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.
This Can't Be Love
Erroll Garner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because I feel so well
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
This can't be love
I get no dizzy spells
My head is not in the skies
My heart does not stand still
This is too sweet to be love
This can't be love
Because I feel so well
I love to look in your eyes
I love to look in your eyes
This can't be love
Because I feel so well
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
This can't be love
I get no dizzy spells
My head is not in the skies
My heart does not stand still
Just hear it beat
This is too sweet to be love
This can't be love
Because I feel so well
I love to look in your eyes
I love to look in your eyes
The song "This Can't Be Love" by Erroll Garner is a love song, but it is different from typical love songs that sorrow and sigh with heartbreaks. In this song, the singer is in love and feels good about it. The singer dislikes when people associate love with negative feelings like sobs and sorrows. The singer doesn't feel any of those things; instead, he feels great being in love. The idea of somebody feeling well while in love is quite unconventional, but perhaps it speaks to the depths of love that Garner is trying to depict. When he looks into his lover's eyes, he feels a sense of goodness which further makes him doubt that what he is feeling is real love. The song ends on that note of disbelief, questioning whether this could be love.
In terms of interpretation, the lyrics are celebratory in nature, for the singer is joyful that he has found love. He is not swept off his feet by his love for another, but instead, he is "grounded" with a sense of peace and contentment. His experience of love is not one of tumultuous highs or lows but rather a calmness akin to feeling well. The song deviates from other love songs by challenging the perception that love has to be an erratic journey filled with extreme and intense emotions, by acknowledging that it can come in peaceful, contented waves.
Line by Line Meaning
This can't be love
I am so content and happy that this cannot possibly be love.
Because I feel so well
I am feeling amazing and not experiencing any negative emotions that come with being in love.
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
I am not crying, feeling sad or depressed, or showing any other signs of negative emotions that often come with love.
I get no dizzy spells
I am not feeling lightheaded or experiencing any other physical symptoms that often accompany love.
My head is not in the skies
I am not daydreaming or feeling like I am floating on air, which are common experiences when in love.
My heart does not stand still
My heart beats steadily and consistently, indicating that I am not experiencing any intense feelings of love.
Just hear it beat
I am able to hear my own heart beating regularly, which shows that I am not feeling an overwhelming passion associated with love.
This is too sweet to be love
I am enjoying this feeling too much to believe that it is the intense emotions associated with love.
I love to look in your eyes
I enjoy looking into your eyes, but not necessarily because I am in love with you.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., IMAGEM MUSIC INC
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alexander Gilson
And the response? =All time CLASSIC!