Charlie Parker played with several formations under his own name, quartets,… Read Full Bio ↴Charlie Parker played with several formations under his own name, quartets, quinetets, septets, etc, some large orchestras with vocalists, and, in his later years, with pick-up bands of local musicians whever he was currently appearing.

Two of the Quartets (one also known as The Quartet of Charlie Parker)

1947

Charlie Parker - Alto Sax
Erroll Garner - Piano
Red Callender - Bass
Harold "Doc" West - Drums

1952

Charlie Parker - Alto Sax
Dick Cary - Piano
Eddie Safranski - Bass
Don Lamond - Drums

Now
Charlie Parker Quartet Lyrics

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Why don't you come over 'bout a quarter to nine
Bring all of your fam'ly and I will bring mine
If I should bring my brothers, and you bring the others
Then I can sing a song like Jeru, just for you

Just for all the lovely people that you see in the road
We'll sing them a song in Jeruvian mode
If I can have a pref'rence, I'll even make ref'rence

To why you write a song like Jeru, just for you

Then if you'd be kind enough to tell me why you
write these extended bridges
can it be romance that always
haunts me in my reverie?

So why not come on over 'bout a quarter to eight
If you can come early I'll never be late
And now you're all invited, I hope you're delighted
To sing a little song like Jeru, just for you
just for me too

Gather around, tale to be told
Maybe it's new, maybe it's old, listen my friend

Blowin' away, doin' alright
Plain' all day, workin' all night, listen again

Movin' along, coverin' ground
Singin' the song, lovin' the sound, listen and then

blow together birds of a feather
Out playin' the blues and "I Got Rhythm"
All at once a moment came without a warning
Got so hot we had to cool it

Go for glory, tell you the story
Out payin' our dues until we found we were
assisting at an unexpected borning
'twas the birth of the Cool

So now I can tell you why I'm always
Trying to tell you, listen, come with me,
New York, and we're together in my reverie

So why don't you come over 'bout a quarter to two
Forget all the others, just me and just you
And while we're versifying
We'd better start trying

To write another song just for me
Just for you, one more Jeru

Overall Meaning

The song "Now's The Time" by Charlie Parker begins with an invitation to come together, to bring family and friends, and to share in the joy of music. The singer mentions Jeru, likely referring to Gerry Mulligan's composition "Jeru" which Parker recorded in 1949. The lyrics speak of singing a song in the Jeruvian style, which would be a cool, relaxed, and understated sound popular in the 1940s and 1950s.

The song then continues with the idea of storytelling, with the lyrics "gather around, tale to be told." This line suggests a sense of community and coming together to share stories and experiences. The lyrics go on to describe musicians playing and working tirelessly, with the occasional moment of brilliance where the music becomes hot and intense. This theme of dedication to music is a common one throughout Parker's works.

Later on in the song, the lyrics suggest a personal connection between the singer and the listener. The lines "Forget all the others, just me and just you," and "write another song just for me, just for you" imply a romantic connection, and perhaps the idea of writing a song together that represents their relationship.

Overall, "Now's The Time" is a celebration of music, community, and connection between people.

Line by Line Meaning

Why don't you come over 'bout a quarter to nine
Let's get together tonight at around 8:45 PM

Bring all of your fam'ly and I will bring mine
Let's make this a family gathering and invite everyone we know

If I should bring my brothers, and you bring the others
If I bring some people with me, and you bring some people with you

Then I can sing a song like Jeru, just for you
I can perform a song called Jeru just for you

Just for all the lovely people that you see in the road
This song is for all the wonderful people you meet in life

We'll sing them a song in Jeruvian mode
We'll play this song in a style similar to Jeru

If I can have a pref'rence, I'll even make ref'rence
If it's alright with you, I'll reference something in the song

To why you write a song like Jeru, just for you
I'll explain the reason for me performing Jeru for you

Then if you'd be kind enough to tell me why you
If you're willing to share with me

write these extended bridges
Why you include longer musical sections in your compositions

can it be romance that always
Is it because of romantic themes that

haunts me in my reverie?
I often think about in my daydreams?

So why not come on over 'bout a quarter to eight
How about we meet earlier, around 7:45 PM

If you can come early I'll never be late
If you arrive on time, I won't be delayed

And now you're all invited, I hope you're delighted
Everyone is welcome, and I hope you're excited about it

To sing a little song like Jeru, just for you
We'll play the song Jeru for you all to enjoy

Gather around, tale to be told
Come together, I have a story to share

Maybe it's new, maybe it's old, listen my friend
It might be something you haven't heard before or a familiar tale, but please listen

Blowin' away, doin' alright
Playing music, feeling good

Plain' all day, workin' all night, listen again
Performing music all day, working all night, listen once more

Movin' along, coverin' ground
Making progress, moving forward

Singin' the song, lovin' the sound, listen and then
Singing our music joyfully, loving how it sounds, listen closely

blow together birds of a feather
Let's play our instruments and make music together

Out playin' the blues and "I Got Rhythm"
Playing some classic blues and "I Got Rhythm"

All at once a moment came without a warning
Suddenly, a memorable moment happened unexpectedly

Got so hot we had to cool it
Things got intense, and we had to calm down

Go for glory, tell you the story
Let's go big and share what happened

Out payin' our dues until we found we were
Playing our music until we discovered we were

assisting at an unexpected borning
Witnessing the birth of something new and exciting

'twas the birth of the Cool
The start of a new, hip musical style

So now I can tell you why I'm always
I can finally explain why I'm always

Trying to tell you, listen, come with me,
Urge you to listen and join me on this musical journey

New York, and we're together in my reverie
Imagining being in New York with you by my side

So why don't you come over 'bout a quarter to two
How about we meet up later tonight, around 1:45 AM

Forget all the others, just me and just you
Let's focus on spending time together and forget about everyone else

And while we're versifying
While we're writing poetry or singing

We'd better start trying
We should make an effort and attempt to

To write another song just for me
Compose a song that's just for me

Just for you, one more Jeru
Another composition similar to Jeru, but for you

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GERRY MULLIGAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

mistermister668

1y↑10

Tracks:
1 The Song Is You 00:00
2 Laird Baird 03:01
3 Kim 05:50
4 Kim (Alternate Take) 08:53
5 Cosmic Rays 11:56
6 Cosmic Rays (Alternate Take) 15:05
7 Chi Chi 18:25
8 Chi Chi (Alternate Take) 21:35
9 Chi Chi (Alternate Take) - Previously Unreleased 24:20
10 Chi Chi (Alternate Take) 27:01
11 I Remember You 30:08
12 Now' The Time 33:15
13 Confirmation 36:20

Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Charlie Parker
Piano – Al Haig (tracks: 7 to 13), Hank Jones (tracks: 1 to 6)
Bass – Percy Heath (tracks: 7 to 13), Teddy Kotick (tracks: 1 to 6)
Drums – Max Roach

Recorded at Fulton Studios, NYC, December 30, 1952, July 28, 1953.