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.
Do nothing till you hear from me
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But they wouldn't hurt you, not much
Since everyone spread the story
With his own little personal touch
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Pay no attention to what's said
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream
Do nothin' till you hear from me
At least consider our romance
If you should take the word of others you've heard
I haven't a chance
True I've been seen with someone new
But does that mean that I'm untrue
When we're apart the words in my heart
Reveal how I feel about you
Some kiss may cloud my memory
And other arms may hold a thrill
But please do nothin' till you hear it from me
And you never will
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Pay no attention to what's said
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream
Is over my head
Do nothin' till you hear from me
At least consider our romance
If you should take the word of others you've heard
I haven't a chance
True I've been seen with someone new
But does that mean that I'm untrue
When we're apart the words in my heart
Reveal how I feel about you
Some kiss may cloud my memory
And other arms may hold a thrill
But please do nothin' till you hear it from me
And you never will
The lyrics of Oscar Peterson's song "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me" tell a story of a person who is being talked about by others. The singer is trying to convince their partner that they should not pay attention to what is being said by others because they are just rumors. Even if the singer is seen with somebody else, it does not mean that he is not faithful to his partner. The singer urges his partner to trust him and not to believe what others say about him.
The song's lyrics suggest that the singer is pleading with his partner to trust him instead of paying attention to unfounded rumors. The lyrics also convey a message that one should be cautious about believing and spreading rumors. The singer believes that his partner should not pay attention to the hearsay until she hears from him, which is a plea and a reminder that she should trust him.
The song is notable for its creative use of metaphor and subtlety. Peterson's soulful piano playing beautifully accentuates the lyrics, and the overall effect is a timeless piece of musical art. The song's popularity has led to numerous covers by various musicians and artists. Some of the most well-known covers of the song include versions by Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, and Etta James.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone told someone and someone told you
The story of our relationship has been passed on from person to person until it reached you.
But they wouldn't hurt you, not much
The people who shared the story with you may have added their own personal touch, but they didn't intend to cause any harm.
Since everyone spread the story with his own little personal touch
Each person who passed on the story added their own spin to it.
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Don't take any action until you hear directly from me.
Pay no attention to what's said
Don't give any credence to anything you may have heard about me until you hear it directly from me.
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream is over my head
I don't understand why some people feel the need to ruin other people's dreams and relationships.
At least consider our romance
Please don't let gossip and rumors ruin what we have between us.
If you should take the word of others you've heard, I haven't a chance
If you believe what other people are saying about me, then there's no chance for us to continue our relationship.
True I've been seen with someone new
It's true that I've been seen with someone else, but that doesn't mean I'm being unfaithful.
But does that mean that I'm untrue
Just because I've been seen with someone else doesn't automatically mean that I'm not devoted to you.
When we're apart the words in my heart reveal how I feel about you
When we're not together, I still have strong feelings for you and think about you often.
Some kiss may cloud my memory
Perhaps I've kissed someone else, but that doesn't change my emotions for you.
And other arms may hold a thrill
I may have physically held someone else, but that doesn't compare to what I feel for you emotionally.
But please do nothin' till you hear it from me
Please don't assume anything until you hear my side of the story directly.
And you never will
You will only hear the truth from me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, BOB RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind