Clifford Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956), aka "Brownie," was an Am… Read Full Bio ↴Clifford Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956), aka "Brownie," was an American jazz trumpeter. He died aged 25 in a car accident, leaving behind only four years' worth of recordings. Nonetheless, he had a considerable influence on later jazz trumpet players, including Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Booker Little, and Freddie Hubbard, among others. He was also a composer of note: two of his compositions, "Joy Spring" and "Daahoud", have become jazz standards.

He won the Down Beat critics' poll for the 'New Star of the Year' in 1954; he was inducted into the Down Beat 'Jazz Hall of Fame' in 1972 in the critics' poll. Sandoval described him as "one of what we call the mandatory trumpet players" who was "one of the greatest trumpet players of all time".

Wilmington, Delaware, (where Brownie was born and is buried), hosts an annual jazz fest in his honor. Sponsored by the cities arts commission known as Citifest, the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival is a FREE week long event held mostly in outdoor venues at various locations in Wilmington. The festival usually occurs the 3rd week in June of each year.

Noteable websites are:
The Clifford Brown Jazz Festival: http://www.cliffordbrownjazzfest.com
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Brown and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Brown_Jazz_Festival
Brownie, the unofficial memorial website: http://cliffordbrown.net

Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
Clifford Brown Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Love is a many splendored thing
It's the April rose that only grows in the early Spring
Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living
The golden crown that makes a man a king
Once on a high and windy hill, In the morning mist
Two lovers kissed and the world stood still
Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing
Yes, true love's a many splendored thing

Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing
Yes, true love's a many splendored thing

Overall Meaning

In Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet's song "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing," the lyrics touch upon the beauty and power of love. The first verse compares love to the April rose, which only grows in the early spring, signifying the rarity and delicate nature of love. Love is also described as nature's way of giving us a reason to be living, emphasizing how crucial and essential love is to our existence. Furthermore, love is portrayed as the "golden crown that makes a man a king," indicating that love has the ability to elevate and empower us.

The second verse recounts the memory of two lovers kissing on a high and windy hill in the morning mist, and how the world seemed to stand still around them. This moment was so powerful that it even touched the singer's "silent heart" and taught it how to sing. This suggests that love has the ability to awaken and inspire us, even if we are initially closed off.

Overall, "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing" is a song that romanticizes the beauty and transformative power of love. The imagery used in the lyrics creates a sense of magic and wonder around love, emphasizing its importance in our lives.

Line by Line Meaning

Love is a many splendored thing
Love is a complex, beautiful thing that brings great joy.

It's the April rose that only grows in the early Spring
Like the rare and delicate April rose, love is something that only blooms under certain conditions and at specific times.

Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living
Love is a natural force that gives us purpose and motivation to keep going in life.

The golden crown that makes a man a king
Love is something that elevates and empowers a person, like a king wearing a golden crown.

Once on a high and windy hill, In the morning mist
There was a moment, in a beautiful and serene place, at the dawn of a new day.

Two lovers kissed and the world stood still
In that moment, everything else faded away except for the love between two people.

Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing
Your touch awakened something deep inside me, something that made me feel alive and joyful.

Yes, true love's a many splendored thing
Indeed, genuine love is a multifaceted and wonderful phenomenon.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sammy Fain, Paul Webster

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS