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.
If I Were a Bell
McCoy Tyner Lyrics
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Now that we're cosy and clinging,
Well sir, all I can say is
If I were a bell I'd be ringing!
From the moment we kissed goodnight,
That's the way I just gotta behave,
And if I were a lamp I'd light,
Ask me how do I feel,
Little me with my quiet upbringing,
Well sir, all I can say is
If I were a gate I'd be swinging!
And if I were a watch,
I'd start popping my spring,
Oh, and if I were a bell
I'd go "Ding dong ding dong ding!".
Ask me how do I feel
From this chemistry lesson I'm learning,
Well sir, all I can say is
If I were a bridge I'd be burning!
Well, I knew my moral would crack
From the wonderful way you looked,
Boy, if I were a duck I'd quack,
Or if I were a goose I'd be cooked!
Ask me how do I feel
Now that we're fondly caressing,
And if I were a salad,
I know I'd be splashing my dressing!
Or if I were a season,
I'd surely be Spring,
Yes, and if I were a bell,
Say, if I were a bell,
If I were a bell
I'd go "Ding dong ding dong ding!".
The song "If I Were a Bell" by McCoy Tyner is all about the singer's intense feelings of infatuation and how they might manifest if they were inanimate objects. The singer declares that they would be "ringing" like a bell if they had a physical form, which speaks to the excitement and joy they feel being in the presence of their significant other. They continue to describe how they might behave as other objects - they would light up like a lamp, wave like a banner, or swing like a gate.
The lyrics also suggest that this is a new experience for the singer who comes from a "quiet upbringing" and is learning from a "chemistry lesson" with their partner. They describe being so overcome with emotion that if they were a watch, their spring would pop, or if they were a bridge, they would burn. They even imagine themselves as a quacking duck or a cooking goose. This speaks to the intensity of their feelings and the transformative effect the person they are with has on them.
Overall, the song is a playful and creative expression of the feelings of falling in love. The singer uses the metaphor of being various objects to express the way they feel when they are with their partner, in a way that is lighthearted and whimsical.
Line by Line Meaning
Ask me how do I feel,
Inquire about my emotions
Now that we're cosy and clinging,
As we are intimately close to one another
Well sir, all I can say is
This is my honest response
If I were a bell I'd be ringing!
I am incredibly happy and excited
From the moment we kissed goodnight,
From the start of our romantic encounter
That's the way I just gotta behave,
I can't help but react this way
And if I were a lamp I'd light,
I'd express my joy in any way possible
Or if I were a banner I'd wave!
I'd make a grand gesture to celebrate
Little me with my quiet upbringing,
I come from a modest background
If I were a gate I'd be swinging!
I'd be eager to open up
And if I were a watch,
If I were a timepiece
I'd start popping my spring,
I'd be overwhelmed with enthusiasm
Oh, and if I were a bell
And even if I were an object
I'd go "Ding dong ding dong ding!"
I'd make a joyous noise
From this chemistry lesson I'm learning,
From this romantic experience
Well sir, all I can say is
This is my honest response
If I were a bridge I'd be burning!
I'd be overcome with passion and desire
Well, I knew my moral would crack
I knew my resolve would weaken
From the wonderful way you looked,
From the incredible attraction I felt towards you
Boy, if I were a duck I'd quack,
I'd make a loud, happy noise
Or if I were a goose I'd be cooked!
I'd be extremely happy
Now that we're fondly caressing,
As we are intimately touching
And if I were a salad,
And even if I were a dish
I know I'd be splashing my dressing!
I'd be very enthusiastic and lively
Or if I were a season,
And if I were a time of year
I'd surely be Spring,
I'd be a time of growth and renewal
Yes, and if I were a bell,
And again, if I were an object
Say, if I were a bell,
I would make a playful remark
If I were a bell
If I were an object
I'd go "Ding dong ding dong ding!".
And make a happy noise.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARY C BROCKERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind