David Warren Brubeck (born December 6, 1920 in Concord, California - Decemb… Read Full Bio ↴David Warren Brubeck (born December 6, 1920 in Concord, California - December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist who has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". He was probably best known for "Take Five", written by saxophone player Paul Desmond, who was the saxophonist in The Dave Brubeck Quartet. Due to the immense popularity of his work, Brubeck had won multiple awards such as a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys in 1996, a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship in 1999, and a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009.

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.

What Is This Thing Called Love
Dave Brubeck Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was a hum-drum person
Leading a life apart
When love flew in through my window wide
And quickened my hum-drum heart
Love flew in through my window
I was so happy then
But after love had stayed a little while
Love flew out again

What is this thing called love?
This funny thing called love?
Just who can solve its mystery?
Why should it make a fool of me?
I saw you there one wonderful day
You took my heart and threw my heart away
That's why I ask the Lawd up in Heaven above
What is this thing called love?

You gave me days of sunshine
You gave me nights of cheer
You made my life an enchanted dream
'Til somebody else came near
Somebody else came near you
I felt the winter's chill

And now I sit and wonder night and day
Why I love you still

Overall Meaning

In Dave Brubeck's song "What Is This Thing Called Love," he speaks about love as a complex and confusing feeling that made him experience emotions he never felt before. Brubeck initially felt like a "hum-drum person" and felt as though he was living a life that was separate from love. However, when love came through his window, it "quickened" his heart, bringing him so much happiness. Unfortunately, the love did not last long, and it "flew out again," leaving him feeling confused and uncertain of how to deal with the complex emotion.

The song's chorus asks, "What is this thing called love?" and wonders why it has the power to make a fool out of even the most intelligent people. Brubeck recognizes that love is a mystery that cannot easily be solved, and he even questions God, asking for answers. He remembers a time when he saw someone he loved, and they threw his heart away. Despite this heartbreak, he continues to love this person, and he wonders why he still feels this way even though the pain has caused him to feel the "winter's chill." This song shows that love can have both positive and negative effects on a person and recognizes that it is an emotion that can confuse even the wisest people.

Line by Line Meaning

I was a hum-drum person
I lived a dull and boring life

Leading a life apart
Living a solitary life away from love

When love flew in through my window wide
When love unexpectedly entered my life

And quickened my hum-drum heart
And made my dull heart beat with passion

Love flew in through my window
Love came into my life suddenly

I was so happy then
I was overjoyed by the presence of love

But after love had stayed a little while
However, after enjoying love for some time

Love flew out again
Love disappeared once again

What is this thing called love?
What is the nature of this emotion called love?

This funny thing called love?
This mysterious and unpredictable thing known as love

Just who can solve its mystery?
Who can unravel the enigma of love?