Born in Montreal, Canada, Peterson began learning trumpet and piano from his father at the age of five, but by the age of seven, after a bout of tuberculosis, he concentrated on the piano. Some of the artists who influenced Peterson during the early years were Teddy Wilson, Nat "King" Cole, James P. Johnson, and the legendary Art Tatum, to whom many have tried to compare Peterson in later years. In fact, one of his first exposures to the musical talents of Art Tatum came early in his teen years when his father played an Art Tatum record to him and Peterson was so intimidated by what he heard that he didn't touch the piano for over a week.
He soon developed a reputation as a technically brilliant and melodically inventive jazz pianist, and became a regular on Canadian radio. His United States introduction was at Carnegie Hall, New York City in 1949 by Norman Granz; owing to union restrictions his appearance could not be billed.
Some of his musical associates have included Lester Young, Ray Brown, Ben Webster, Herb Ellis, Ed Thigpen, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Louis Armstrong, Stéphane Grappelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, Count Basie, and Stan Getz. An important step in his career was joining impresario Norman Granz's labels (especially Verve records) and Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic package, with which he was able to play with the major jazz artists of the time. Granz was also his manager for most of Peterson's career. Some cognoscenti assert that Peterson's best recordings were made for the MPS label in the late 'sixties and early 'seventies. For some years subsequently he recorded for Granz's Pablo Records after the label was founded in 1973 and in more recent years for the Telarc label.
In 1993, Peterson suffered a serious stroke that weakened his left side and sidelined him for two years. However he overcame this setback and went back to touring, recording, and composing on a limited basis. In 1997 he received a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement and an International Jazz Hall of Fame Award. He died on December 24th, 2007 of kidney failure.
A Foggy Day
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
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Out of town were the people I knew
I had that feeling of self pity
What to do, what to do, what to do
The outlook was decidedly blue
But as I walked through the foggy streets alone
It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known
A foggy day, in London town
Had me low and had me down
I viewed the morning, with alarm
The British museum, had lost its charm
How long I wondered
Could this thing last
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
Yes, for suddenly, I saw you there
And through the foggy London town
The sun was shining everywhere
A foggy day, in London town
Had me low and it had me down
I viewed the morning, with alarm
The British museum, had lost its charm
How long, how long I wondered
Could this thing last
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
For suddenly, I saw you there
And through foggy London town
The sun was shining everywhere
How long, I wondered
Could this thing last
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
For suddenly, I saw you there
And through foggy London town
The sun was shining everywhere
The lyrics of Oscar Peterson's "A Foggy Day in London Town" convey the feelings of a person who is out of their normal surroundings and feeling a sense of loneliness and despair. As they walk through the foggy streets of London, they ponder how long this feeling will last. However, the mood suddenly shifts when they see someone they know and care for. This person brings a ray of sunshine and hope to their bleak day, transforming the foggy atmosphere into a joyful one.
The song begins with the singer describing himself a stranger in the city, out of town from the people he knows. The phrase "self-pity" in the first verse suggests that the singer is feeling sad and sorry for himself. The words "decidedly blue" indicate that his mood is somber and depressed. Yet a transformation occurs as he walks through the foggy streets – the city that had been depressing him with its grayness and dullness suddenly becomes illuminated by the sun. This change is a metaphor for how his change in mindset has altered his view of his surroundings.
The lyrics of the song suggest that even in the darkest of moments, the human spirit can find hope and joy. The singer's initial feelings of loneliness and despair are overcome by the joy he feels upon seeing someone he cares about. The song is ultimately a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of love and human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a stranger in the city
I did not belong in the place I was in.
Out of town were the people I knew
The people I knew were not around me.
I had that feeling of self pity
I felt sorry for myself.
What to do, what to do, what to do
I was uncertain about what actions to take.
The outlook was decidedly blue
The future did not look promising.
But as I walked through the foggy streets alone
While I was walking through the foggy streets without any company,
It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known
It became the most fortunate day I had ever experienced.
A foggy day, in London town
It was a misty day in London.
Had me low and had me down
It depressed me.
I viewed the morning, with alarm
In the morning, I felt worried anxiety.
The British museum, had lost its charm
I was no longer fascinated by the British Museum.
How long I wondered
I thought about for how much time the situation could last.
Could this thing last
Whether this situation would continue, I was unsure.
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
Miracles made things possible even at that time.
Yes, for suddenly, I saw you there
Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of you, and
And through the foggy London town
Through the foggy streets of London,
The sun was shining everywhere
It felt like the sun was shining and everything had brightened up.
How long, how long I wondered
Again, I thought about for how long this could last.
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
I still believed that miracles could happen.
For suddenly, I saw you there
As suddenly as before, I saw you again.
And through foggy London town
As we continued walking through the foggy streets of London,
The sun was shining everywhere
The brightness of the sun continued to fill the air.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind