Critic Alex Henderson writes, "Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to came to down-home blues, sexy ballads, and up-tempo aggression."
An accomplished dancer and pianist, he switched to tenor sax as his primary instrument in his early 20s, and quickly earned a reputation as a promising player. His recording career started in 1940, with the Barons of Rhythm.
Later on, he recorded or performed with Frankie Newton, Hot Lips Page, Roy Eldridge, Trummy Young, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins. Between 1944 and 1951, he worked intermittently with Cab Calloway. He recorded for Blue Note records in this era, and also served as a talent scout for the label (helping pianists Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell come to wider attention) and, due to his exceptional sight reading skills, was an uncredited impromptu arranger for many Blue Note sessions.
Due in part to struggles with drug addiction (but also due to the fading popularity of big band music), Quebec recorded only sporadically during the 1950s, though he still performed regularly. He kept abreast on new developments in jazz, and his later playing incorportated elements of hard bop and soul jazz.
In 1959 he began a what amounted to a comeback with a series of albums on the Blue Note label. Blue Note executive Alfred Lion was always fond of Quebec's music, but was unsure how audiences would respond to the saxophonist after a decade of low visibility. In the mid-to-late 1950s, Blue Note issued a series of Quebec singles for the juke box market; audinences responded well, leading to a number of warmly-received albums.
Quebec's comeback was cut short by his death from lung cancer.
Influenced by Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster but definitely his own person, Ike Quebec was one of the finest swing-oriented tenor saxman of the 1940s and '50s. Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to came to down-home blues, sexy ballads, and up-tempo aggression. Originally a pianist, Quebec switched to tenor in the early '40s and showed that he had made the right decision on excellent 78s for Blue Note and Savoy (including his hit "Blue Harlem"). As a sideman, he worked with Benny Carter, Kenny Clarke, Roy Eldridge, and Cab Calloway. In the late '40s, the saxman did a bit of freelancing behind the scenes as a Blue Note A&R man and brought Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell to the label. Drug problems kept Quebec from recording for most of the 1950s, but he made a triumphant comeback in the early '60s and was once again recording for Blue Note and doing freelance A&R for the company. Quebec was playing as authoritatively as ever well into 1962, giving no indication that he was suffering from lung cancer, which claimed his life at the age of 44 in 1963. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi
I Surrender Dear
Ike Quebec Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sworn enemy of love
Kept my lips from saying
Things I was thinking of.
But now my pride you've humbled,
I've cast it to the winds,
Broken, beaten, sick at heart
My confession begins.
We've played the game of stay away
But it cost more that I can pay.
Without you I can't make my way,
I surrender, dear.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
I surrender, dear.
Little mean things we were doing
Must have been part of the game,
Lending a spice to the wooing,
But I don't care who's to blame.
When stars appear and shadows fall,
Why then you'll hear My poor heart call,
To you my love, my life, my all
I surrender, dear.
We've played the game of stay away
But it cost more that I can pay.
Without you I can't make my way,
I surrender, dear.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
I surrender, dear.
Little mean things we were doing
Must have been part of the game,
Lending a spice to the wooing,
But I don't care who's to blame.
When stars appear And shadows fall,
Why then you'll hear My poor heart call,
To you my love, my life, my all
The first few lines of "I Surrender Dear" introduce the theme of pride as an enemy of love. It suggests this idea of repressing one's true feelings, even though it can cause heartache and trouble in the long run. In the second verse, the singer admits to playing the game of "stay away" despite the fact that it cost them more than they were willing to pay. It's evident throughout the song that the singer wants to surrender, but they're struggling with fear, ego, and pride.
The third verse adds an exciting layer to the song as they acknowledge that the little mean things they were doing were part of the game. Whether it was playing hard to get, withholding their true feelings or engaging in other such behaviors, but, with the sight of the stars and shadows falling, the singer's true feelings of love come shining through. The song expresses a yearning to have love as their one true focus, and so they surrender all of the games and the pride that came with them. The closing line, "to you my love, my life, my all," highlights the power of love over pride and the willingness of the singer to relinquish these negative qualities for the person they adore.
Line by Line Meaning
Pride, sad, splendid liar,
My pride has lied to me and made me sad.
Sworn enemy of love
My pride has caused me to push away my love.
Kept my lips from saying Things I was thinking of.
I was afraid to express my true feelings and thoughts.
But now my pride you've humbled,
You have made me realize the foolishness of my pride.
I've cast it to the winds, Broken, beaten, sick at heart My confession begins.
I am broken and beaten down, and ready to confess my true feelings.
We've played the game of stay away But it cost more that I can pay. Without you I can't make my way, I surrender, dear.
Our game of pushing each other away has cost me too much. Without you, I cannot continue.
I may seem proud, I may act gay, It's just a pose, I'm not that way, 'Cause deep down in my heart I say I surrender, dear.
I may act like I don't care, but deep down I know I need you and am ready to surrender.
Little mean things we were doing Must have been part of the game, Lending a spice to the wooing, But I don't care who's to blame.
Our past games and actions were just part of the process, and I am willing to let go of any blame.
When stars appear and shadows fall, Why then you'll hear My poor heart call, To you my love, my life, my all I surrender, dear.
In my lowest moments, I will always call for you and surrender my heart, my life, and everything to you.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GORDON CLIFFORD, HARRY BARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind