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.
Why Was I Born
Kenny Burrell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With nothing to do
But to live in dreams that I make up
All by myself
Dreaming that you're beside me
I picture the prettiest stories
Only to wake up
What is the good of me by myself?
Why was I born
Why am I living
What do I get
What am I giving
Why do I want a thing
I daren't hope for
What can I hope for
I wish I knew
Why do I try
To draw you near me
Why do I do I cry
You never hear me
I'm a poor fool
But what can I do
Why was I born
To love you
I'm a poor fool
But what can I do
Why was I born
To love you
The lyrics of Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane's song "Why Was I Born" express a sense of loneliness and unrequited love. The singer spends their evenings alone, dreaming of the person they love who is not with them. They imagine stories of being together, only to have those dreams shattered when they wake up alone. They question what the point of living alone is and why they were even born, leading to a contemplation of the purpose of life and the reasons for wanting things that they might never have. Despite their efforts to draw the person they love near, they feel unheard and are left to feel like a "poor fool" for being in love with someone who may never reciprocate their feelings.
The song captures the universal experience of longing for someone who is unattainable and the insecurities and doubts that come with unrequited love. The lyrics convey the yearning for human connection and the yearning for something more meaningful in life. The use of rhetorical questions, such as "Why was I born?" and "Why do I try to draw you near me?" adds a sense of helplessness and despondency. The lyrics are matched with beautiful, haunting music that complements the melancholic theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Spending these lonesome evenings
Passing away these solitary nights,
With nothing to do
Without any task or activity to engage in,
But to live in dreams that I make up
Except occupying my thoughts with self-made illusions,
All by myself
Alone.
Dreaming that you're beside me
Imagining your presence beside me,
I picture the prettiest stories
I create the most beautiful tales,
Only to wake up
But, ultimately, reality hits me,
All by myself
Alone.
What is the good of me by myself?
What is my worth when I am alone?
Why was I born
What is the purpose of my existence?
Why am I living
What makes me keep going each day?
What do I get
What benefits do I receive?
What am I giving
What contributions am I making?
Why do I want a thing
What is the reason for my desiring something,
I daren't hope for
Which I know is unattainable,
What can I hope for
What expectations can I hold onto,
I wish I knew
I just wish I had the answer.
Why do I try
Why do I bother making an effort,
To draw you near me
To bring you close to me,
Why do I do I cry
Why do tears flow from my eyes when
You never hear me
you never acknowledge my feelings?
I'm a poor fool
I am just a foolish person,
But what can I do
But what other options do I have?
Why was I born
Why was I brought into this world,
To love you
Only to love someone who never notices me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cxrgaming923
Such an immaculate sound of both the tenor sax and the guitar consonantly in tune with such feel. I can sit back with a little wine and just watch the sunset melt away into the night.
@gerardrimmer1601
It doesn’t get much better than that pure emotion you can feel those chords lifting your soul damn that’s heaven
@empresto7516
First time i heard this i was like wooow .
Second time, i cried. I dont know why
@haroldfrank83
U were born to be the greatest saxophone player in the history of mankind. Thanks to Coltrane we have today such a greats as Chris Potter, we had Michael Brecker (unfortunatelly not here anymore) and many others who grew up and fed from his influence. Thanks John Coltrane
@eulissbenoit5968
amen a thousand times
@pepperwilliams4428
One person REALLY REALLY lost his/her mind! This rendition of "Why Was I Born?" is beyond perfection. Coltrane's tone is absolutely 'spot on', and Burrell's accompaniment is superb!!!!
@rtblues
One of the most beautiful ballads ever recorded in Jazz history!
GREAT~
@najponkjazz9111
You are right Dizzy!!!! It is so BEAUTIFUL!!!!
@eulissbenoit5968
yes indeed
@morel7899
it is, ballads ... no one comes even close to Trane