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.
If I Were A Bell
Keith Jarrett Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that we're cosy and clinging,
Well sir, all I can say is
If I were a bell I'd be ringing!
From the moment we kissed goodnight,
That's the way I just gotta behave,
And if I were a lamp I'd light,
Ask me how do I feel,
Little me with my quiet upbringing,
Well sir, all I can say is
If I were a gate I'd be swinging!
And if I were a watch,
I'd start popping my spring,
Oh, and if I were a bell
I'd go "Ding dong ding dong ding!".
Ask me how do I feel
From this chemistry lesson I'm learning,
Well sir, all I can say is
If I were a bridge I'd be burning!
Well, I knew my moral would crack
From the wonderful way you looked,
Boy, if I were a duck I'd quack,
Or if I were a goose I'd be cooked!
Ask me how do I feel
Now that we're fondly caressing,
And if I were a salad,
I know I'd be splashing my dressing!
Or if I were a season,
I'd surely be Spring,
Yes, and if I were a bell,
Say, if I were a bell,
If I were a bell
I'd go "Ding dong ding dong ding!".
The lyrics of "If I Were A Bell" by Keith Jarrett Gary Peacock Jack DeJohnette are about the overwhelming feeling of love and the desire to express oneself freely. The singer is asked how they feel now that they are comfortable and close with their loved one, and they respond by saying that if they were a bell, they would be ringing with joy. They describe the moment they kissed goodnight and how it has affected them, saying it has "cracked their moral." The singer goes on to say that if they were various objects or animals, they would behave in a certain way to express their love.
The lyrics are a metaphorical representation of the singer's feelings towards their loved one. By comparing themselves to various objects, animals, and seasons, the singer expresses the intensity of their emotions, and how they would behave if they were those things. The use of metaphors creates a vivid image of the singer's emotions, giving the song a playful and whimsical tone. The lyrics also emphasize the freedom and spontaneity that the singer feels in expressing their love.
Line by Line Meaning
Ask me how do I feel,
Inquire about my emotional state
Now that we're cosy and clinging,
Since we're comfortable and holding each other tightly
Well sir, all I can say is
Honestly, the only thing I can express is
If I were a bell I'd be ringing!
I would be joyously chiming like a festive bell
From the moment we kissed goodnight,
Starting from when we exchanged our goodbye kisses
That's the way I just gotta behave,
Behaving accordingly is mandatory for me
And if I were a lamp I'd light,
I'd be ablaze like a lamp turning on
Or if I were a banner I'd wave!
I would wave proudly like a banner
Little me with my quiet upbringing,
Referring to my modest background
And if I were a gate I'd be swinging!
I'd be swinging open like a gate
And if I were a watch,
If I were a timepiece
I'd start popping my spring,
My spring would be sprung
Oh, and if I were a bell
Moreover, if I were a bell
I'd go "Ding dong ding dong ding!".
I would emit a pleasing chime sound
From this chemistry lesson I'm learning,
From the romance lesson I'm experiencing
Well sir, all I can say is
Truthfully, the only response I have is
If I were a bridge I'd be burning!
I'd be burning like an impassable bridge
Well, I knew my moral would crack
I always knew my resolve would falter
From the wonderful way you looked,
From the enchanting way you gazed at me
Boy, if I were a duck I'd quack,
I'd quack like a contented duck
Or if I were a goose I'd be cooked!
I'd be cooked if I were a goose
Now that we're fondly caressing,
Since we're tenderly embracing
And if I were a salad,
If I were a meal of greens and dressing
I know I'd be splashing my dressing!
The dressing would be splashing all over
Or if I were a season,
Alternatively, if I were a period of the year
I'd surely be Spring,
I would probably be the Springtime
Yes, and if I were a bell,
Indeed, if I were a bell
Say, if I were a bell,
If, for example, I were a bell
If I were a bell
If I took on the form of a bell
I'd go "Ding dong ding dong ding!".
I would make joyful ringing sounds
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARY C BROCKERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paulienebz
This sheer joy of watching this trio work together is so rewarding. One can like or dislike Keith's body movements or vocalizations, but all you have to is watch Gary Peacock's expression of delight as Keith unfolds his song. Jack is the timekeeper of the last half-century, from Chas. Lloyd to Miles to Keith. Genius at play.
@georgesprudente3942
Thanks. Gary Peacock. RIP
May 12, 1935 – September 4, 2020
@MabookaMabooka
sad, sad, sad......
@desmondnazombe5922
I miss Keith so much on the jazz scene. Wow. Let him recover and come and dish out such beautiful music to the listening public
@MarkTarmannPianoCheck_it_out
with one hand perhaps, like Oscar. Maybe he would do it. But he's not getting his left hand back. See R Beato's recent vid of Jarrett at home. Desafinado. He's still way ahead of me with one hand, on a tune he probably hasn't played since he did dinner music sets when he was 17.
@harrisonrichter9414
Man, he's given us so much music already, let him retire like he seems to want. He's certainly made enough money to live comfortably, God bless him
@heliofernandesdasilva8117
I adore Keith Jarrett. He is Virtuosissimo! A Genius of the Art of Music, a Master of piano! Unbelivable! I thank God to be here for knowing him...
@normhall1622
It looks like the audience is being rained on. Yet the place is full. Wow!
@bucknermr
Yeah Gary.
@PabloVestory
Also, is amazing to listen Jack DeJonette (who, among other things, seems to like playing very freely with the pulse, stretching and contracting it elastically and so), playing in this setting with a very beautiful straight drive absolutely "in the pocket". Is by things like these that he is a Legend