Cootie Williams (Charles Melvin Williams July 24, 1910 - September 15, 1985… Read Full Bio ↴Cootie Williams (Charles Melvin Williams July 24, 1910 - September 15, 1985) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter.

He rose to prominence as a member of Duke Ellington's orchestra, with which he performed from 1929 to 1940. He also recorded his own sessions during this time, both freelance and with other Ellington sidemen. In 1940 he joined Benny Goodman's orchestra, then in 1941 formed his own orchestra, in which over the years he employed Charlie Parker, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Bud Powell, Eddie Vinson, and other important young players.

He began to play more rhythm and blues in the late 1940s. In the 1950s he toured with small groups and fell into obscurity. In 1962 he rejoined Ellington and stayed with the orchestra till 1974, after Ellington's death.

Perdido
Cootie Williams and His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Perdido,
I look for my heart
It's perdido
I lost it way down in Torito
The day the fiesta started
Bolero,

I sway that they play the Bolero

I kissed me the listing sombrero
And that's when my heart departed
High, was the sun when I held him close
Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"

Perdido
My heart ever since is Perdido
I know I must go to Torito
To find what I lost Perdido

High, was the sun when I held him close
Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"
Perdido

Goodnight perdido
I lost perdido

Overall Meaning

The song "Perdido" by Cootie Williams and His Orchestra is a heartfelt ballad about a lost love. The Spanish word "Perdido" translates to "lost" in English, and this serves as a central theme throughout the song. The singer is searching for their heart, which they lost in Torito during a fiesta. They reminisce about the moment they lost it, which was during the playing of the Bolero. The singer then talks about the height of their passion, describing holding their love close when the sun was high, and saying goodbye when the moon was low.

Line by Line Meaning

Perdido,
I am lost,

I look for my heart
I am searching for my lost heart,

It's perdido
It is gone,

I lost it way down in Torito
I lost it during a fiesta in Torito,

The day the fiesta started
It happened during the first day of the fiesta,

Bolero,
It was accompanied by Bolero music,

I sway that they play the Bolero
I danced to the Bolero they played,

I kissed me the listing sombrero
I was wearing a sombrero when I kissed,

And that's when my heart departed
That is when I lost my heart,

High, was the sun when I held him close
It was daytime when we were close,

Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"
It was nighttime when we said goodbye,