How long have I been missing out on the joys of kissing?
Dear, when in your arms I creep,
When we are in each other's embrace,
That divine rendezvous,
It is a special and spiritual moment.
Don't wake me, if I'm asleep,
Please don't wake me up if this is all just a dream.
Let me dream that it's true!
Let me continue to believe that this is a reality.
Kiss me twice, then once more.
Please give me more kisses, two and then another one.
That makes thrice, let's make it four!
With the previous two, that makes three, and I'd like another to make it four.
How long has this been going on?
How long have I been missing out on the joys of kissing?
How long has this, been going on?
How long have I been missing out on something so wonderful?
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind