Charles Christopher "Bird" Parker, Jr (29th August 1920 – 12th March 1955) … Read Full Bio ↴Charles Christopher "Bird" Parker, Jr (29th August 1920 – 12th March 1955) was a U.S. bebop saxophonist and composer. Early in his career Parker was dubbed Yardbird; this was later shortened to "Bird" (or sometimes "Yard") and remained Parker's nickname for the rest of his life, and inspiration for the titles of his works such as "Ornithology and Yardbird suite".

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.

Lullaby of Birdland
Charlie Parker Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lullaby of Birdland, that's what I
Always hear when you sigh
Never in my wordland
Could there be ways to reveal
In a phrase how I feel

Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Bill and coo when they love?

That's the kind of magic
Music we make with our lips when we kiss

And there's a weepy old willow
He really knows how to cry
That's how I'd cry in my pillow
If you should tell me farewell and goodbye

Lullaby of Birdland whisper low
Kiss me sweet and we'll go
Flyin' high in Birdland

High in the sky up above
All because we're in love

Overall Meaning

In the song "Lullaby of Birdland" by Charlie Parker & The Quintet, the singer expresses his heartfelt feelings for his loved one. He compares the sound of his partner's sighs to the lullaby of "Birdland," a fictional place where music is always played, and says that nothing he could ever say or write could express how he feels better than the "Lullaby of Birdland."

The lyrics continue with the singer describing the magic of their love and how it is expressed through music, just like two turtle doves who bill and coo when they love. They create the same kind of magical music when they kiss. However, the song also hints at the fragility of their relationship. The weeping old willow represents the singer's sadness and how he would cry if his lover were to leave him.

Overall, "Lullaby of Birdland" is a beautiful love song that praises the power of music and love to bring people together. It also acknowledges the potential for heartbreak and sadness that comes with love.

Line by Line Meaning

Lullaby of Birdland, that's what I
Whenever I hear the music we make together, it feels like a soothing and serene lullaby from Birdland.

Always hear when you sigh
Whenever I hear you sigh, I can feel the music of Birdland playing in my head.

Never in my wordland
In my world, I never imagined something as beautiful as the music we create together.

Could there be ways to reveal
I don't think there are words or ways to express the depth of my feelings for you and for the music we make together.

In a phrase how I feel
Even though it's hard to put into words, I feel love and beauty every time we play together.

Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Like two turtle doves that make beautiful music together when they love, we too create magic with our kisses.

Bill and coo when they love?
They say that turtle doves bill and coo when they're in love, a sound as magical and romantic as the music we make when we kiss.

That's the kind of magic
Just like the beautiful sounds of bill and coo, that's the kind of magic we create when we're in love and playing music together.

Music we make with our lips when we kiss
The music of our kisses is as enchanting and captivating as the music we make when we play together.

And there's a weepy old willow
There's a willow tree that weeps for lost love, just like I would weep if you ever left me.

He really knows how to cry
The willow tree's tears express the depth of my emotions should you leave me.

That's how I'd cry in my pillow
I too would cry just like the willow in the depths of my sorrow if you ever told me farewell and goodbye.

If you should tell me farewell and goodbye
The mere thought of a goodbye from you fills me with sorrow, just like the weepy old willow's tears.

Lullaby of Birdland whisper low
As our love and music grows quieter, the lullaby of Birdland helps to soothe and comfort me.

Kiss me sweet and we'll go
Together we'll escape to Birdland with a sweet, loving kiss.

Flyin' high in Birdland
We'll soar high in Birdland, together creating beautiful music, as beautiful and awe-inspiring as the sky above us.

High in the sky up above
As we fly and play together in Birdland, we'll bask in the beautiful and endless sky above us.

All because we're in love
All of this beautiful music, magic, and love we create together is because we're madly in love with each other.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Shearing, George David Weiss

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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