After moving to Japan, Lisa's dad opened a new venue called Saci-Pererê, a Brazilian restaurant where she started performing mainly bossa nova and samba. Besides singing, Lisa Ono plays the guitar and is a songwriter. Her first album, Catupiry, was released in 1989. She has not stopped recording since then, releasing one disc a year, mostly in Portuguese. She soon became famous in Japan after appearing in several TV commercials.
In 1991 her album Nanã won the "Grand Prix Gold Disk Award for Jazz" in Japan. Her third album Menina was recorded in Rio de Janeiro, and won the same Grand Prix award. In 2003 she released the album Dans Mon Île (French for "In my island"), themed around a voyage to France and based on famous French songs.
Lisa announced the birth of her second child, a boy, on October 7, 2008.
Lisa has performed with Tom Jobim and with João Donato in Brazil, in addition to other performances around the world. Appearances in Japan include concerts at the Blue Note Tokyo with Paulo and Daniel Jobim, Toninho Horta, and Emílio Santiago.
In addition to making guest appearances on other recordings, Lisa has also created music for television commercials in Japan.
As of November 2007, she has released 22 albums.
Tea for Two
Lisa Ono Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Savoy)
It wins you with a glance
(Savoy)
Gives happy feet a chance to dance
Your form (just like a clinging vine)
Your lips (so warm and sweet as wine)
Divine
(How my heart is singing
While the band is swinging swinging
Never tired of romping
And stomping with you at the Savoy
What joy)
A perfect holiday
(Savoy)
Where we can glide and sway
(Savoy)
Then let me stomp away with you
(Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Rio...)
(Savoy)
The home of sweet romance
(Savoy)
It wins you at a glance
(Savoy)
Gives happy feet a chance to dance
Your form (Just like a clinging vine)
Your lips (So warm and sweet as wine)
Your cheek (So soft and close to mine)
Divine
(How my heart is singing
While the band is swinging swinging
Never tired of romping
And stomping with you at the Savoy
What joy)
A perfect holiday
(Savoy)
Where we can glide and sway
(Savoy)
Then let me stomp away with you
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
...de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
(Savoy)
...de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
(Savoy)
...de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
(Savoy)
...de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
(Savoy)
...de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
(Savoy)
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
(Savoy)
The lyrics to Lisa Ono's song "Tea for Two" describe a scene at the Savoy dance hall, where the singer is enamored with their partner's form, warmth, and proximity. They are lost in the joy of dancing to the band's swinging melodies, relishing the chance to stomp and sway with their lover. The Savoy is presented as a place of sweet romance and happy feet, where one can enjoy a perfect holiday filled with gliding and romping.
The Rio de Janeiro reference towards the end of the song adds an exotic element to the lyrics, perhaps implying that the singer and their partner are imagining themselves in a far-off, dream-like location. It's unclear if the Rio de Janeiro reference is meant to be taken literally or metaphorically, but it heightens the sense of fantasy and escapism that pervades the song.
One interesting interpretation of the lyrics is that they express a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era. The Savoy, which was a famous dance hall in Harlem in the 1920s and 30s, represented a golden age of jazz and swing dancing. The lyrics seem to be harkening back to that era, romanticizing a time and place that the singer may have never actually experienced but imagines as being filled with joy and freedom. The song may be seen as a tribute to the magic of dance music and its ability to transport us to another time and place.
Line by Line Meaning
The home of sweet romance
Savoy is a place that embodies romanticism
It wins you with a glance
Savoy immediately captures your heart and affection
Gives happy feet a chance to dance
Savoy creates an environment where people can dance joyfully
Your form (just like a clinging vine)
Your body is enthralling and alluring, like a vine that wraps around me
Your lips (so warm and sweet as wine)
Your lips are inviting and intoxicating, like a glass of warm, sweet wine
Your cheek (so soft and close to mine)
Your cheek is delicate and in close proximity to mine, creating a sense of closeness and intimacy
Divine
You are angelic, heavenly, and divine
How my heart is singing
I am overwhelmed with joy and happiness
While the band is swinging swinging
The music is lively, and I am enjoying every moment of it
Never tired of romping
I am never bored of having fun and being active
And stomping with you at the Savoy
I want to dance and have a good time with you at the Savoy
What joy
This experience is bringing me immense happiness and pleasure
A perfect holiday
Savoy is an ideal destination for a vacation
Where we can glide and sway
Savoy provides an opportunity to dance gracefully and with ease
Then let me stomp away with you
Let's dance happily and energetically together
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
A reference to the excitement and liveliness of Rio de Janeiro
Contributed by Audrey W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.