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.
Bill
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girls, I'm about to tell you something You may wanna know
You know things they're not always
What they appear to be
And I don't want to happen to you
What happened to me
Listen, There are no words that can describe, what I felt inside
We were at a party, Ohh to have a little fun
But when I looked around my-my man was missing
I walked outside, I couldn't believe my eyes
He was in Bill's arms breathin hard and french kissin
I was ready for Mary, Susan, Helen and Jane
When all the time it was Bill who was sleeping with my man
Bill has been to my house a thousand times
He and my man would go camping and fishing
Oh I tell you it never crossed my mind
Bill was a friend and he was God Uncle to my only son
Now it looks Uncle Billy wants to be his step-mom
Now you see I was ready for Mary, I was ready for Jane
How do a woman compete with a man for another man
I asked my man why didnt you tell me that you were gay
when you knew, knew I build my world around you
I knew I had those feelings and I didn't want it to be
I thought by being with you, Girl I thought it would change
As tears came to my eyes, hesays I'm sorry I hurt you so
I got to pack Bill is waiting for me and I got to go
I was ready for Mary, I was ready for Jane
When all the time it was Bill who was sleeping with my man
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I don't feel ashame and I don't take the blame
My man was just a queen, he was a Queen that thought he was a King
He told before he left he said
I know you're hurt and oh I know you're mad
But if that's not asking too much,
could you tell my son I love him and I'm still his dad
I was ready for Mary, Susan, Helen and Jane
When all the time it was Bill who was sleeping with my man
I was ready for Mary, Susan, Helen and Jane
When all the time it was Bill who was sleeping with my man
Bill used to come over to my house, I used to fix him my food
I used to loan Bill my money, all the time he was in there tryin' to get
my honey
The lyrics of Oscar Peterson's "Bill" tell the story of a woman who discovers that her partner is in love with another man, named Bill. The song is a cautionary tale for women who may be unaware that their partners may not always be who they appear to be, and a commentary on the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals who are still struggling to be accepted in society. The song talks about how the woman was ready to compete with other women for the love of her man, only to find out that her true competition was a man. She expresses her hurt and anger, but also her acceptance of her partner's sexuality and her love for her son.
The song is a powerful reminder that appearances can be deceiving, and that love and sexuality are not always straightforward. The lyrics are delivered with emotion and vulnerability, making the song a deeply personal and relatable experience for many listeners. The song is both a commentary on the struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals and a reminder that love and acceptance are essential parts of any relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
All of you ladies out there turn up your radio
Attention! Ladies, listen up!
Girls, I'm about to tell you something You may wanna know
I have something important to tell you, something you may want to hear.
You know things they're not always
What they appear to be
Things can be deceiving, don't always trust what you see.
And I don't want to happen to you
What happened to me
I want to share my story so that you don't make the same mistake as I did.
Listen, There are no words that can describe, what I felt inside
When I found out the man I loved loved another guy
It's hard to describe the emotions I felt when I found out the man I loved was in love with another man.
We were at a party, Ohh to have a little fun
But when I looked around my-my man was missing
I walked outside, I couldn't believe my eyes
He was in Bill's arms breathin hard and french kissin
We were at a party and having a good time, but I couldn't find my man. When I finally found him, he was kissing Bill passionately.
I was ready for Mary, Susan, Helen and Jane
When all the time it was Bill who was sleeping with my man
I had my suspicions about Mary, Susan, Helen, and Jane, but it turns out it was Bill who my man was sleeping with.
Bill has been to my house a thousand times
He and my man would go camping and fishing
Oh I tell you it never crossed my mind
Bill was a friend and he was God Uncle to my only son
Now it looks Uncle Billy wants to be his step-mom
Bill and my man were close and did many things together, even though I trusted Bill, I never suspected their relationship. Now it seems like Bill wants to be a part of my family.
Now you see I was ready for Mary, I was ready for Jane
How do a woman compete with a man for another man
I was prepared to compete with other women, but how can I compete with a man for another man's love.
I asked my man why didnt you tell me that you were gay
when you knew, knew I build my world around you
I knew I had those feelings and I didn't want it to be
I thought by being with you, Girl I thought it would change
As tears came to my eyes, hesays I'm sorry I hurt you so
I got to pack Bill is waiting for me and I got to go
I confronted my man about his sexuality and why he didn't tell me sooner. He apologized but said he had to leave because Bill was waiting for him, and he couldn't change his feelings.
I don't feel ashame and I don't take the blame
My man was just a queen, he was a Queen that thought he was a King
He told before he left he said
I know you're hurt and oh I know you're mad
But if that's not asking too much,
could you tell my son I love him and I'm still his dad
I don't blame myself for what happened, my man was living a lie and pretending to be a king when he was really a queen. He asked me to tell his son that he loved him, even though he was leaving me.
Bill used to come over to my house, I used to fix him my food
I used to loan Bill my money, all the time he was in there tryin' to get my honey
I used to welcome Bill into my home, cook for him, and even lend him money, but all along he was trying to come between me and my man.
I was ready for Mary, Susan, Helen and Jane
When all the time it was Bill who was sleeping with my man
I was ready for Mary, Susan, Helen and Jane
When all the time it was Bill who was sleeping with my man
I was prepared for other women to come between us, but it was really Bill who was sleeping with my man.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JIMMY LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind