Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz vocalist.

El… Read Full Bio ↴Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz vocalist.

Elling graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota in 1989. He then enrolled in The University of Chicago's Divinity School and remained a student there until January 1992, when he left school one credit short of graduation.

In the last decade, Elling has released seven albums for the Blue Note label. He has also performed and recorded with many musicians, including David Amram, Bob Belden, Joanne Brackeen, Oscar Brown, Jr., Billy Corgan, Orbert Davis, George Freeman, Buddy Guy, Jon Hendricks, Charlie Hunter and Rex Richardson.

As of late 2005, Elling's current band includes Rob Amster on bass, Laurence Hobgood on piano, and Kobe Watkins on drums. He is regularly featured at the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge at 4802 N. Broadway in Chicago.

Elling has won the Down Beat and JazzTimes critics’ polls three years in a row in the Best Male Singer category. He is also Vice Chair of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the 17,000-member service organization that produces the annual Grammy Awards.

The Uncertainty Of The Poet
Kurt Elling Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I am a poet
I am very fond of bananas
I am bananas
I am very fond of a poet

I am a poet, I am bananas
I am a poet, I am bananas
I am a poet

I am a poet, I am very fond of bananas
I am bananas, I am very fond of a poet
I am a poet of bananas
I am a poet, I am very fond
(A fun poet of I am, I am) very bananas
(Fun am) am I bananas?
(Am I) a very poet
Bananas of a poet

Am I fun?
I am a very, poet bananas
I am, I am fond of a very
Poet, Bananas
I am, I am fond of a very
I am my very own bananas

I am a poet, I am bananas
I am a very fun bananas
Am I a poet?

I am a very fun bananas
Am I a poet?

Overall Meaning

At first glance, it might be hard to make sense of the seemingly nonsensical lyrics of Kurt Elling's "The Uncertainty Of The Poet". However, upon closer inspection, one might come to the conclusion that the song is an ode to creativity and the unpredictable nature of artistic pursuits.

The repetition of the phrase "I am a poet, I am bananas" could be interpreted as a symbol for the irrational, whimsical, and unpredictable nature of creative inspiration. The line "I am very fond of a poet" may signify the admiration that artists feel towards one another for their unique and creative voices. The rest of the song is made up of a string of phrases that seem to be playing with language in a playful and irreverent manner. Ultimately, the song speaks to the idea that creative expression is something that cannot be easily pinned down or put into words.

Line by Line Meaning

I am a poet
I identify as a poet

I am very fond of bananas
I have a strong liking for bananas

I am bananas
I have gone crazy or act in an absurd manner

I am very fond of a poet
I have admiration for poets in general

I am a poet, I am bananas
I identify as a poet and also act in an absurd manner

I am a poet
I identify as a poet

I am a poet, I am very fond of bananas
I identify as a poet and also have a strong liking for bananas

I am bananas, I am very fond of a poet
I act in an absurd manner and also have admiration for poets in general

I am a poet of bananas
I write poetry about bananas

I am a poet, I am very fond
I identify as a poet and have strong emotions

(A fun poet of I am, I am) very bananas
As a poet, I have a fun personality and also act in an absurd manner