Born in Syracuse, New York, in 1932, Murphy was raised in a musical family, his parents having met as members of the local Methodist Church choir. He grew up in the nearby small town of Fulton, New York, where his grandmother and then his aunt were the church organists. Opera was also a presence in the Murphy home. He started piano lessons at the age of seven.
Murphy joined his brother's jazz dance band as the singer when a teenager, citing influences from Nat "King" Cole, June Christy, Anita O'Day, and Ella Fitzgerald. The Jazz pianist Art Tatum was also an influence.
Murphy graduated from Syracuse University in 1953, majoring in Music and Drama. University life included performing on campus and also in a club – playing piano and singing.
In 1954, Murphy moved to New York City, working part-time as an actor and singer. He appeared in productions for the Gilbert and Sullivan Light Opera Company and a musical version for television of Casey at the Bat. Also, he twice took second place at the Apollo Theatre amateur contests.
Murphy was eventually introduced to record producer Milt Gabler, who was an artist and repertoire director (A & R) for Decca. His resulting debut recording was Meet Mark Murphy (1956), followed closely by Let Yourself Go (1957).
In 1958 Murphy moved to Los Angeles and recorded for Capitol, but returned to New York in the early '60s and recorded the album Rah! (1961) on Riverside Records, performing "Angel Eyes", a version of Horace Silver's "Doodlin'", and "Green Dolphin Street", featuring Bill Evans, Clark Terry, Urbie Green, Blue Mitchell and Wynton Kelly as accompanists. His favorite recording to date, That's How I Love the Blues, soon followed. In 1963, Murphy hit the charts across the country with his single of "Fly Me to the Moon" and was voted New Star of the Year in Down Beat Magazine's Reader's Poll.[citation needed]
In the late 1960s Murphy moved to London, England, where he worked primarily as an actor. He continued however, to cultivate his jazz audiences in Europe. He returned to the States in 1972 and began recording an average of an album a year for more than fourteen years on the Muse label. These projects - including the albums Nat King Cole Songbook Vol. I and II, Bop for Kerouac, Kerouac Then And Now, Living Room, Satisfaction Guaranteed, Beauty And the Beast and, Stolen Moments - gained numerous Grammy nominations.[citation needed] This last album contains Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" with lyrics by Murphy.
In 1984 together with Viva Brasil he recorded the album Brazil Song (Cancões do Brasil), which featured original material written by Brazilian songwriters including work by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Milton Nascimento.
In 1987, Murphy recorded Night Mood, an album of songs by Brazilian composer Ivan Lins, followed by the Grammy-nominated September Ballads on Milestone Records. Murphy has also appeared on U.F.O.'s last two releases (for Polydor Records), in which he wrote and rapped lyrics on songs composed with the group. This collaboration opened up further new audiences in the acid-jazz and hip-hop genres, demonstrating jazz's timelessness while transcending generations and styles.
In August 1997, BMG/RCA Victor released Song For The Geese, for which he has received his sixth Grammy nomination. Also in August 1997, the 32 Records label Joel Dorn and Michael Bourne released a double CD anthology Stolen and Other Moments, which features some of his recordings for the now defunct Muse label. The CD features material from the two "Kerouac" albums and a selection of "the best of Mark Murphy".
Murphy’s release Once to Every Heart (2005), on the Verve label, features sensuous ballads, where the listener can capture him singing in top form, with superb musicians and sounding better than ever. In 2007 Love is What Stays was released on Verve. Both albums were produced by German trumpeter Till Brönner.
Murphy has also collaborated with Five Corners Quintet, a modern Finnish jazz band. He appears on their albums Chasin' the Jazz Gone By (2005) and Hot Corner (2008).
In 2010 he released the independently produced CD, Never Let Me Go, on which he is supported by pianist Misha Piatigorsky, bassist Danton Boller and drummer Chris Wabich. A limited edition EP/MP3, "Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn" on Gearbox Records was released in 2013.
Murphy continued to tour internationally into his 80s, appearing at festivals, concerts, in jazz clubs and on television programs, throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan, as well as other places. John Bush at AllMusic.com described Murphy as "a major name in vocal jazz." A longtime resident of the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey, he died there on October 22, 2015.
Ridin' High
Mark Murphy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Future, all planned
No more clouds in the sky
How am I ridin'? I'm ridin' high
Someone I love
Mad for my love
So long, Jonah, goodbye
Floating on a starlit ceiling
Doting on the cards I'm dealing
Gloating, because I'm feeling so hap, happy
I'm slap, happy
So ring bells, sing songs
Blow horns, beat gongs
Our love never will die
How am I ridin'? I'm ridin' high
Love had sacked me
Simply knocked me for a loot
Luck has dished me
'Til you fished me from the soup now
Together we can weather anything
So please don't sputter
If I should mutter life's great lies
Grand future's all planned
No more clouds in the sky
How am I ridin'? High
Someone I love
Mad for my love
So long, Jonah, goodbye
How am I ridin'? I'm ridin' high
Floating on a starlit ceiling
Doting on the cards I'm dealing
Gloating, because I'm feeling so hap, happy
I'm slap, happy
Ring bells, sing songs
Blow horns, beat gongs
Our love never will die
How am I ridin'? How am I ridin'?
How am I ridin'? I'm ridin' high
The lyrics of Mark Murphy's "Ridin' High" describe a state of elation and optimism, as the singer declares themselves to be "ridin' high" thanks to a combination of factors. The opening lines suggest that the singer's future is looking bright and that they are feeling confident about it. The reference to "no more clouds in the sky" suggests that any previous difficulties or obstacles have been overcome. The second verse introduces the idea of being in love, and this is presented as another reason for the singer's happiness. The line "someone I love, mad for my love" suggests that their affections are reciprocated and that their relationship is passionate and intense.
The third verse takes the imagery up a notch, as the singer describes themselves as "floating on a starlit ceiling". This ethereal image is juxtaposed with the more concrete idea of "dealing cards" and "beating gongs", perhaps suggesting a celebration or party atmosphere. The final lines of the verse introduce the phrase "slap-happy", which is a playful term meaning giddy or lightheaded with happiness.
The final verse brings everything together, with the singer declaring that their love is strong enough to weather any storm. The line "love had sacked me" suggests that the singer had been through some heartache before meeting their current lover, but that they have now been "fished" out of "the soup" of their previous difficult times. The repeated chorus emphasizes the idea of being "ridin' high", indicating that the singer is truly on top of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Life's great, life's grand
Everything in my life is going well and I have a positive outlook.
Future, all planned
I have a clear plan for my future and feel in control of my life.
No more clouds in the sky
There is nothing to worry about and everything seems clear and bright.
How am I ridin'? I'm ridin' high
I feel extremely happy and optimistic about my life right now.
Someone I love
I am in a romantic relationship with someone who means a lot to me.
Mad for my love
I am deeply in love with this person.
So long, Jonah, goodbye
I am letting go of any negative emotions or people in my life.
Floating on a starlit ceiling
I feel like I am on top of the world and nothing can bring me down.
Doting on the cards I'm dealing
I am appreciating and making the most out of the situations I find myself in.
Gloating, because I'm feeling so hap, happy
I am so happy that I can't help but show it off to others.
I'm slap, happy
I am completely content and satisfied with my life right now.
Ring bells, sing songs
I want to celebrate my happiness and good fortune.
Blow horns, beat gongs
I want to make a lot of noise and show off my joy.
Our love never will die
The love I share with my partner is strong and will last forever.
Love had sacked me
I had been feeling defeated and unhappy due to issues in my love life.
Simply knocked me for a loot
I was hit hard by this sadness.
Luck has dished me
I have been blessed with good fortune.
Til you fished me from the soup now
But my partner has rescued me and brought happiness back into my life.
Together we can weather anything
As a team, we can overcome any obstacle that comes our way.
So please don't sputter
Don't doubt me or our love.
If I should mutter life's great lies
If I sometimes express negative thoughts, don't take them seriously because I still feel positive overall.
How am I ridin'? High
I am still extremely happy and optimistic about my life right now.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind