Brubeck's style ranged from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills. Much of his music employed unusual time signatures, a fact jokingly referred to by his greatest hits album 'Time Signatures: A Career Retrospective'. Upon his death, a number of commentators noted his crossover appeal to mainstream pop audiences, something putting him in the company of other jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong and Herbie Hancock among others.
Blue Rondo
Dave Brubeck Lyrics
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Round, round, round a melody
Round, round, round a harmony
Round, round, round a melody,
Harmony, melody-steadily
Round, round, round a melody
Round, round, round a melody,
Memory, melody, merrily.
There's a melody I used to play
Counterpoint every yesterday.
Swiftly up and down I hasten and
Chasten my fingers and heart to play.
Round, round, round a melody
Round, round, round a memory
Round, round, round a melody
Memory, harmony-steadily
Round, round, round a melody
Round, round, round a mystery
Round, round, round a melody,
Mystery, mirror of history.
Taking over all my reveries
Hearing passions in the melodies
Play it up and down so wearily
Stumbling, fumbling, tumbling.
Round, round, round a melody
Round, round, round a harmony
Round, round, round a melody
Harmony, melody, memory
Round, round town I follow you.
Round, round town I'm calling you.
Round, round town I hasten to do
All the chasing you want me to.
Open up an opportunity,
For I know that you will be
Truly happy and content with me.
Measure me, treasure me, pleasure me.
Open up an opportunity.
Open up an offer. You will be
Truly happy and content with me.
Measure me, treasure me, pleasure me.
Round, round, round a melody
Round, round, round a you and me.
Round, round, round a melody
You and me, melody and harmony.
Round, round, round a melody
Round, round, round a harmony
Round, round, round a melody,
Harmony, mystery-you and me.
Don't you see
That we were meant to be,
One and the same.
Melody, married to harmony,
One and the same.
Change the score
We will be ever more
One and the same.
Melody, married to harmony
One and the same.
Here it comes, our symphony,
Measure by measure.
A melody and harmony,
You and me in harmony.
You and me so happy
Were making it
Shaking the blues ain't bothering me.
Here it comes, our symphony,
Measure by measure,
A pleasure.
A melody and harmony,
You and me in harmony
You and me so happy
We found a new rondo,
To end the blue rondo today.
The lyrics to Dave Brubeck & Paul Desmond's song "Blue Rondo Ala Turk" describe the experience of playing and listening to a jazzy melody. The repetition of the phrases "Round, round, round a melody" and "Round, round, round a harmony" create a sense of going in circles, which mirrors the circular structure and improvisational spirit of jazz music. The lyrics also reference the emotional and physical intensity required to play jazz, with the lines "Chasten my fingers and heart to play" and "Stumbling, fumbling, tumbling."
The second half of the song switches from describing the process of playing music to a love interest. The singer urges their love interest to "open up an opportunity" and give them a chance. They claim that they are "meant to be" and compares their relationship to the way a melody and harmony complement each other. The song ends on an optimistic note, with the repeated line "We found a new rondo, to end the blue rondo today." This suggests that despite the challenges and setbacks of life, there is always the possibility of finding a new and better way forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Round, round, round a melody
The melody repeats itself in a circular pattern
Round, round, round a harmony
The harmony also repeats itself in a circular pattern
Round, round, round a melody, Harmony, melody-steadily
The melody and harmony repeat steadily in a circular pattern
Round, round, round a melody, Round, round, round a memory, Round, round, round a melody, Memory, melody, merrily.
The melody and memory of the song repeat in a circle, creating a merry feeling
There's a melody I used to play, Counterpoint every yesterday, Swiftly up and down I hasten and, Chasten my fingers and heart to play.
The artist used to play this melody every day and trains their fingers and heart to perfect it
Round, round, round a melody, Round, round, round a mystery, Round, round, round a melody, Mystery, mirror of history.
The repeating melody is a mystery and reflects the history of the song
Taking over all my reveries, Hearing passions in the melodies, Play it up and down so wearily, Stumbling, fumbling, tumbling.
The song takes over the artist's thoughts and they are playing with passion but also struggling
Round, round town I follow you, Round, round town I'm calling you, Round, round town I hasten to do, All the chasing you want me to.
The artist is following the melody and passionately chasing it
Open up an opportunity, For I know that you will be, Truly happy and content with me. Measure me, treasure me, pleasure me.
The artist is asking for a chance to play the song and believes the audience will be pleased with their performance
Round, round, round a melody, Round, round, round a you and me, Round, round, round a melody, You and me, melody and harmony.
The melody brings the artist and audience together in harmony
Don't you see, That we were meant to be, One and the same. Melody, married to harmony, One and the same.
The song unites the artist and the audience through the blending of melody and harmony
Change the score, We will be ever more, One and the same. Melody, married to harmony, One and the same.
By changing the score or improvising, the artist and audience will become closer through the unity of melody and harmony
Here it comes, our symphony, Measure by measure. A melody and harmony, You and me in harmony. You and me so happy, Were making it, Shaking the blues ain't bothering me.
The artist and audience's harmonious performance creates a symphony that brings them happiness and overpowers any negative blues or emotions.
Here it comes, our symphony, Measure by measure, A pleasure. A melody and harmony, You and me in harmony, You and me so happy, We found a new rondo, To end the blue rondo today.
The harmonious performance creates a symphony of pleasure and happiness for both artist and audience. The song ends the blue rondo, or negative emotions, of the day.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE BRUBECK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Largo64
I was seventeen when this was released. It was fresh and new. I was pretty fresh and new then, myself. Now I'm old and slow, but I still get a charge from this album and especially Blue Rondo à la Turk. This stuff, unlike people, just never gets old.
@benjaminmoseslieb9856
I think it still feels fresh.
@weltgeist2604
Hi Larry I watch your videos, this is my first time watching this.
@philipjacques7153
Thanks, Larry! Just hearing of Dave's passing. I was the classical kid until my brother brought this album home. You can't like classical and not like this. Rest in peace, Dave!
@Largo64
Paul Desmond's sweet alto sax is fantastic!
@sojouner7025
Our body will get old but our spirit, inner force, will never age; less we give in to that process. Now, let's boogie babies!
@michaelflory9519
Starts out in 9/8 time, then switches to American jazz 4/4 time, then back to 9/8 time. This was composed by Paul Desmond after they took a trip to Turkey to discover the Turkish style of music.
@user-dj9ig2hc9r
There's a bit of Mozart's Rondo a la Turk in there, too.
@sulatlalaki
My parents played the crap out of this when I was a little kid. Even now, decades later, I can hum practically every riff, every part! True jazz
@LeeAnnLovelace
+Charles Pruett Yes! My father played this record for me almost daily when I was a child.... and I'll never get tired of listening to it.