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.
Ornithology Pt. 2
Charlie Parker Lyrics
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It's terribly sad but true,
All dressed up, no place to go
Each evening I'm awfully blue.
I must win some handsome guy
Can't go on like this,
I could blossom out I know,
Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Oh, lady, be good to me
I am so awfully misunderstood
So lady, be good to me
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all-alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.
Oh lady be good to me.
The lyrics to Charlie Parker's song Oh Lady Be Good depict a lonely individual searching for love and companionship in a big city. The singer is unhappy and unfulfilled, shown by the repetition of being "awfully blue" and "all alone in this big city." The singer expresses a desire to find someone, specifically a "handsome guy," to fill the void and bring them out of their loneliness. The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and desperation, pleading for someone to be kind and compassionate to them, to "have some pity" and "be good to me."
The repetition of the phrase "Oh lady be good" not only serves as the song's title but also evokes a longing for someone to care for the singer, someone who is "sweet and lovely." This highlights the idea that companionship and love are sought for not just for the sake of filling a void, but for the affection and comfort that is derived from being with a loved one. In addition, the use of the line "I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood" is a great example of imagery, painting a picture of the singer as a helpless and lost figure in a "big city" that is portrayed as a dark and unfamiliar place.
Overall, Oh Lady Be Good is a song about loneliness, desperation, and the search for love and companionship. It showcases the human need for connection and love, as well as the emotional struggles that come with not having it.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to my tale of woe,
Hear my sad story,
It's terribly sad but true,
It's a horribly sad but accurate account,
All dressed up, no place to go
Fully prepared for a night out but nowhere to go,
Each evening I'm awfully blue.
I feel distressing melancholy every night.
I must win some handsome guy
I need to attract a good-looking man,
Can't go on like this,
I can't keep living like this,
I could blossom out I know,
I could thrive, I'm sure of it,
With somebody just like you. So
With someone just like you, then I can do it. So
Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Oh beautiful and kind lady, be good to me,
Oh, lady, be good to me
Oh lady, be kind to me,
I am so awfully misunderstood
People don't understand me at all,
So lady, be good to me
So please be kind to me,
Oh, please have some pity
Please feel some sympathy,
I'm all-alone in this big city
I'm isolated in this large city,
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
Believe me, I'm like a helpless child in the wilderness,
So lady be good to me.
So please be kind to me.
Oh lady be good to me.
Oh lady, be kind to me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind