Jarrett began piano lessons at the age of two and played for the first time on stage at the age of seven. In 1962 he played a self-composed two-hour concert, without the benefit of any prior formal instruction in orchestration or composition. After working with a wide variety of musicians, beginning in 1966, including Chet Baker, Lee Konitz and Art Blakey, he founded his own band in 1968 with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian. In 1971-76 Dewey Redman (saxophone) joined the group and they played under the name of the "American Quartet". His work with Miles Davis between 1969 and 1971 gave his career an additional boost, as well as the opportunity to play solo concerts such as the "Köln Concert" (1975, Cologne, Germany), honoured by Time Magazine as album of the year.
Since the early 1970s, he has enjoyed a great deal of success, both artistic and commercial, in both classical and jazz music as a group leader and a solo performer. His improvisation technique combines jazz, classical, gospel, blues, and various ethnic-folk musics. He is considered by some, to be the "Bach" of jazz music; this title may have come from his recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations, which, although it received many awards, was not entirely approved by critics.
In the 1990s he suffered chronic fatigue syndrome only to take up the piano again in 1998. He worked in a trio form with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette until 2014.
Jarrett stated in a 2005 TV interview that his music is influenced by the teachings and philosophy of Georges I. Gurdjieff, whom he honoured in "Sacred Hymns" (ECM, 1980). This philosophy informs many of his non-musical beliefs as well.
In 2008, he was inducted into the Down Beat Hall of Fame in the magazine's 73rd annual readers' poll.
In 2010, to coincide with his 65th birthday he released his first studio album in 12 years - Jasmine. It reunited Jarrett with his old bassist colleague Charlie Haden; the two had not recorded together for over 30 years.
In Love In Vain
Keith Jarrett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But who wants to be in love in vain
At night you hang around the hall
And eat your heart out
And cry your eyes out
And rack your brains
You sit and wonder why anyone as wonderful as she
I thought that I would be in Heaven
But I'm only up a tree
Cause it's just my luck to be in love in vain.
You sit and wonder why anyone as wonderful as he
Should cause you such misery and pain
I thought that I would be in Heaven
But I'm only up a tree
Cause it's just my luck to be in love in vain.
Keith Jarrett's song "In Love in Vain" is a heartfelt exploration of the human experience of unrequited love. The lyrics suggest that while it is natural for people to seek out love, it can be painful to find oneself "in love in vain." The singer describes how this experience can lead to sleepless nights spent agonizing over the object of one's affections. The juxtaposition of the vivid image of "hanging around the hall" with the emotional turmoil of "eating your heart out" and "crying your eyes out" conveys a sense of helplessness and despair.
The second verse of the song shifts to second person, as the singer addresses someone else who is going through a similar experience of unrequited love. The repetition of the first verse reinforces the universality of this painful human experience, while the switch from first to second person creates a sense of solidarity among those who have suffered through it. Together, the two verses suggest that the search for love can sometimes result in disappointment and pain, but that this pain is shared by others and can ultimately bring people closer together.
Line by Line Meaning
It's only human for anyone to want to be in love
It's natural for anyone to desire to fall in love.
But who wants to be in love in vain
However, no one wants to experience unrequited love.
At night you hang around the hall
During the night, you linger around the place where you last saw your beloved.
And eat your heart out
You feel intense emotional pain and sorrow.
And cry your eyes out
You cry a lot because of the sadness you're feeling.
And rack your brains
You try to figure out why your love is unrequited and what you could have done differently.
You sit and wonder why anyone as wonderful as she
You contemplate why someone as amazing as your love interest would not return your feelings.
Should cause you such misery and pain
It causes you intense suffering and agony.
I thought that I would be in Heaven
You believed that being in love with this person would bring you unparalleled happiness.
But I'm only up a tree
However, you find yourself stuck in a difficult or painful situation.
Cause it's just my luck to be in love in vain.
You feel like it's just your misfortune to experience unreturned love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEROME KERN, LEO ROBIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind