Tyner was born in Philadelphia as the oldest of three children. He was encouraged to study piano by his mother. He finally began studying the piano at age 13 and within two years, music had become the focal point in his life. His early influences included Bud Powell, a Philadelphia neighbor. Among many other things, Tyner's playing can be distinguished by a low bass left hand, in which he tends to raise his arm relatively high above the keyboard for an emphatic attack, creating at times a veritable tsunami of sound. Tyner's unique right hand soloing is recognizable for a detached, or staccato quality, and descending arpeggios, both of a triadic shape and in other patterns. His unique approach to chord voicing has influenced a wide array of contemporary jazz pianists.
Tyner's first main exposure came with Benny Golson being the first pianist in Golson's and Art Farmer's legendary Jazztet (1960). After departing the Jazztet, Tyner joined Coltrane's group in 1960. (Coltrane had known Tyner for a while, and featured one of the pianist's compositions, "The Believer", as early as 1958.) He appeared on the saxophonist's popular recording of "My Favorite Things" for Atlantic Records. The Coltrane Quartet, which consisted of Coltrane on tenor sax, Tyner, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums, toured almost non-stop between 1961 and 1965 and recorded a number of classic albums, including Live at the Village Vanguard, Ballads, Live at Birdland, Crescent, A Love Supreme, and The John Coltrane Quartet Plays ..., on the Impulse! label.
Tyner has recorded a number of highly influential albums in his own right. While in Coltrane's group, he recorded a series of relatively conservative albums (primarily in the piano trio format) for Impulse, starting with the fleet-fingered Inception (1962), which showcases Tyner's work as a composer. After leaving Coltrane's group, Tyner began a series of post-bop albums released on the Blue Note label, in the 1967–1970 time frame (The Real McCoy, 1967; Tender Moments, 1967; Expansions, 1968; Extensions, 1970). Soon thereafter he moved to the Milestone label and recorded many influential albums, including Sahara (1972), Enlightenment (1973), and Fly With The Wind (1976), which featured flautist Hubert Laws, drummer Billy Cobham, and a string orchestra. His music for Blue Note and Milestone often took the Coltrane quartet's music as a point of departure and also incorporated African and East Asian musical elements. On Sahara, for instance, Tyner plays koto, in addition to piano, flute, and percussion. These albums are often cited as examples of vital, innovative jazz from the 1970s that was neither fusion nor free jazz. Trident (1975) is notable for featuring Tyner on harpsichord (rarely heard in jazz) and celeste, in addition to his primary instrument, piano. Often cited as a major influence on younger jazz musicians, Tyner still records and tours regularly and played from the 1980s through '90s with a trio that included Avery Sharpe on bass and Aaron Scott on drums. He made a trio of mature yet vibrant solo recordings for Blue Note, starting with Revelations (1988) and culminating with Soliloquy (1991). Today Tyner records for the Telarc label and has been playing with different trios, the most recent of which includes Charnett Moffett on bass and Eric Harland on drums.
Tyner was a Sunni Muslim for a period of time beginning at the age of eighteen. His Muslim name was Sulaimon Saud. Today Tyner does not practice a specific religion.
McCoy Tyner was also married at one time and has three sons. His brother, Jarvis Tyner, is a high official in the leadership of the American Communist Party. McCoy, however, is not a pronounced advocate of any political ideology.
Good Morning Heartache
McCoy Tyner Lyrics
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Good morning heartache, thought we said goodbye last night
I turned and tossed until it seemed you had gone
But here you are with the dawn
Wish I'd forget you, but you're here to stay
It seems I met you when my love went away
Now everyday I start by saying to you
Stop haunting me now
Can't chase you no how
Just leave me alone
I've got those Monday blues
Straight through Sunday blues
Good morning heartache, here we go again
Good morning heartache, you're the one who knew me when
Might as well get used to you hanging around
Good morning heartache, sit down
Stop haunting me now
Can't chase you no how
Just leave me alone
I've got those Monday blues
Straight through Sunday blues
Good morning heartache, here we go again
Good morning heartache, you're the one who knew me when
Might as well get used to you hanging around
Good morning heartache, sit down
The lyrics of "Good Morning Heartache" by the McCoy Tyner Trio and Michael Brecker portray a relationship that has ended but the heartache continues to linger on. The singer awakens to yet another morning in the presence of their old friend, heartache. They had hoped to have bid farewell to their pain the night before but it seems like it has stayed with them, evidenced by the line "But here you are with the dawn." The character expresses their frustrations with their persistent heartache, wishing they could forget and move on, but it seems to have become a permanent part of their life. The chorus repeatedly begs the heartache to stop haunting them and leave them alone, but it seems too embedded in their being. The lyrics weave a tale of disappointment, resignation, and melancholy of a love that has gone sour and its remnants have become ingrained.
Line by Line Meaning
Good morning heartache, you old gloomy sight
The singer greets their heartache as a familiar, unpleasant companion.
Good morning heartache, thought we said goodbye last night
Although the singer hoped they had moved on from their heartache, it has returned with the new day.
I turned and tossed until it seemed you had gone
The singer tried to push away their heartache, but it persisted.
But here you are with the dawn
The heartache has returned with the sunrise.
Wish I'd forget you, but you're here to stay
The singer wants to forget their heartache but knows it will continue to affect them.
It seems I met you when my love went away
The singer's heartache began when they lost their love.
Now everyday I start by saying to you
The singer begins each day addressing their heartache.
Good morning heartache, what's new
The singer acknowledges their heartache's persistent presence in their life.
Stop haunting me now
The singer pleads with their heartache to stop tormenting them.
Can't chase you no how
The singer cannot escape their heartache's grasp.
Just leave me alone
The singer wants to be free from their heartache's influence.
I've got those Monday blues
The singer feels down and unhappy, like the start of a new work week.
Straight through Sunday blues
The singer's sadness persists through the entire week, even on days off.
Good morning heartache, here we go again
The singer greets their heartache at the start of another day, expecting more pain.
You're the one who knew me when
The singer's heartache has been with them for a long time and understands them intimately.
Might as well get used to you hanging around
The singer resigns themselves to the fact that their heartache will not leave them alone.
Good morning heartache, sit down
The singer acknowledges their heartache and tells it to settle in for another painful day.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ervin Drake, Dan Fisher, Irene Higginbotham Padellan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind