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 And 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

The lyrics of Oscar Peterson's song "Fine and Dandy" describe the admiration and adoration that the singer has for someone special. The lyrics are a tribute to the person's positive attitude and personality, which is exactly what the singer has been looking for all along but could never find. The lyrics are filled with affectionate words like "Honey," "Sugar Candy," "keen," "fine," and "dandy," and the singer expresses the desire to be in the person's presence all the time.

The opening lines of the song are particularly interesting, as the singer apologizes for using a cliché but emphasizes the sincerity of his feelings. The lyrics invoke a sense of joy and carefree living and describe the happiness that the singer feels when he is surrounded by the person he loves. The lyrics also show that the person holds a significant place in the singer's life—when the person is gone, the singer feels lonely and blue.

Overall, "Fine and Dandy" is a song that celebrates the joy of being in love and the happiness that comes with finding an ideal partner. The song's title and lyrics reflect the idea that life is excellent and carefree when you are with the right person.

Line by Line Meaning

Please forgive this platitude
I hope you don't mind that I'm saying something generic

But I like your attitude
I admire your personality and demeanor

You are just the kind I've had in mind
You fit the description of what I've been looking for

Never could find
I couldn't find someone like you before

Honey, I'm so keen on you
Sweetheart, I'm extremely interested in you

I could come to lean on you
I could rely on you for support

On a random bay, give you your way
I would take you on a spontaneous adventure and let you choose what to do

Do what you say
I would follow your lead

Gee, it's all fine and dandy
Wow, everything is great and wonderful

Sugar candy, when I've got you
Having you around is as sweet as candy

Then I only see the sunny side
My outlook becomes optimistic