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 a La Turk
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.
"Blue Rondo a la Turk" is an instrumental piece by Dave Brubeck that features a hybrid of jazz and Western classical music, with a unique 9/8 time signature. However, in the middle of the song, there is a section with a 4/4 time signature, which this song refers to as "Blue Rondo." The melody consists of a repeating 4-bar phrase with a distinctive syncopated rhythm that is developed over the course of the piece. The title of the song is a reference to the Turkish influence on the rhythm of the piece as well as the use of blue notes commonly found in jazz music. Essentially, the lyrics are an invitation for the listener to pay attention to the intricate complexities of the melody and how it blends with the harmony to create a mesmerizing fusion of jazz and classical elements.
The lyrics begin by emphasizing the repetition of the melody and harmony before taking the listener through a journey of memories, mystery, and passion that the melody evokes. The singer then switches to a more personal tone, addressing the listener directly and expressing how they feel about the listener. The song ends on a triumphant note, with the singer and listener joining together in harmony to create a new rondo and shaking off the blues.
Line by Line Meaning
Round, round, round a melody
The repetition of a melody that is constant and steady.
Round, round, round a harmony
The repetition of a harmony that is constant and steady.
Round, round, round a melody, Harmony, melody-steadily
The steady repetition of a melody and a harmony.
Round, round, round a memory
The repetition of a memory that is constant and steady.
Round, round, round a melody, Memory, melody, merrily.
The repetition of a melody and a memory that is joyous and cheerful.
There's a melody I used to play
The musician is referring to a melody that they have played before.
Counterpoint every yesterday.
The musician used to play a counterpoint each day.
Swiftly up and down I hasten and
The musician plays the melody and the counterpoint with quick and precise movements.
Chasten my fingers and heart to play.
The musician is determined to play with precision and emotion.
Mystery, mirror of history.
The mystery of the past is reflected in the melody.
Taking over all my reveries
The melody consumes the musician's thoughts and daydreams.
Hearing passions in the melodies
The musician hears passionate emotions in the melody.
Play it up and down so wearily
The musician plays the melody with exhaustion and fatigue.
Stumbling, fumbling, tumbling.
The musician struggles to play the melody with smoothness and precision.
Round, round town I follow you.
The musician follows the melody without deviation.
Round, round town I'm calling you.
The musician wants the melody to follow them as they chase it.
Round, round town I hasten to do All the chasing you want me to.
The musician is committed to chasing the melody wherever it wants to lead them.
Open up an opportunity, For I know that you will be Truly happy and content with me.
The musician is pleading with the melody to give them a chance to play together.
Measure me, treasure me, pleasure me.
The musician is asking the melody to evaluate their abilities and find joy in playing with them.
Don't you see That we were meant to be, One and the same.
The musician believes that they are in perfect harmony with the melody, and that they belong together.
Melody, married to harmony, One and the same.
The melody and the harmony are inseparable and perfectly matched.
Change the score We will be ever more One and the same.
If the score is changed, the musician and the melody will still be perfectly in harmony.
Here it comes, our symphony, Measure by measure.
The musician and the melody are creating a symphony together, one measure at a time.
A melody and harmony, You and me in harmony.
The melody and the harmony are in harmony with each other, just as the musician and the melody are in harmony.
You and me so happy, Were making it Shaking the blues ain't bothering me.
The musician and the melody are both joyous and carefree as they play together.
We found a new rondo, To end the blue rondo today.
The musician and the melody have found a new way to play together, which brings an end to the feelings of sadness and despair expressed in the 'blue rondo'.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Dave Brubeck
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind