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.
Temptation
Charlie Parker Lyrics
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I should have known you were temptation
You smiled, luring me on
My heart was gone, you were temptation
It would be thrilling
If you were willing
If it can never be
Pity me for you are temptation and I am yours
Here is my heart, take it and say
We'll never part
I'm just a slave
Only a slave to you, temptation
You were born to be kissed
I can't resist.
You are temptation and I am yours
Here is my heart, take it and say
We'll never part
I'm just a slave
Only a slave to you, temptation
Charlie Parker’s Temptation is a song that delves into the idea of giving in to temptation in a relationship. The first verse begins with the idea that the singer was alone before their partner arrived, indicating a sense of loneliness or yearning. As soon as the partner appeared, the singer realized that they were temptation, knowing that the attraction could lead to trouble. The partner smiled and lured the singer in, and their heart was gone - already captured by temptation.
The singer then considers how thrilling it might be if the partner were also willing to fall into temptation, but acknowledges that it can never be. The singer pities themselves and considers themselves to be completely captured by the temptation that the partner represents. The second verse continues with the same theme, with the singer expressing the idea of being a slave to the partner’s temptation, and their inability to resist them due to their innate allure. The final lines of the song tie everything together, repeating that the singer is a slave to the temptation that the partner represents and that they are under their power.
Line by Line Meaning
You came, I was alone
You arrived when I was lonely
I should have known you were temptation
I should have recognized that you were a tempting person
You smiled, luring me on
You smiled and enticed me to pursue you
My heart was gone, you were temptation
I lost control of my emotions because of you and your allure
It would be thrilling
It would be exciting
If you were willing
If you were ready to commit
If it can never be
If we can never be together
Pity me for you are temptation and I am yours
Feel sorry for me because I am under your seductive spell
Here is my heart, take it and say
I am giving you my heart and asking for your commitment
We'll never part
We will never separate
I'm just a slave
I am completely under your control
Only a slave to you, temptation
I am a willing servant to your powers of temptation
You were born to be kissed
You were created to receive affectionate kisses
I can't resist.
I cannot withstand your temptation
You are temptation and I am yours
You are temptation personified and I am completely devoted to you
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LARRY JOHNSON, LARRY CURTIS JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind