Born James Oscar Smith on 8th December 1925 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA. Smith was influenced by both gospel and blues. He first achieved prominence in the 1950s where his recordings became popular on jukeboxes before there were commonly used terms to describe his unique musical flavor. In the sixties and seventies he helped create the jazz style known as soul jazz.
Smith employed a unique technique to emulate a string bass player on the organ. Although he played walking bass lines on the pedals on ballads, for uptempo tunes, he would play the bass line on the lower manual and use the pedals for emphasis on the attack of certain notes. His solos were characterised by percussive chords mixed with very fast melodic improvisation with the right hand.
Smith was a prolific recording artist. He first recorded with the Blue Note label in 1956. His early albums with Blue Note sold very well, improving its financial viability and aiding the label's efforts to promote other artists. They include Home Cookin' , The Sermon!, Midnight Special, Prayer Meetin' , and Back at the Chicken Shack.
Smith signed to Verve Records label in 1963. Smith's albums with Verve include: The Cat, The Boss, Root Down, Peter & The Wolf, Any Number Can Win, The Incredible..., Bashin', Got My Mojo Workin', Christmas Cookin', and Organ Grinder Swing.
His influence has been felt across multiple generations and musical styles; nearly every subsequent jazz organist owes a large debt to Smith. The Beastie Boys (who sampled the bassline from Smith's "Root Down (and Get It)"—and saluted Smith in the lyrics—for their own hit "Root Down"), Medeski, Martin & Wood, and The Hayden-Eckert Ensemble are among the better known contemporary bands that pay tribute to Smith's sensibilities and sound. The Acid Jazz movement also reflects Smith's influences.
Smith died on 8th February 2005, in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
There are several other artists with this name: 1. an American jazz trumpeter, 2. an American jazz drummer, 3. a British guitarist for the band Foals, 4. blues guitarist Jimmy "Guitar" Smith.
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See Wikipedia for a disambiguation page for Jimmy Smith#Musicians.
Misery
Jimmy Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh yeah
So scared of breaking it
That you won′t let it bend
And I wrote two hundred letters
I will never send
Sometimes these cuts are so much
Deeper than they seem
I′d rather let them bleed
So let me be
And I'll set you free
I am in misery
There ain't nobody
Who can comfort me (oh yeah)
Why won′t you answer me?
Your silence is slowly killing me (oh yeah)
Girl you really got me bad
You really got me bad
I′m gonna get you back
Gonna get you back
Your salty skin and how
It mixes in with mine
The way it feels to be
Completely intertwined
It's not that I didn′t care
It's that I didn′t know
It's not what I didn′t feel,
It's what I didn't show
So let me be
And I′ll set you free
I am in misery
There ain′t nobody
Who can comfort me (oh yeah)
Why won't you answer me?
Your silence is slowly killing me (oh yeah)
Girl you really got me bad
You really got me bad
I′m gonna get you back
Gonna get you back
Say your faith is shaken
You may be mistaken
You keep me wide awake and
Waiting for the sun
I'm desperate and confused
So far away from you
I′m getting there
Don't care where I have to run
Why do you do what you do to me, yeah
Why won′t you answer me, answer me yeah
Why do you do what you do to me yeah
Why won't you answer me, answer me yeah
I am in misery
There ain't nobody
Who can comfort me (oh yeah)
Why won′t you answer me?
Your silence is slowly killing me (oh yeah)
Girl you really got me bad
You really got me bad
I′m gonna get you back
Gonna get you back
The song "Misery" by Jimmy Smith is a melancholic song about the pain of unrequited love. The lyrics describe the singer's desperation and confusion, as they are left longing for someone who doesn't seem to care about them. The lyrics "So scared of breaking it, that you won't let it bend" suggest that the person the singer is in love with is too afraid of getting hurt to take a chance on love. The singer has written "two hundred letters" that they will "never send" in an attempt to communicate their feelings, but ultimately they are met with silence.
The saltiness of the other person's skin and how it mixes with the singer's is a metaphor for the intimacy they once shared. Despite the fact that the singer cared deeply for the other person, they didn't know how to show it, and now they are left "in misery". The repeated chorus "Why won't you answer me? Your silence is slowly killing me" emphasizes how important communication is in any relationship, and how painful it can be to be left in the dark.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh yeah
An expression of intense emotion
So scared of breaking it
Fearful of ruining a relationship
That you won't let it bend
Reluctant to be flexible
And I wrote two hundred letters
Wrote multiple letters conveying feelings
I will never send
Will never reveal those feelings
Sometimes these cuts are so much
Emotional pain can be overwhelming
Deeper than they seem
The extent of hurt can be hidden
You'd rather cover up
Prefer to hide pain
I'd rather let them bleed
Prefer to confront the pain
So let me be
Leave me alone
And I'll set you free
I will release you from any expectations
I am in misery
I am in agony
There ain't nobody
No one could help or fix it
Who can comfort me (oh yeah)
Nobody can provide solace
Why won't you answer me?
I'm being ignored
Your silence is slowly killing me (oh yeah)
The lack of response hurts deeply
Girl you really got me bad
You have hurt me a lot
You really got me bad
The impact is significant
I'm gonna get you back
Revenge is imminent
Your salty skin and how
Physical memories of the past relationship
It mixes in with mine
Intertwined emotional connection
The way it feels to be
Lingering memories of the connection
Completely intertwined
Fully connected emotionally
It's not that I didn't care
I did care but failed to show it effectively
It's that I didn't know
Ignorant of the depth of emotions at that time
It's not what I didn't feel
Not lacking in emotions
It's what I didn't show
Failed to express those emotions
Say your faith is shaken
Doubting the relationship
You may be mistaken
May be wrong to doubt
You keep me wide awake and
Stay on my mind all the time
Waiting for the sun
Hoping for a better future
I'm desperate and confused
Overwhelmed by pain and mixed emotions
So far away from you
Emotionally disconnected
I'm getting there
Recovering slowly
Don't care where I have to run
Will do anything to move on
Why do you do what you do to me, yeah
Questioning the actions that caused pain
Why won't you answer me, answer me yeah
Wanting an explanation or response
Writer(s): John Lennon, Paul Mccartney
Contributed by Adrian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.