Milt Buckner (10 July 1915 - 27 July 1977) was an American jazz pianist and… Read Full Bio ↴Milt Buckner (10 July 1915 - 27 July 1977) was an American jazz pianist and organist, originally from St. Louis, Missouri. He was orphaned as a child, but an uncle in Detroit taught him to play. Buckner pioneered the parallel chords style which influenced Red Garland, George Shearing, and Oscar Peterson.
In 1941 he joined Lionel Hampton's big band ,and for the next seven years served as its pianist and staff arranger. He led a short-lived band of his own for two years, but then returned to Hampton's. Buckner died in Chicago, Illinois at the age of sixty-two.

If I Had You
Milt Buckner Lyrics

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I could show the world how to smile
I could be glad all of the while
I could change the grey skies to blues
If I had you
I could leave the old days behind
Leave all my pals, I'd never mind
I could start my life all a new
If I had you

I could climb the snow capped mountains
Sail the mighty ocean wide
I could cross the burning desert
If I had you by my side
I could be a king, dear, uncrowned
Humble or poor, rich or renowned
There is nothing I couldn't do
If I had you

I could show the world how to smile
I could be glad all of the while
I could change the grey skies to blues
If I had you
I could leave the old days behind
Leave all my pals, I'd never mind
I could start my life all a new
If I had you
I could climb the snow capped mountains
Sail the mighty ocean wide
I could cross the burning desert
If I had you by my side
I could be a king, dear, uncrowned

Humble or poor, rich or renowned
There is nothing I couldn't do

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Milt Buckner's song "If I Had You" explore the idea of the transformative power of love. The singer of the song imagines a life where he is capable of achieving anything as long as he has the support and companionship of his beloved. The song speaks of leaving behind the past, taking on new challenges and being able to smile through it all all because he has someone special to share it with. The song emphasizes the idea that having someone to love and be loved by can change one's attitude towards life and inspire them to achieve their dreams.

Throughout the song, the lyrics make use of vivid imagery to illustrate the powerful emotions that come with love. For example, the singer imagines being able to climb snow-capped mountains, sail the mighty ocean, and cross burning deserts with his beloved by his side. In this way, the song emphasizes not only the emotional but also the physical transformative power of love. The lyrics suggest that with love, there is nothing that the singer would not be able to accomplish. Overall, the song captures the hopeful and optimistic perspective that love can bring to one's life.

Line by Line Meaning

I could show the world how to smile
I am capable of bringing happiness into the world and helping people to smile.

I could be glad all of the while
Having you in my life would make me happy all the time.

I could change the grey skies to blues
With your love and companionship, even the dreariest parts of life would become bright and hopeful.

If I had you
With you in my life, I am able to achieve these great things.

I could leave the old days behind
Having you by my side would make me forget about the past and focus on the present and future.

Leave all my pals, I'd never mind
Even if I had to leave my friends behind, it would be worth it to be with you.

I could start my life all a new
New opportunities and possibilities would emerge if you were with me, allowing me to live a new life.

I could climb the snow capped mountains
Having you with me would give me the strength and courage to accomplish even the most difficult of goals.

Sail the mighty ocean wide
Together, we could face any challenge or adventure that life throws our way.

I could cross the burning desert
Even the most inhospitable environments would become bearable and even enjoyable with you by my side.

If I had you by my side
Your presence in my life would make all of these things possible.

I could be a king, dear, uncrowned
With you, even if I don't have a title or official recognition, I would feel like a king due to the love and support you give me.

Humble or poor, rich or renowned
My social status or wealth would not matter as long as I have you in my life.

There is nothing I couldn't do
With your love and support, there is no obstacle or challenge that I cannot overcome.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: GORDON MILLS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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