Parker is commonly considered the greatest bebop jazz musician. In terms of influence and impact, his contribution to jazz was so great that Charles Mingus commented that if Bird were alive today, he would think he was living in a hall of mirrors. Bird's talent is compared almost without argument to such legendary musicians as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, and his reputation and legend as one of the best saxophonists is such that some critics say he was unsurpassed.
A founding figure of bebop, Parker's innovative approach to melody, rhythm and harmony have exerted an incalculable influence on jazz.. Several of Parker's songs have become standards of the repertoire, and innumerable musicians have studied Parker's music and absorbed elements of his style.
Parker became an icon for the Beat generation, and was a pivotal figure in the evolving conception of the jazz musician as an uncompromising artist and intellectual, rather than just a popular entertainer. At various times, Parker fused jazz with other musical styles, from classical (seeking to study with Edgard Varese and Stefan Wolpe) to Latin music (recordings with Machito), blazing paths followed later by others.
Parker was known for often showing up to performances without an instrument and borrowing someone else's at the last moment. At more than one venue he played on a plastic Grafton saxophone; later, saxophonist Ornette Coleman used this brand of plastic sax in his early career. On one particular occasion before a concert in Toronto, Canada, he had sold his saxophone to buy drugs, and at the last minute, he, Dizzy Gillespie and other members of Charlie's entourage went running around Toronto trying to find a saxophone. After scouring all the downtown pawnshops open at the time, they were only able to find a Grafton, which Parker proceeded to use at the concert that night. This concert is documented on the album Jazz at Massey Hall. The album is considered one of the greatest live recordings in Jazz history.
Parker's battles with alcoholism and heroin addiction ranged from his teenage years until his death from pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer at thirty-four. The toll that the drug had taken on his relatively young body was quite profound - a doctor examining Parker's body estimated him to be around sixty years old.
During his lifetime, tribute was paid to Parker when a new nightclub in New York was named Birdland in his honour in 1949.Three years later, George Shearing wrote "Lullaby of Birdland", which was named for both Parker and the nightclub.
Other phenomena also occurred in the United States after the death of Parker, particularly the use of the term "Bird lives" in graffiti throughout New York hours after his death, and later as the title of a contemporary art piece of the same name, created by sculptor Robert Graham in 1999. Despite its widespread use, Ted Joans is usually credited with its inception.
I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
Charlie Parker 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 song "I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me" begins by describing the moment the singer fell in love: "Yesterday you came my way, 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." The lyrics continue with the singer expressing disbelief that the person they love also loves them back. The song is told from the perspective of someone who feels they are unworthy of their lover's affection, stating, "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 second verse further emphasizes the singer's disbelief, stating "Skies are gray, I'm blue each day when you are not around. Every 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." The feeling of unworthiness is amplified by the lyrics "It all seems too good to me to all be true."
"I Can't Believe that You're in Love with Me" is not just a love song, but a reflection of the culture and style of the jazz age. The song was written by Clarence Gaskill and Jimmy McHugh and first recorded in 1926 by Clarence Williams' Blue Five. Since then, many notable jazz musicians have recorded versions of the song, including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra. The version by Charlie Parker and Lennie Tristano features Parker's iconic bebop style of saxophone playing and Tristano's experimental piano melodies.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday you came my way,
Yesterday, you came towards me
And when you smiled at me,
And when you made a face, that made me feel happy.
In my heart I felt a thrill you see,
It gave me strong emotions.
That it was love at sight and
It was immediate love
I was right to love you as I do.
I was correct to love you in this manner.
Still I never dreamed that you could love me too.
I couldn't picture or imagine that you could also love me.
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
Your blue eyes and kisses are noteworthy.
I never knew what they could do.
I wasn't aware of the effects they had on me.
You're telling ev'ry one I know
You're telling everyone I know
I'm on your mind each place we go
I'm always on your mind when we go places
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
They can't understand that you love me
I have always placed you far above me.
I have always considered you better than me.
I just can't imagine that you love me.
I can't imagine that you have feelings for me.
And after all is said and done,
After everything is complete,
To think that I'm the lucky one.
It's unbelievable that I'm the fortunate one.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
I find it difficult to accept that you are 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