Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (born December 9, 1932 – February … Read Full Bio ↴Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (born December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz, rhythm and blues trumpeter. Born in Detroit, Michigan. He performed with Lionel Hampton before finishing high school. After playing in a military band during a term in the United States Air Force, he obtained a bachelor's degree in music from Wayne State University and a master's degree from Manhattan School of Music. While still at the Manhattan School he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, replacing Clifford Brown. After leaving the Jazz Messengers in 1956 he performed with a wide variety of highly regarded jazz musicians.

In the 1970s, he moved away from his previous hard-bop jazz base and began to record jazz fusion and rhythm and blues. Teaming up with the Mizell Brothers, he produced Black Byrd, which was enormously successful and became Blue Note Records' highest-ever selling album. The follow-up albums, Places and Spaces, Stepping Into Tomorrow, and Street Lady, were also big sellers, and have subsequently provided a rich source of samples for hip-hop artists such as Us3.

He has taught music at Rutgers University, the Hampton Institute, New York University, Howard University, and Oberlin College. In 1974 he created The Blackbyrds, a fusion group consisting of his best students. They scored several major hits, including "Walking In Rhythm" and "Blackbyrds Theme".

Return Of The King
Donald Byrd Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

early in the morning
just before the dawning of the day

return of the king
just before the dawning of the day
he'll be our faith
to feel the music right

return of the king
just before the dawning of the day

he'll be our faith
to feel the music right

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Donald Byrd's song Return Of The King seem to be a reference to a highly anticipated return of someone who is viewed as a leader or a savior. The opening line "early in the morning just before the dawning of the day" sets the scene for something significant to happen, and the repetition of the line "return of the king" suggests that the subject of the song is someone who was once in power but is now making a comeback.

The line "he'll be our faith to feel the music right" is interesting in that it suggests that this person's return will have a profound impact on music, perhaps indicating that music has suffered in their absence. It's possible that the "king" in question is a musician or a patron of the arts. The phrase "to feel the music right" may also suggest that there is an objective standard of quality for music that is tied to this person's return.

Overall, the lyrics to Return Of The King are energetic and uplifting, implying that the return of this leader figure will bring positive change and uplift those who follow them.

Line by Line Meaning

early in the morning
At the time when the sun has not risen yet

just before the dawning of the day
At the end of the night, right before sunrise

return of the king
The comeback of a powerful and influential figure

he'll be our faith
He'll be the one who restores our confidence and belief

to feel the music right
To experience the music in its true form and essence

return of the king
The recurrence of a dominant being

just before the dawning of the day
In the predawn hours, when the night is almost over

he'll be our faith
He'll be the one to lead and guide our beliefs

to feel the music right
To sense and perceive the spirit of the music accurately

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LARRY MIZELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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