Lush Life
Dearie Blossom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Those come-what-may places
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
To get the feel of life
From jazz and cocktails
The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
With distingue traces
You could see where they'd been washed away
By too many through the day
Twelve o'clock tales
Then you came along with your siren song
To tempt me to madness
I thought for awhile that your poignant smile
Was tinged with the sadness
Of a great love for me
Ah yes, I was wrong
Again, I was wrong
Life is lonely again
And only last year
Everything seemed so sure
Now life is awful again
A trough full of hearts could only be a bore
A week in Paris could ease the bite of it
All I care is to smile in spite of it
I'll forget you, I will
While yet you are still
Burning inside my brain
Romance is mush
Stifling those who strive
So I'll live a lush life in some small dive
And there I'll be, while I rot with the rest
Of those whose lives are lonely too
The lyrics of "Lush Life" by Dearie Blossom tell the story of a person who used to frequent fancy and extravagant places, where people would drink jazz and cocktails to feel alive. The person would meet girls with gray faces that used to have some form of distinction that has been washed away by the hardships and troubles they have faced in life. However, their life takes a dramatic turn when they meet someone special whose siren song tempts them to madness. The person mistakes the other's love and falls for them, only to realize later that they were wrong in their understanding.
The song then takes a melancholic turn as the person realizes that their life is now lonely again. They talk about how everything seemed so sure just a year ago, but now their life has become awful and mundane, with no excitement or thrill left. They suggest that a week in Paris could ease the pain, but all they care about is smiling even in the face of their misery. They decide to forget the person who broke their heart but confess that they still burn inside the person's brain, unable to let go completely. The lyrics end with the person deciding to live a lush life, seeking comfort in some small dive and rotting away like the rest of those whose lives are also lonely.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to visit all the very gay places
I used to go to lively and busy social spots
Those come-what-may places
These were places with uncertain futures
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
These were spots where one could unwind and experience life
To get the feel of life
To understand and be aware of life
From jazz and cocktails
By way of music and alcohol
The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
The women I was familiar with had miserable and gloomy expressions
With distingue traces
But there was still a sense of elegance about them
That used to be there
That had diminished over time
You could see where they'd been washed away
You could see the evidence of their lost joy
By too many through the day
Due to facing too many difficulties
Twelve o'clock tales
Late-night stories
Then you came along with your siren song
But then you arrived, with your alluring charm
To tempt me to madness
To drive me insane with desire
I thought for awhile that your poignant smile
I believed for a time that your pained smile
Was tinged with the sadness
Was marked by a melancholy
Of a great love for me
Of a deep, passionate love for me
Ah yes, I was wrong
But alas, I was mistaken
Again, I was wrong
Once more, I made an error in judgement
Life is lonely again
Life has returned to a state of loneliness
And only last year
And it was only a year ago that things felt different
Everything seemed so sure
Everything felt so certain
Now life is awful again
Now life feels terrible once more
A trough full of hearts could only be a bore
Even a large quantity of love interests would provide no excitement
A week in Paris could ease the bite of it
A vacation in Paris could alleviate the pain
All I care is to smile in spite of it
But my only goal is to remain positive regardless
I'll forget you, I will
I will forget you, without a doubt
While yet you are still
While you are still on my mind
Burning inside my brain
Consuming my thoughts constantly
Romance is mush
Romantic love is a messy, complicated affair
Stifling those who strive
Holding back those who pursue their ambitions
So I'll live a lush life in some small dive
Therefore, I will live luxuriously in a humble establishment
And there I'll be, while I rot with the rest
There I will stay, with others who are also decaying
Of those whose lives are lonely too
Of those who, like me, are also leading a life of loneliness
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Billy Strayhorn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kleinequietboykleinequietb7126
You and Me, Blossom my dearie. 2o years on, i know the melody and lyrics, and 89.26719 % of the changes, but still fuck up bar 6 of the D section. Every fucking time. And Bars 8-12 of the B section. Every fucking time. The rest i play perfectly. I dinne get it laddeee! I dinne ken the reason that... "HE KANNE DO IT". somebody help me please
I think i got it now. Part of it.
I -"of Ab13 a (great) love for I me B9 (b5)" I
i'll try this for memory triggers.
I "AAAhhh---vvv (soft A for Ab)---Ab13 a FLAT love for I MEE.. B7 .( B rhymes with mee) I
I "BUT (Bb9) yes I was FLAT I AAAA-gain (A7) I was I
I Ebm dong dong (ii) WRONG I D7 ding dang dong tri sub of Db dong I
you see the problem don't you? too many Ab and A's . and an asymmetric VII7 chord shit.
I 've tried to memorize it with the "number system" too, but it doest stick.
Try again i guess.
Ab is the V dom of Db. the key of the song.
B9b5 is a VII dom. how do you remember that? it's not really part of "standard progressions"
then it goes to V of ii (of Db).... descending a half step from the VII dom chord
i guess that's easy enough to remember. I hope it will be.
Bar 8 of the B section , after 8 bars of a very standard minor blues progression, lands on the V dom of the original key. ( Db) Which is the relative major of f minor.
(repeat after me, 8 times, please :
Bar 8 of the B section , after 8 bars of a very standard minor blues progression, lands on the V dom of the original key. ( Db) Which is the relative major of f minor.Bar 8 of the B section , after 8 bars of a very standard minor blues progression, lands on the V dom of the original key. ( Db) Which is the relative major of f minor.Bar 8 of the B section , after 8 bars of a very standard minor blues progression, lands on the V dom of the original key. ( Db) Which is the relative major of f minor.Bar 8 of the B section , after 8 bars of a very standard minor blues progression, lands on the V dom of the original key. ( Db) Which is the relative major of f minor.Bar 8 of the B section , after 8 bars of a very standard minor blues progression, lands on the V dom of the original key. ( Db) Which is the relative major of f minor.Bar 8 of the B section , after 8 bars of a very standard minor blues progression, lands on the V dom of the original key. ( Db) Which is the relative major of f minor.
then it goes to VII dom of Db, which is B79b5
then it descends a half step then it descends s half step
then it descends a half step then it descends s half stephen
then it descends a half step then it descends s half step
then descends a half step then it descends s half step to......
Bb 7 9 which is the V of ii
to Ebm7
to a raised V (A7b5) "ahhh (A) gain"
back to the min ii
Ebm7 (sus)
to V dom of db ( tritone sub. )
D13 #11
Easy fucking peasy...... right.
Actually, it works. Once you get the first A (aahh)chord, in bar 8
I can i hope remember that it steps out of *normal progression, and goes to B7
then a half step down to Bb7 which is the V of
the ii Ebm
* now somehow symmetric, in terms of pattern, change to the asymmetric A7
back to the ii
end of V (tri sub)
well it worked
ask me again in a week to play it without the book.. oh my
having a bad memory is definitely a handicap whilst trying to play jazz
@werkzeugmann6224
The starkness of this recording is mesmerizing, true vocaleeze, no autotune, just notes vocals and the "space" in-between
@michaeltekulsky5665
This will always be my favorite version of Lush Life. I did see her perform in the 80's when I was in college and she joined us for a drink afterwards. Sweet lady and large talent.
@sanmarinojr
You lucky lucky guy!!
@dallasstiles118
Nice
@totalt6600
Truly a great version.
@andreashoppe1969
It's incredible how many artists strayhorn has inspired to cover his brilliant song. Everyone adding his own seasoning to it
@EdwardRobinson15580
Absolutely. I actually met a relation to Billy Strayhorn in college. A girl. She is beautiful I might add. Good genes.
@totalt6600
A lesson in song writing, and interpretation. 💛🎶
@RalphDratman
Wonderful. Those years she was learning how to play and sing Lush Life were years well spent.
@acemoss2878
This has always been one of my favorite jazz standards, and I think this has become my favorite version.