Powell was perhaps the first pianist to vocalize on the piano, meaning that he transfered his vocalized improvisations directly through his hands to the instrument. This gave his music a deep connection to time, which is an artifact of the human voice. Previously, horn players were more likely to express their improvisations vocally, as the mouth and breath are directly tied to the performance of horn players.
Powell suffered from Bi-Polar Disorder, and in November 1947, Powell was admitted to Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, where he stayed for more than a year, receiving electroconvulsive therapy which caused severe memory loss. The young Jackie McLean and Sonny Rollins became friendly with Powell on his release from the hospital, and Powell recommended McLean to Miles Davis. However, Powell suffered from mental illness throughout his life, and had a reputation for his strange behaviour. In fact his problems, exacerbated by a beating from the police in 1945 for being disorderly, could all be attributed to being a manic depressive, although his illness was almost certainly a key driver of his immense creative talent. He was also an alcoholic, and even small quantities of alcohol had a profound effect on his character, making him aggressive. Powell's continued rivalry with Charlie Parker, while essential to the production of brilliant music, was also the subject of disruptive feuding and bitterness on the bandstand, as a result of Powell's troubled mental and physical condition. He spent all of 1952 (and parts of many subsequent years) in a hospital. When he was out of the hospital, he was often locked up in a hotel room and was usually denied receiving the money he earned performing.
It is generally agreed that his best recordings are those made prior to 1954, both for Blue Note Records and for Norman Granz (at Mercury Records, Norgran Records, Clef Records and later on Verve Records).
After 1953 (when Powell attempted suicide), his style became darker and slower. Many jazz critics pronounced him "washed up" during the last decade of his career. There were a few recordings which never should have been issued (Verve from January 1955 and Roulette Oct. 1964). Still, he continued to play with great intensity even without the speed that made him famous in the 1940s. His late 1950s Blue Note recordings are recommended. Bud performed regularly with drummer Kenny Clarke and bassists Oscar Pettiford or Pierre Michelot. He performed brilliantly as a sideman for Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, and Dexter Gordon on recordings in the early 1960s. As late as 1962 he recorded concerts in Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland, in which he played as brilliantly as he had played in the late 1940s. Powell moved to France in 1959, when his life was extended by several years under the care of a fan named Francis Paudras, whose book "Dance of the Infidels" is required reading for any Powell fan. Paudras' friendship produced many impromptu recordings and was the basis for the 1987 Bernard Tavenier film "Round Midnight", for which Dexter Gordon received a best actor Oscar nomination (as a fictional composite of Bud Powell and Lester Young).
Paudras and Powell returned to Birdland in the fall of 1964 to initial critical acclaim. Bud despised the drummer he had to play with and soon lost his regular engagement at Birdland. After Paudras returned to France without Powell, ESP-disk's founder became Bud's legal guardian, but let Bud self-destruct from late 1964 until his death in July, 1966. Bud's last recordings were a haunting, sparse "Round Midnight" from Carnegie Hall in March 1965 and other trio tracks from January 1966 on the mysterious "Ups 'n Downs" album.
He is survived by his daughter Celia, who has been reissuing Paudras' recordings of her father on the Pablo and Piadrum labels.
Somebody Loves Me
Bud Powell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And when you smiled at me,
In my heart I felt a thrill you see,
That it was love at sight and
I was right to love you as I do.
Still I never dreamed that you could love me too.
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
You're telling ev'ry one I know
I'm on your mind each place we go
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
I have always placed you far above me.
I just can't imagine that you love me.
And after all is said and done,
To think that I'm the lucky one.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
Skies are gray. I'm blue each day
When you are not around.
Ev'ry thing goes wrong, my dear I've found
But when you're by my side I fill with pride
For I'm so proud of you
It all seems too good to me to all be true
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
I never knew what they could do.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
You're telling ev'ry one I know
I'm on your mind each place we go
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
I have always placed you far above me.
I just can't imagine that you love me.
And after all is said and done,
To think that I'm the lucky one.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
The lyrics of Bud Powell's song Somebody Loves Me describe the amazement and disbelief of the singer upon finding out that the person they have been enamored with also loves them back. The first paragraph conveys the initial rush of emotions when the singer realizes they have fallen in love at first sight with the person who has just smiled at them. They never thought this person could love them back, but the second verse reveals that they do. The singer expresses their surprise that the person they love is telling everyone about them and expresses their disbelief that they are lucky enough to be loved back.
The second verse illustrates the singer's feelings of loneliness and sadness when the person they are in love with is not around. They feel like everything goes wrong, but their mood changes when they are with their loved one. The chorus repeats that the singer cannot believe that the person they are in love with is also in love with them. In the final lines, the singer is grateful and overwhelmed with the realization that they are the lucky one.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday you came my way,
You crossed my path yesterday,
And when you smiled at me,
And when you showed me that beautiful smile,
In my heart I felt a thrill you see,
I felt a sudden rush of joy in my heart,
That it was love at sight and
Which made me fall in love with you,
I was right to love you as I do.
I was not wrong to love you unconditionally.
Still I never dreamed that you could love me too.
However, I never thought that you would reciprocate my feelings.
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
Your blue eyes and your kisses are beyond measure,
I never knew what they could do.
I never realized how much they could affect me,
You're telling ev'ry one I know
You have been telling everyone about our love,
I'm on your mind each place we go
That I am constantly on your mind no matter where we go,
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
People can't believe that you truly love me.
I have always placed you far above me.
I have always believed that you are better than me,
I just can't imagine that you love me.
I find it hard to believe that you love me,
And after all is said and done,
Despite everything that has happened,
To think that I'm the lucky one.
To think that I am the fortunate one in our relationship,
Skies are gray. I'm blue each day
My days are gloomy when you're not around,
When you are not around.
When I don't see your face,
Ev'ry thing goes wrong, my dear I've found
Everything seems to go wrong without you,
But when you're by my side I fill with pride
But when you're next to me, I feel proud,
For I'm so proud of you
Because I am so proud of the person you are,
It all seems too good to me to all be true
It feels too good to be real and true.
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
Your blue eyes and your kisses are beyond measure,
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
I still can't believe that you're truly in love with me
You're telling ev'ry one I know
You have been telling everyone about our love,
I'm on your mind each place we go
That I am constantly on your mind no matter where we go,
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
People can't believe that you truly love me.
I have always placed you far above me.
I have always believed that you are better than me,
I just can't imagine that you love me.
I find it hard to believe that you love me,
And after all is said and done,
Despite everything that has happened,
To think that I'm the lucky one.
To think that I am the fortunate one in our relationship,
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
I still can't believe that you're truly in love with me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CLARENCE GASKILL, JIMMY MC HUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind