He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and throughout the decade worked in various small jazz combos. He spent the 1960s as a first-call studio musician in Hollywood. In the 1970s and 1980s he performed regularly with the L. A. Four. Shank ultimately abandoned the flute to focus exclusively on playing jazz on the alto saxophone. He also recorded on tenor and baritone sax. He is also well known for the alto flute solo on the song "California Dreamin'" recorded by The Mamas & the Papas in 1965.
Bud Shank was born in Dayton, Ohio. He began with clarinet in Vandalia, Ohio, but had switched to saxophone before attending the University of North Carolina. While at UNC, Shank was initiated into the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. In 1946 he worked with Charlie Barnet before moving on to Kenton and the West coast jazz scene. He also had a strong interest in what might now be termed world music, playing Brazilian-influenced jazz with Laurindo Almeida in 1953–54, and in 1962 fusing jazz with Indian traditions in collaboration with Indian composer and sitar-player Ravi Shankar.
In 1974 Shank joined with Ray Brown, Shelly Manne (replaced by Jeff Hamilton after 1977), and Laurindo Almeida to form the group the L.A. Four, who recorded and toured extensively through 1982. Shank helped to popularize both Latin-flavored and chamber jazz music, and as a musician's musician also performed with orchestras as diverse as the Royal Philharmonic, the New American Orchestra, the Gerald Wilson Big Band, Stan Kenton's Neophonic Orchestra, and Duke Ellington.
In 2005 he formed the Bud Shank Big Band in Los Angeles to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stan Kenton's Neophonic Orchestra.
A documentary film about Bud Shank, Bud Shank "Against the Tide" Portrait of a Jazz Legend, was produced and directed by Graham Carter of Jazzed Media and released by Jazzed Media as a DVD (with a companion CD) in 2008. To date the documentary film has been awarded 4 indie film awards including an Aurora Awards Gold.
Shank died on April 2, 2009, of a pulmonary embolism at his home in Tucson, Arizona, one day after returning from San Diego, California, where he was recording a new album.
I Wanna Be Free
Bud Shank Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like the bluebirds flying by me,
Like the waves out on the blue sea,
If your love has to tie me,
Don't try me, say good-bye.
I wanna be free,
Don't say you love me, say you like me
But when I need you beside me,
Confide in me, whoa-oh-oh.
I wanna hold your hand,
Walk along the sand,
Laughing in the sun,
Always having fun.
Doing all those things
Without any strings to tie me down.
I wanna be free,
Like the warm September wind, babe,
Say you'll always be my friend, babe,
We can make it to the end, babe,
Again, babe, I've gotta say...
I wanna be free,
I wanna be free,
I wanna be free.
The song 'I Wanna Be Free' by Bud Shank is a melancholic song about a man's desire to be free of the constraints of love. He wants to be able to spread his wings like the bluebirds and waves out in the sea. He tells his lover that if they need to tie him down with love, they should let him go instead of trying to hold onto him. He wants to be free to do things like hold hands, walk on the sand, laugh in the sun, and have fun without any strings attached. He wants his lover to confide in him and guide him when he needs it. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's desire to be free.
On the surface, the song seems like a breakup song, but it could also be interpreted as a plea for independence and individuality. The singer does not want to be tied down or defined by anyone else's love or expectations. He wants to be free to be himself and live his life on his own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna be free,
The singer desires freedom.
Like the bluebirds flying by me,
The freedom the singer seeks is akin to that of birds flying.
Like the waves out on the blue sea,
The singer wants to be as free as the waves on the ocean.
If your love has to tie me,
The singer doesn't want to be restricted by love.
Don't try me, say good-bye.
The singer would rather end the relationship than be constrained by it.
Don't say you love me, say you like me
The singer wants no obligation in a relationship.
But when I need you beside me,
Despite desiring to be free, the singer recognizes the need for companionship.
Stay close enough to guide me,
The singer still desires the support of a partner.
Confide in me, whoa-oh-oh.
The singer wants their partner's emotional trust.
I wanna hold your hand,
The singer desires physical intimacy.
Walk along the sand,
The singer wants to enjoy romantic activities.
Laughing in the sun,
The singer wants to be happy and carefree.
Always having fun.
The singer desires a relationship that is always enjoyable.
Doing all those things
The singer wants to engage in romantic activities.
Without any strings to tie me down.
The singer desires a relationship without any constraints.
Like the warm September wind, babe,
The freedom the singer seeks is like a warm breeze in September.
Say you'll always be my friend, babe,
The singer wants a partner who is also a friend.
We can make it to the end, babe,
The singer wants a lasting relationship.
Again, babe, I've gotta say...
The song reiterates the chorus.
I wanna be free,
The singer desires freedom.
I wanna be free,
The song reiterates the chorus.
I wanna be free.
The song concludes with the repetition of the desire for freedom.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BOBBY HART, TOMMY BOYCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind