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.
Strange Meadow Lark
Dave Brubeck Lyrics
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To be singing oh so sweetly in the park tonight,
All alone meadowlark?
Are you dreaming of the moons that burned so bright,
And of love in flight?
Can't you sleep meadowlark?
Is there nothing left but whistling in the dark so sad?
Were the songs you sang last summer crazy mad?
Think of all you had,
A quietness up in the clouds,
Where the soft winds blow,
Far from all the noisy crowds,
Where the earthbound go,
Your wings have brushed against the star,
Boundless were the skies,
You may have flown too high too far,
Love is seldom wise,
Don't you see meadowlark?
Though you try your call wont turn another lark in flight,
He has gone meadowlark,
You can your song until the dawn brings light,
Sing with all your might,
Sing away the dark,
Little meadowlark.
The lyrics to Dave Brubeck's song "Strange Meadow Lark" evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing for a lost love. The meadowlark in the song is alone in the park, singing sweetly but sorrowfully, perhaps dreaming of lost love and the beauty of past experiences. The singer of the song empathizes with the meadowlark, urging it to embrace its loneliness and sing with all its might to fend off the darkness.
The song's lyrics offer a rich metaphor for the human experience of loss and the struggle to find joy amid sorrow. The meadowlark's songs represent the beauty and passion of love, while the darkness symbolizes the pain and isolation of heartbreak. The lyrics suggest that even in the face of loss and loneliness, we have the power to find joy and meaning in the world around us.
Overall, "Strange Meadow Lark" is a song that speaks to the human experience of loss and the power of music and nature to lift us up and help us find our way forward.
Line by Line Meaning
What a strange meadow lark,
Observation of an unusual meadowlark
To be singing oh so sweetly in the park tonight,
Wondering why the meadowlark is singing sweetly in the park at night
All alone meadowlark?
Asking if the meadowlark is alone
Are you dreaming of the moons that burned so bright,
Asking if the meadowlark is dreaming of a bright past
And of love in flight?
Asking if the meadowlark is dreaming of lost love
Can't you sleep meadowlark?
Asking if the meadowlark is unable to sleep
Is there nothing left but whistling in the dark so sad?
Asking if the meadowlark is sad and has nothing else but to sing alone in the dark
Was it love meadowlark?
Asking if the meadowlark's past was full of love
Were the songs you sang last summer crazy mad?
Asking if the meadowlark's past songs were wild and passionate
Think of all you had,
Encouraging the meadowlark to think of its past achievements
A quietness up in the clouds,
Describing a peaceful place in the sky
Where the soft winds blow,
Describing a gentle breeze
Far from all the noisy crowds,
Describing a place away from bustling people
Where the earthbound go,
Describing a place where the grounded beings reside
Your wings have brushed against the star,
Pointing out a high point in the meadowlark's life
Boundless were the skies,
Describing a limitless sky
You may have flown too high too far,
Recognizing that the meadowlark may have gone too far in the past
Love is seldom wise,
Giving advice that love is rarely rational
Don't you see meadowlark?
Asking if the meadowlark understands
Though you try your call won't turn another lark in flight,
Telling the meadowlark that its singing won't change anything
He has gone meadowlark,
Informing the meadowlark that the object of its affection has left
You can sing your song until the dawn brings light,
Encouraging the meadowlark to continue singing
Sing with all your might,
Encouraging the meadowlark to sing with passion
Sing away the dark,
Encouraging the meadowlark to chase away sadness with song
Little meadowlark.
Endearing nickname for the meadowlark
Contributed by Carson P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Darque Wing
There's good music for driving. And good music for fighting. And plenty of really good music for loving. But this - this is music for listening.
Mike McGill
Been listening to this since I can remember, 68 now. It just gets better with time!!
Emmie Cohen
And dancing!!!!!
Diogo José Fernandes
This is music for living
Chuck Harner
This .Is. MUSIC.
Thelonious2Monk
Brubeck is not the greatest jazz pianist in jazz (he would agree), but he has a unique talent to compose on the spot (improvise) very catchy tunes. No wonder this record was a hit. Paul Desmond is one of the best alto players ever. He is both meticulous in his playing as well as share Brubeck's talent in composing on the spot very catchy music. I can whistle the entire record from memory.
jazz4asahel
Eugene Wright, bassist, always there doing an outstanding job. Taken for granted. Huge respect.
jazz4asahel
@Raiden I had not heard that; thank-you, Raiden. Rest in peace, Mr. Wright. May God bless you richly.
Morrismusicpete
Agreed. He had a great sense of accompaniment. He never tried to compete with the soloists and outlined exactly what was needed. Thank you, Eugene 😊🎶🎵🙏🏻
Raiden
He passed away the 30th of December 2020, sadly