Burrell made his first recording in 1951, with Dizzy Gillespie. After moving from Detroit to New York City in 1956, he recorded with a wide range of prominent musicians, including John Coltrane, Benny Goodman, Gil Evans, Stan Getz, Billie Holiday, Milt Jackson, Quincy Jones, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine, and Cedar Walton. He also led his own groups since 1951.
In the 1970s he began leading seminars about music, particularly Duke Ellington's (Burrell has a music degree from Wayne State University). A highly popular performer, he has won several jazz polls in Japan and the United Kingdom as well as the United States.
He has recorded about 40 LPs, including Midnight Blue (1961), Blue Lights, Guitar Forms, Sunup To Sundown (1990), Soft Winds (1993), Then Along Came Kenny (1993), and Lotus Blossom (1995).
Burrell now serves as Director of Jazz Studies at UCLA.
Prelude To A Kiss
Kenny Burrell Lyrics
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A song in blue
Like a flower crying
For the dew
That was my heart serenading you
My prelude to a kiss
If you hear a song that grows
That was my heart trying to compose
A prelude to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
Oh how my love song gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
Oh how my love song so gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss
The lyrics to Kenny Burrell's song "Prelude To A Kiss" express a deep and tender emotion of love. The opening lines suggest that the singer's heart is so overwhelmed with intense feelings of love that it serenades the loved one through a song that is blue, which seems to signify longing and melancholy. The image of a flower crying for the dew further reinforces this sense of yearning and desire for something that is missing. The song that grows from the singer's "tender sentimental woes" expresses the depth of their emotion in a simple melody that could be turned into a symphony. The lyrics, "My love is a prelude that never dies," suggest that the song is a precursor to something greater, perhaps the beginning of a lifelong love story.
The use of musical terms such as "prelude" and "symphony" connect the emotion of love to artistic expression, suggesting that the singer's love is not just an ordinary feeling but a work of art in its own right. The lyrics also reference classical composers such as Shubert and Gershwin, further emphasizing the idea that love is a timeless and universal experience that transcends cultural boundaries. The repetition of the phrase "Oh how my love song gently cries" adds to the emotional weight of the song and underscores the unstoppable nature of love. Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of romantic longing, emotional intensity, and a deep connection to musical expression.
Line by Line Meaning
If you hear
If you happen to hear
A song in blue
A song with a sad tone or melody
Like a flower crying
Similar to the way a flower appears to cry or droop when it needs water
For the dew
For moisture or nourishment
That was my heart serenading you
That is my heart singing to you as if you were a lover or someone very dear to me
My prelude to a kiss
My musical introduction or preface to a kiss
If you hear a song that grows
If you hear a song that develops or progresses
From my tender sentimental woes
From my sensitive emotional difficulties
That was my heart trying to compose
That is my heart attempting to create
A prelude to a kiss
An introductory musical piece before a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
Although it is only a basic tune
With nothing fancy
Without any ornamentation or embellishment
Nothing much
Not particularly significant or noteworthy
You could turn it to a symphony
You have the ability to transform it into a grand orchestral composition
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
A piece of music in the style of Franz Schubert, but with the influence of George Gershwin
Oh how my love song gently cries
Oh how my song of love softly expresses feelings of sadness
For the tenderness within your eyes
Because of the kindness and compassion I see in your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
My affection is an introduction that will never fade away
A prelude to a kiss
An overture to a romantic kiss
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, IRVING MILLS, IRVING GORDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind