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.
Intro / Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Keith Jarrett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My true love was true
I, I of course replied
"Something here inside
Cannot be denied," oh no
They said, "Someday you'll find
All who love are blind"
You must realize
Smoke gets in your eyes
So I chaffed them and I gaily laughed
To think they could doubt my love
Yet today, my love has flown away
I am without my love
Now laughing friends deride
Tears I cannot hide, boo hoo
So I smile and say
"When a lovely flame dies
Smoke gets in your eyes"
The song "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is a reflective and melancholic piece about lost love, a classic theme in many genres of music, but delivered here in the medium of jazz. The song is a story about the singer who is initially confident and self-assured, but as the relationship ends and his/her lover departs, he feels derided by the judgment of others, left alone with his/her sorrows. The opening lines, "They ask me how I knew my true love was true / I, of course, replied, 'something here inside cannot be denied,' oh no," reveal the singer's strong connection with and unwavering conviction about his/her feelings. The singer even chaffs the doubters and confidently proclaims his love.
However, as the song progresses, the singer's tone changes. The chorus inserts itself, "When your heart's on fire, you must realize / smoke gets in your eyes." This chorus reflects that falling in love is an intoxicating process, and when it ends, it leaves a smoky haze that occludes one's ability to see the world as it is. The singer's confidence and assurance fade as the story progresses. There is a mournful acceptance of the end and the feeling of isolation and humiliation that comes with it.
Overall, the lyrics of the song express the idea that sometimes, despite our best intentions and deepest desires, love does not always last, and that even when it ends, it leaves a profound and lasting impact.
Line by Line Meaning
They ask me how I knew
They inquire about how I could figure out
My true love was true
That the person I loved was indeed the right one for me
I, I of course replied
I, without a doubt, responded to them
"Something here inside
Cannot be denied," oh no
I expressed that a genuine feeling within me couldn't be ignored
They said, "Someday you'll find
All who love are blind"
They advised me that someday I would realize that everyone in love is ignorant
When your heart's on fire
You must realize
Smoke gets in your eyes
When you're passionate, you must acknowledge that you'll lose sight of some things around due to the smoke of your raging flame
So I chaffed them and I gaily laughed
To think they could doubt my love
So I ridiculed and laughed merrily at them for even doubting my affection
Yet today, my love has flown away
I am without my love
However, today, my love is gone, and I'm left without that special one
Now laughing friends deride
Tears I cannot hide, boo hoo
Friends who were once amusing now mock me, and I can't escape my sorrowful tears
So I smile and say
"When a lovely flame dies
Smoke gets in your eyes"
Therefore, I put on a fake smile and tell them that when a beautiful love diminishes, the smoke of that fire will mask your eyes and cloud your mind.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@catherineallison783
Beautiful,sensitive playing. I love when masters of Jazz play standards and honour the melodies.
@guscaldas2
Thank you so much!!! The album TRIBUTE has a version. Used to listen to it non stop. A marvelous surprise to find this version!
@barkofink
Yes, "Yesterdays" album has one another version too, probably the better he recorded so far.
@TehWinnerz
thanks for uploading this!
@jiyujizai
🥀☺️🍀🌴
@alefor5423
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cxFxMF_DvM8 jazz ballad