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.
Dancing On The Ceiling
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
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Because a miracle
Has brought my lover to me
Though he's some other place, his face I see
At night I creep in bed
And never sleep in bed
But look above in the air
He dances overhead
On the ceiling near my bed
In my sight
Through the night
I try to hide in vain
Underneath my counterpane
But there's my love
Up above
I whisper, "Go away, my lover
It's not fair"
But I'm so grateful to discover
He's still there
I love my ceiling more
Since it is a dancing floor
Just for my love
The lyrics of Oscar Peterson's "Dancing On The Ceiling" speak of the ecstatic feeling that love can bring. The opening lines "The world is lyrical/Because a miracle/Has brought my lover to me" suggest that the singer sees the world in a new light because of the presence of their lover. Even though the lover is physically absent, they are still able to see their face, as if they are dancing on the ceiling near the singer's bed. The singer is so consumed by their love that they cannot sleep, but instead, look above and marvel at the sight. The vivid imagery of the lover dancing above the singer's bed is a beautiful representation of the idea that love can lift spirits and create a magical world.
As the song progresses, the singer tries to hide from their lover, but cannot resist the joy of his presence. The lines "I whisper, 'Go away, my lover/It's not fair'/But I'm so grateful to discover/He's still there" encapsulate the internal conflict between wanting to resist the temptation of love and being unable to resist it. Even though the singer initially tries to push their lover away, they cannot help but feel grateful for his presence.
Line by Line Meaning
The world is lyrical
The world is full of beauty and poetry
Because a miracle
Because something amazing and unexpected happened
Has brought my lover to me
That has brought my lover to me even though he is far away
Though he's some other place, his face I see
Even though he is in another place, I can see his face
At night I creep in bed
At night I go to bed quietly
And never sleep in bed
But I never fall asleep in bed
But look above in the air
Instead, I look up in the air
And to my greatest joy, my love is there
And to my great joy, I see my lover dancing above me
He dances overhead
He dances on the ceiling above me
On the ceiling near my bed
On the ceiling close to my bed
In my sight
I can see him
Through the night
All through the night
I try to hide in vain
I try to hide, but it is pointless
Underneath my counterpane
Underneath my blanket
But there's my love
But my lover is still there
Up above
On the ceiling above
I whisper, "Go away, my lover
I whisper, "Leave me alone, my lover
It's not fair"
This is not fair to me"
But I'm so grateful to discover
But I am truly grateful to find out that
He's still there
He is still there dancing on the ceiling for me
I love my ceiling more
Now I love my ceiling even more
Since it is a dancing floor
Because it has become a dance floor for my love and me
Just for my love
Only for my love
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LIONEL B. JR. RICHIE, MICHAEL HENRY JR. FRENCHIK, CARLOS MANUEL RIOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind