Erroll Louis Garner was born on 15th June 1921 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and began playing the piano at the age of three. At the age of seven he began appearing on radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh with a group called the Candy Kids. By the age of eleven he was playing on the Allegheny riverboats. At the age of fourteen in 1937 he joined local saxophonist Leroy Brown.
He played locally in the shadow of his older pianist brother, Linton Garner, and moved to New York in 1944. He briefly worked with the bassist Slam Stewart, and though not a bebop musician, in 1947 he played with Charlie Parker on the famous "Cool Blues" session. Although his admission to the Pittsburgh music union was initially refused because of his inability to read music, they eventually relented in 1956 and made him an honorary member. Garner is credited with having a superb memory for music; after attending a concert by the Russian pianist Emil Gilels, Garner returned to his apartment and was able to play a large portion of the performed music.
His 1955 recording Concert by the Sea ranks among his very best work. Ironically this recording of a performance at an army base in Carmel, California, featuring Eddie Calhoun on bass and Denzil Best on drums, was made using relatively primitive sound equipment, but Garner's inventiveness and swing made its point in each tune. Other notable works include 1951's Long Ago and Far Away and 1974's Magician, both of which see Erroll perform a number of classic standards in his own style. Often the trio was expanded to add Latin percussion, usually a conga, with electric results.
What made Erroll easy to recognise were his trademark introductions, that seemed to make no sense but broke dramatically into his exposition of the tune he was to play, and the guitar strumming sound of his left hand, playing crotchet accompaniment to his rich-sounding right hand. This approach suggests that he was influenced by the iconic rhythm guitar work of Count Basie's long time guitarist, Freddie Green. But discerning listeners could find that while his even-four left hand was a fixture, it was far from being the only rhythmic approach he took to playing.
Lover
Erroll Garner Lyrics
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I let you
We broke the ties that bind
I wanted to forget you
And leave the past behind
Still, the magic of the night I met you
Seems to stay forever in my mind
And high above
The moon was new
And so was love
This eager heart of mine was singing
Lover where can you be
You came at last
Love had its day
That day is past
You've gone away
This aching heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
When I remember every little thing
You used to do
I'm so lonely
Every road I walk along
I walk along with you
No wonder I am lonely
The sky is blue
The night is cold
The moon is new
But love is old
And while I'm waiting here
This heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
When I remember every little thing
You used to do
I grow lonely
Every road I walk along
I walk along with you
No wonder I am lonely
The sky is blue
The night is cold
The moon is new
But love is old
And while I'm waiting here
This heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
The lyrics of Erroll Garner's "Lover Come Back to Me" talks about a love that was lost and the lingering effects it has on the singer's mind. The singer describes how they let their lover go and tried to forget them, but the memory of the night they met still remains in their mind. The feeling of love was new and exciting during that time, but now the singer is left alone and singing about their pain. The lyrics mention how every little thing that their lover used to do is remembered, causing them to feel lonely and lost without them. The singer is waiting for their lover to come back, hoping to experience that feeling of love once again.
Line by Line Meaning
You went away
You left me
I let you
I allowed you to leave
We broke the ties that bind
We ended our relationship
I wanted to forget you
I desired to erase you from my memory
And leave the past behind
And move on from what we had
Still, the magic of the night I met you
However, the enchantment of the night we first met
Seems to stay forever in my mind
Appears to remain eternally in my thoughts
The sky was blue
The sky was azure
And high above
And distanced above
The moon was new
The moon was at its beginning phase
And so was love
And so was our affection for each other
This eager heart of mine was singing
My enthusiastic heart was singing
Lover where can you be
Oh, where could you be, my beloved
You came at last
Finally, you arrived
Love had its day
Our love had its moment
That day is past
However, that day has come and gone
You've gone away
You have departed
This aching heart of mine is singing
My paining heart is singing
Lover come back to me
My love, please return to me
When I remember every little thing
When I reminisce about the slightest detail
You used to do
Things you used to do
I'm so lonely
I feel so isolated
Every road I walk along
Every path I traverse
I walk along with you
I envision walking with you
No wonder I am lonely
I am not surprised that I feel lonesome
The sky is blue
The sky is still azure
The night is cold
The night is chilly
But love is old
However, our love is long-lasting
And while I'm waiting here
And while I wait here
This heart of mine is singing
My heart is singing
Lover come back to me
My love, please come back to me
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN, II, OSCAR II HAMMERSTEIN, SIGMUND ROMBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind