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.
The Song Is You
Charlie Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A beautiful theme of every
Dream I ever knew.
Down deep in my heart I hear it play.
I feel it start, then melt away.
I hear music when I touch your hand,
A beautiful melody
Down deep in my heart, I hear it say,
Is this the day?
I alone have heard this lovely strain,
I alone have heard this glad refrain:
Must it be forever inside of me,
Why can't I let it go,
Why can't I let you know,
Why can't I let you know the song
My heart would sing?
That beautiful rhapsody
Of love and youth and spring,
The music is sweet,
The words are true
The song is you.
The Song is You is a declaration of love, Charlie Parker intertwines lyrics with his playful horn playing. The opening line of "I hear music when I look at you" emphasizes the powerful and pure connection that exists between the two individuals. As the lyrics continue, Parker describes the melodies and the love that comes from the person he is with. The lyrics also express a sense of longing, an unrequited love that he keeps locked inside himself. Parker wishes he could express it, but he struggles to approach the person he feels so connected to.
The stanza that perhaps encapsulates this message the most is: “I alone have heard this lovely strain, I alone have heard this glad refrain: Must it be forever inside of me, Why can't I let it go, Why can't I let you know, Why can't I let you know the song My heart would sing?” This particular line showcases Parker’s internal struggle, the genuine and deep feelings he has for this person, and the conflict of desire and self-doubt that he experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear music when I look at you,
The sight of you makes me hear a melodious tune.
A beautiful theme of every
It is a wonderful melody that encapsulates every dream I have ever dreamt of.
Dream I ever knew.
It is a tune so pure and flawless that it has always been a part of my imagination.
Down deep in my heart I hear it play.
The melody is so deeply embedded in my heart that I can hear it playing all the time.
I feel it start, then melt away.
It is a delicate tune that starts with a strong emotion but fades away quietly.
I hear music when I touch your hand,
Touching your hand makes me hear a sweet melody.
A beautiful melody
It is a flawless tune that touches the deepest corners of my soul.
From some enchanted land.
The tune seems to have originated from a mystical and magical land.
Down deep in my heart, I hear it say,
The tune speaks to me from the deepest depths of my heart.
Is this the day?
It asks me if this moment is the one when my dreams will turn into reality.
I alone have heard this lovely strain,
Only I have heard this exquisite melody.
I alone have heard this glad refrain:
The tune has a happy and positive tone that I have heard all by myself.
Must it be forever inside of me,
I wonder if this melody will always stay inside my heart.
Why can't I let it go,
I question why I cannot release this melody out into the world.
Why can't I let you know,
I wonder why I cannot share this tune with you.
Why can't I let you know the song
I question why I cannot reveal this melody to you.
My heart would sing?
My heart would sing this melody if only I could share it with you.
That beautiful rhapsody
The melody is a beautiful arrangement of music and lyrics.
Of love and youth and spring,
It is a tune that speaks of love, spring and youthfulness.
The music is sweet,
The melody is sugary and pleasant to the senses.
The words are true
The lyrics express genuine and honest feelings.
The song is you.
The melody speaks of no one else but you, dear.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerome Kern, Oscar II Hammerstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ken Kovar
Love the title "The Song is You" one of the great Jerome Kerns best contributions to American music... and Bird knocks it outta da park as he usually did!!
José Gomes dos Santos Santos
Charlie Parker é um saxofonista que ficou na história.Não só da música jazzística, como no coração de todos que gostam do jazz.Tenho 74 anos de idade,toco sax desde os 10 anos.O Charlie foi um ídolo,no qual eu me espelhei,.escrevi muitas partes que copiava de discos gravados por ele.Aprendi muitas frases e muitas inventivas com o mestre.Ele é um dos melhores do mundo em inventivas.Conhecia como ninguém a mecânica do sax .EXELENTE SAXOFONISTA!
jubilose 73
E ai ta Vivo?
Jimyblues
Ya just can't get tired of such fantastic creativity
Ken Kovar
not I baby
lastknowngood0
Mingus's tune "Gunslinging Bird" said it all!
Sub titled
"If Bird was a gunslinger; there would be a whole bunch of dead copycats"!
Bird Lives through his records!
Ken Kovar
so true man!!😎😆
m 〉^._.^〈 m
Thanks for putting this up, such a JAM
ben landro
The best. None of the other horn players even come close.
Seth Curtis Johnson
Nobody really plays the rhythm and spaces like Bird. (The best)