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.
Talk Of The Town
Erroll Garner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were more than sweethearts,
It's so hard to understand.
Don't know why it happened,
Don't know how it started,
Why should we be strangers,
After all we planned.
I can't show my face,
Can't go anyplace,
People stop an' stare,
It's so hard to bear,
Everybody knows you left me,
It's the talk of the town
Every time we meet,
My heart skips a beat,
We don't stop to speak,
'Though it's just a week,
Everybody knows you left me,
It's the talk of the town
We send out invitations,
To friends and relations,
Announcing our weddin' day
Friends and our relations,
Gave congratulations,
How can you face them?
What can you say?
Let's make up sweetheart,
We can't stay apart,
Don't let foolish pride,
Keep you from my side,
How can love like ours be ended?
It's the talk of the town
How can you face them?
What can you say?
Let's make up sweetheart,
We can't stay apart,
Don't let foolish pride,
Keep you from my side,
How can love like ours be ended?
It's the talk of the town, hm
It's the talk of the town.
The lyrics of Erroll Garner's classic "It's the Talk of the Town" describe the pain and confusion of a couple's breakup as they realize that they have become the subject of gossip in the town. The opening lines suggest that their relationship was more than just a casual fling, but rather a deep and meaningful connection that has now ended in a way that is difficult to come to terms with. The singer admits that they don't know why it happened or how it started, and laments the fact that they are now strangers after all they had planned.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as the singer describes the way they are unable to face the world in the wake of the breakup. They can't show their face or go anywhere without feeling the weight of the gossip and the judgment of others. The repetition of the phrase "it's the talk of the town" emphasizes how pervasive and all-consuming the gossip has become, and how difficult it is to escape from its effects.
The final verse of the song is a plea to their former partner to reconcile and put an end to the rumors and gossip. They ask their partner not to let "foolish pride" keep them apart, and to remember the love they shared that was so abruptly ended. The song ends on a melancholy note, with the singer still struggling to come to terms with the end of the relationship and the way it has forever changed the way they are perceived by others.
Line by Line Meaning
We were more than lovers,
Our relationship meant more than just romance
We were more than sweethearts,
Our love went deeper than just being a couple
It's so hard to understand.
I don't know why it had to end
Don't know why it happened,
I can't explain why we broke up
Don't know how it started,
I'm not sure how our love ended
Why should we be strangers,
I don't understand why we can't talk
After all we planned.
We had so many dreams together
I can't show my face,
I'm too ashamed to be seen
Can't go anyplace,
I'm too embarrassed to be in public
People stop an' stare,
Everyone looks at me with pity and curiosity
It's so hard to bear,
It's painful to endure this humiliation
Everybody knows you left me,
The whole town is aware of our breakup
Every time we meet,
Whenever we run into each other
My heart skips a beat,
I still have feelings for you
We don't stop to speak,
We avoid each other
'Though it's just a week,
Even though it's been a short time
We send out invitations,
We invited people to our wedding
To friends and relations,
To our loved ones
Announcing our weddin' day
Sharing the news of our upcoming marriage
Gave congratulations,
Our friends and family were happy for us
How can you face them?
How can you look them in the eye?
What can you say?
What explanation can you give for our breakup?
Let's make up sweetheart,
Let's reconcile, my love
We can't stay apart,
We can't live without each other
Don't let foolish pride,
Don't allow arrogance to ruin our love
Keep you from my side,
Don't let yourself be away from me
How can love like ours be ended?
How could we let a love as strong as ours end?
It's the talk of the town, hm
Everyone is gossiping about us
It's the talk of the town.
Our breakup has become the town's news
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: AL J. NEIBURG, JERRY LIVINGSTON, MARTY SYMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SELMER1947
I'll never get be tired by his genius
@dkj4183
Not bad. Back in 1960 I was able to meet and kinda greet Mr. Garner. He was not so friendly as I remembered. No problem.
@jazzupthattriad1257
Interesting anecdote. Could you shed light where this happened, what were the circumstances and how old you were. How did he come across as "unfriendly" in his demeanor? Thank you kindly beforehand.