Standards, Volume 2 and Changes, both recorded at the same session in New York, followed soon after. The success of these albums and the group's ensuing tour, which came as traditional acoustic post-bop was enjoying an upswing in the early 1980s, led to this new "Standards Trio" becoming one of the premier working groups in jazz, and certainly one of the most enduring, continuing to record and perform live over more than twenty years.
The Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette trio has also produced recordings that consist largely of challenging original material, most notably 1987's Changeless. (These recordings are noted above.) Several of the standards albums contain an original track or two, some attributed to Jarrett but mostly group improvisations. The live recordings Inside Out and Always Let Me Go (both released in 2001) marked a renewed interest by the trio in wholly improvised free jazz. By this point in their history, the musical communication between these three men had become all but telepathic, and their group improvisations frequently take on a complexity that sounds almost composed. The Standards Trio undertakes frequent world tours of recital halls (the only venues in which Jarrett, a notorious stickler for acoustic sound, will play these days) and is one of the few truly lucrative jazz groups to play both "straight-ahead" (as opposed to smooth) and free jazz.
Bye Bye Blackbird
Keith Jarrett Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Pack up all my cares and woe, here I go, winging low
Bye, bye, blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye, bye, blackbird
No one here can love or understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye, bye
Bye, bye, blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye, bye, blackbird
No one here can love or understand me
Oh what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye, bye
The lyrics of "Bye Bye Blackbird" by Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, and Paul Motian depict the singer's discontentment with his current situation and his yearning to find someone who understands and loves him. The first stanza reveals the isolation that the singer is feeling, with no one around him able to empathize or connect with him. He is tired of hearing the same gloomy stories and decides to pack up his cares and woes and take off on his own, winging low. The repetition of "bye bye, blackbird" emphasizes his departure and his willingness to leave behind everything that doesn't serve him.
In the second stanza, the singer reveals that he has someone waiting for him, someone who is as sweet as sugar. This person is most likely the reason for his departure, a new start with someone who can give him the love and understanding that he craves. He repeats "bye bye, blackbird" once again as if to confirm his resolve to leave everything behind.
The last stanza ends with a repetition of the first one, highlighting the singer's disconnection from the people around him. But he doesn't despair anymore; instead, he has a plan to move forward. He asks to have his bed made and the light lit, as he will arrive late tonight. This final line implies that he has a destination, and perhaps, he will finally feel understood and loved.
Line by Line Meaning
No one here can love or understand me
I feel alone and misunderstood by those around me.
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
People constantly share negative stories and experiences with me, making me feel even more down.
Pack up all my cares and woe, here I go, winging low
I'm ready to leave behind all my troubles and sadness, and go on with my life feeling low and unimportant.
Bye, bye, blackbird
Goodbye to everything that brings me down and makes me feel unimportant.
Where somebody waits for me
I have hope that there's someone out there who will understand and love me for who I am.
Sugar's sweet, so is she
The person I'm hoping for is not only sweet like sugar, but also kind and loving just like me.
Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight
I'm preparing for a journey to meet someone special who might bring joy and love back into my life.
Blackbird, bye, bye
Bye to everything that's holding me back, and hello to a new chapter of hope and love in my life.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@guscaldas3
Wonderful! This whole CD is the jazziest and most raw of all his trio recordings. Paul Motian obviously brings something different. Also, the venue and smaller Steinway. The entire history of jazz piano is in this rendition! Thank you again.
@MrDjango1953
A brilliant transcription of my favourite version of Bye Bye Blackbird of all -- Keith is hearing Miles in his right hand i think. Its one long melody... The way the solo builds is totally masterful - every chorus in the right place gradually climbing the register to the top keys at the end.
@coovgroove715
One of my favorite solos of all time. Keith expressing pure, swinging joy and transcendence, using an old cornball tune as his unlikely vehicle.
@doobeedoo2
What makes it cornball? Jazz tunes from the start started as showtunes.
@trevormckinnon6696
Lovely performance from Keith Jarrett here. Echoes of Wynton Kelly in it which surprised me since he is more often compared to Bill Evans. Thank you.
@timbruer7318
What an excellent solo and transcription. Definitely some Wynton Kelly influence in there to my ears....
@christopherluk7421
Beautiful
@rawmintvideo
The best!! Thank you!!
@michsub
Great work. I'm amazed how you could make out all those ghost notes in the left hand