Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.
Read Full Bio ↴Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.

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.

Fine & Dandy
Oscar Peterson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Please forgive this platitude
But I like your attitude
You are just the kind I've had in mind
Never could find

Honey, I'm so keen on you
I could come to lean on you
On a random bay, give you your way

Do what you say

Gee, it's all fine and dandy
Sugar candy, when I've got you

Then I only see the sunny side
Even trouble has it's funny side
When you're gone, my sugar candy
I get so lonesome, I get blue

But when you're handy
It's fine and dandy

But when you're gone
What can I do?

Overall Meaning

In Oscar Peterson's song "Fine & Dandy," the singer is expressing his feelings towards someone he has had in mind for quite some time. He admits that what he's about to say may come across as cliché but he genuinely likes the person's attitude and they are exactly the kind he's been looking for. He's so fond of this person that he's willing to give them their way and do whatever they say. He acknowledges that everything seems fine and dandy when he's with them and he sees only the sunny side of things. Even when there's trouble, he's able to find the funny side because being with this person makes everything better. However, once this person is gone, he becomes lonely and blue, wishing they were back in his life. The singer is essentially conveying his love and admiration for this person and how much they impact his life in a positive way.

Line by Line Meaning

Please forgive this platitude
I know this sounds cliche, but...

But I like your attitude
I admire your personality and demeanor

You are just the kind I've had in mind
You are exactly the type of person I've been envisioning

Never could find
But have not been able to find until now

Honey, I'm so keen on you
I am intensely interested in you, darling

I could come to lean on you
I may become dependent on you

On a random bay, give you your way
At some undetermined time in the future, I will acquiesce to your desires

Do what you say
I will follow your instructions

Gee, it's all fine and dandy
Wow, everything is going extremely well

Sugar candy, when I've got you
You are as sweet as candy to me

Then I only see the sunny side
When I'm with you, I have a positive outlook on life