He recorded a number of popular albums with fellow trombonist Kai Winding, as well as many solo albums, and was a sideman on many classic jazz recordings. Several of his compositions, including "Wee Dot," "Lament," and "Enigma" are considered jazz standards. He was part of the Third Stream movement in jazz music in the late 1950s and early 1960s and wrote a number of large-scale works which incorporated elements of both classical and jazz music.
In his early twenties he developed a remarkable, flawless technique and was the first trombonist to rise to the challenge of bebop music, remaining unchallenged at the forefront of modern jazz throughout his career. In 1970 he ceased performing in public for most of 17 years, before a comeback in the late 1980s. From the mid fifties on, he was a perennial polling favorite in jazz circles, even winning Down Beat's "Trombonist of the Year" during years he wasn't active. Voted into Down Beat's Hall of Fame in 1995, J. J. Johnson's recording career spanned 54 years, from 1942 to 1996.
He has long been regarded as the greatest trombonist of the post-Swing Era, a pervasive influence on other jazz musicians, and one of jazz's legendary figures.
Too Marvelous for Words
J.J. Johnson Lyrics
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Like glorious, glamorous and that old standby amorous
It's all too wonderful, I'll never find the words
That say enough, tell enough, I mean they just aren't swell enough
You're much too much and just too very, very
To ever be in Webster's Dictionary
And so I'm borrowing a love song from the birds
You're much, you're too much and just too very, very
To ever be, to ever be in Webster's Dictionary
And so I'm borrowing a love song from the birds
To tell you that you're marvelous, tell you that you're marvelous
Tell you that you're marvelous, too marvelous for words
In J.J. Johnson's classic jazz tune, "Too Marvelous For Words," the singer is expressing their admiration for someone who is simply too great to describe aptly. The lyrics signal a lack of language to properly articulate the feeling of awesomeness, distinction, and admiration that the subject inspires. The words "marvelous," "glorious," "glamorous," and "amorous" all fail to capture the subject's essence and leave the singer in a state of awe. The phrase "It's all too wonderful, I'll never find the words/That say enough, tell enough, I mean they just aren't swell enough" emphasizes this feeling, suggesting that even the most beautiful, poetic language cannot do the subject justice.
The verses' climactic line, "You're much too much and just too very, very/To ever be in Webster's Dictionary," highlights the inadequacy of everyday language in describing this person's incredible nature. Instead, the singer borrows a love song from the birds, suggesting that the best and perhaps only way to convey such admiration is through music and the intangible feelings it can evoke.
Throughout, Johnson utilizes a syncopated, swinging melody and horn arrangement to convey the sense of effortless perfection that the lyrics suggest. Ultimately, "Too Marvelous For Words" is an ode to the sort of person who inspires wonder and admiration beyond words - a feeling that only music can come close to capturing.
Line by Line Meaning
You're just too marvelous, too marvelous for words
You are exceedingly fantastic and prodigious beyond any description.
Like glorious, glamorous and that old standby amorous
You are like the splendor of the heavens, the beauty of a movie star, and the undying passion of a lover.
It's all too wonderful, I'll never find the words
The extraordinary magnificence is so overwhelming that there are no words adequate enough to express its essence.
That say enough, tell enough, I mean they just aren't swell enough
Words cannot fully convey the depth of admiration and appreciation for your exceptional greatness.
You're much too much and just too very, very
You are excessively and extraordinarily remarkable beyond measure.
To ever be in Webster's Dictionary
You cannot be defined or described in any dictionary or words alone.
And so I'm borrowing a love song from the birds
I must rely on the beauty of music and nature to express the depth of my admiration for you.
To tell you that you're marvelous, too marvelous for words
The only way I can convey my appreciation for you is to say that you are incredible beyond any possibility of verbal expression.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY MERCER, RICHARD A. WHITING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind