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.
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
McCoy Tyner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are too wonderful to be what you seem!
Could there be eyes like yours,
Could there be lips like yours
Could there be smiles like yours,
Honest and truly?
You stepped out of a cloud
I want to take you away, away from the crowd
Alone and apart out of a dream,
Safe in my heart
You stepped out of a dream
You are too wonderful to be what you seem!
Could there be eyes like yours,
Could there be lips like yours
Could there be smiles like yours,
Honest and truly?
You stepped out of a cloud
I want to take you away, away from the crowd
And have you all to myself,
Alone and apart out of a dream,
Safe in my heart
The song "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" is a romantic ballad that expresses the amazement and wonder that the singer feels towards his lover. From the opening lines of the chorus, the singer remarks how his lover seems too wonderful to be real, as if she emerged from a dream. He is in disbelief that someone like her could exist, with eyes, lips, and smiles that are so perfect and genuine.
The second verse repeats these themes, using dream imagery to describe the singer's desire to be alone with his lover, out of the crowd and safe in his heart. The dream-like quality of the lyrics suggests the singer's deep infatuation with his lover, as if she is a mirage that he hopes to hold onto in his waking life. The gentle, flowing melody of the song further adds to the romantic and dreamy quality of the lyrics, creating a sense of awe and wonder in the listener.
Overall, "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" is a beautiful love song that captures the feeling of falling in love with someone who seems too good to be true. The dream imagery and gentle melody create a sense of wonder and romance, highlighting the singer's deep infatuation with his lover.
Line by Line Meaning
You stepped out of a dream
You appeared in front of me in a surreal manner
You are too wonderful to be what you seem!
Your amazing qualities exceed my expectations
Could there be eyes like yours,
Are there any eyes as beautiful as yours?
Could there be lips like yours
Are there any lips as captivating as yours?
Could there be smiles like yours, Honest and truly?
Is there any smile as genuine and sincere as yours?
You stepped out of a cloud
You emerged in a mysterious manner
I want to take you away, away from the crowd
I desire to have you all to myself, away from distractions
And have you all to myself, Alone and apart out of a dream, Safe in my heart
I want to cherish and protect you as a cherished memory
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gus Kahn, Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind