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.
Out of Nowhere
Dave Brubeck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You took my heart and found it free
Wonderful dreams, wonderful schemes from nowhere
Made every hour sweet as a flower for me
If you should go back to your nowhere
Leaving me with the memory
I'll always wait for your return out of nowhere
If you should go back to your nowhere
Leaving me with a memory
I'll always wait for your return out of nowhere
Hoping you'll bring your love to me
Oh, please, don't never leave me!
I'll never want to be free
It wouldn't be fair for you to go back to nowhere
The lyrics of Dave Brubeck's song "Out of Nowhere" are a heartfelt expression of love from someone who has found unexpected love in their life. The opening line, "You came to me from out of nowhere," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is surprised and elated by the appearance of their loved one, who has "taken [their] heart and found it free." The person who has come into their life has brought with them "wonderful dreams, wonderful schemes from nowhere," making every moment with them "sweet as a flower" for the singer.
The second verse expresses the fear and vulnerability that comes with falling in love. The singer acknowledges that their loved one could leave just as quickly as they appeared, returning "to [their] nowhere" and leaving the singer with only memories. Despite this fear, the singer remains hopeful, waiting for their loved one to return "out of nowhere" and bring their love back with them.
The final plea of the song, "Oh, please, don't never leave me!" is a desperate request for the loved one to stay. The singer knows that it wouldn't be fair for them to return to their previous life, leaving the singer behind. The song ends with the singer's longing for their loved one and their hope that they will be reunited.
Overall, "Out of Nowhere" is a romantic and emotional expression of unexpected love and the fear and hope that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
You came to me from out of nowhere
You appeared in my life unexpectedly and without a clear origin
You took my heart and found it free
You captured my heart and set it free to love you deeply
Wonderful dreams, wonderful schemes from nowhere
From unexpected sources, you brought amazing dreams and plans for our future
Made every hour sweet as a flower for me
With your presence, every moment was filled with joy and beauty
If you should go back to your nowhere
If you were to suddenly leave and disappear as you appeared
Leaving me with the memory
Leaving me with only the memory of our time together
I'll always wait for your return out of nowhere
I will always anticipate your sudden return from wherever you disappeared to
Hoping you'll bring your love to me
Hoping that along with your sudden return, you will bring your love back to me
Oh, please, don't never leave me!
Please, never leave me and take away the joy you've brought into my life
I'll never want to be free
I don't ever want to let go of the love and happiness we share
It wouldn't be fair for you to go back to nowhere
It would be unfair for you to suddenly disappear again, leaving me alone with just memories
Writer(s): Dave Brubeck
Contributed by Samantha F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
cooljazzr
Cannonball Adderley said, “I believe that Paul Desmond shares with Benny Carter the title of most lyrical altoist. He is a profoundly beautiful player.” That says it all!
Ole Birger Pedersen
And he was right !
Ole Birger Pedersen
Dont forget Charlie Parkers recording with the triolets also making it very lyrically.
hungrymon
amen
Sharp Eleven Music
@cooljazzr Thanks for the link! I was thinking of the biography by Doug Ramsey, which I read, but then I somehow missed it. I'm going through it for a third time now, I'll pay attention, but I found it in the link you gave.
Checked out the cover of his "In Your Own Sweet Way' solo, great soundmatching man! Love it!
Currently working on a Desmond thesis of his style, so that's actually why I wanted to know the source of Cannonball's phrase on Desmond. Thereis lots of Desmond content on the way, as you might have seen with the recent mouthpiece test from jodyjazz
cooljazzr
@Sharp Eleven Music I think I read it in Doug Ramsey's bio "Take Five". Or in the liner of one of his albums. BTW, I posted a play-along I did with Paul's solo on "In Your Sweet Way" with your excellent transcription, trying to match as closely as possible his tone and phrasing to make it sound like one horn playing (using my 1939 Selmer Balanced Action. Paul played a 1951 Super Balanced) here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKTOsYj3eu4 Nobody ever got such a pure, sweet tone as Paul. His tone was so pure, he could have been a great classical player if he wanted to. Just checked and also found Cannonball's quote in this article: http://www.davebrubeckjazz.com/Media/Articles-&-Interviews/Downbeat,-Perils-Of-Paul,-A-Portrait-Of-A-Desperate-Desmond
Frank Heath
my all-time favourite track from the early days of this amazing group. i Have enjoyed listening to this particuar track for more than 63 years... and love it more now than ever! Poetry in motion - what great times we knew!
agustin e. Alvarez
Paul Desmond maravilloso, nunca se agotan sus ideas, un coro distinto al otro y todos hermosos.
Firebrand55
Johnny Desmond.......the Chopin of the alto sax.
Pryor Lawson
And Paul Desmond too!