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.
For You
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, bar-room eyes shine vacancy
To see her you gotta look hard
Wounded deep in battle, I stand stuffed like some soldier undaunted
To her Cheshire smile I'll stand on file
She's all I ever wanted
You let your blue walls stand in the way of these facts, honey
Get your carpet baggers off my back
You said, "Here's your mirror and your ball and jacks"
But they're not what I came for
Oh I came for so much more
And I know you that too
And I know you know that's true
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you
For you
I came for you
Crawl into my ambulance
Your pulse is getting weak
Reveal yourself all to me now
While you've got the strength to speak
'Cause they're waiting for you at Bellevue
With their oxygen masks
But I could give it all to you now
If only you could ask
Don't call for your surgeon
Even he says it's late
It's not your lungs this time
But your heart holds your fate
Don't give me my money back
Don't want it anymore
It's not that nursery mouth I came back for
It's not the way you're stretched out on the floor
I've broken all your windows
And I've rammed through all your doors
Who am I to ask you to fight my wars
And you should know that's true
You should know that too
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you
For you
I came for you
Don't call for your surgeon
Even he says it's late
It's not your lungs this time
But your heart holds your fate
Don't give me my money back
Don't want it anymore
It's not that nursery mouth I came back for
It's not the way you're stretched out on the floor
I've broken all your windows
And I've rammed through all your doors
Who am I to ask you to fight my wars
You should know that's true
You should know that too
I came for you
I came for you
I came for you
For you
I came for you
The lyrics of Oscar Peterson's song For You can be interpreted in a number of ways. The song seems to be about a complex, possibly troubled relationship between two people. The singer has evidently been communicating with the other person through Princess cards, and he speaks of her "Cheshire smile." However, there are also signs of pain and struggle in the relationship. The singer notes that the other person's "bar-room eyes shine vacancy" and that she is "wounded deep in battle." He has also apparently broken her windows and rammed through her doors. Despite all of this, the singer is determined to be with the other person. He exclaims "I came for you" several times throughout the song, emphasizing his dedication and devotion.
One possible interpretation of the song is that the singer is trying to rescue the other person from their own inner demons. He pleads with her to reveal herself to him while she still has the strength to speak, and notes that "your heart holds your fate." The Bellevue Hospital line suggests that the other person may be struggling with some kind of health crisis or mental health issue. The singer doesn't want his money back and isn't interested in material possessions - he just wants to help the other person fight their battles. He notes "who am I to ask you to fight my wars," suggesting that he is taking on her struggles as his own.
Another possible interpretation of the song is that the singer is trying to win back the love of the other person. He notes "it's not that nursery mouth I came back for," implying that there is some kind of childlike behavior on the part of the other person that he finds frustrating. However, he also acknowledges that he has broken her windows and doors, suggesting that he may be the cause of some of the conflict in the relationship. Despite this, he is still deeply in love with the other person and is willing to do whatever it takes to be with her.
Line by Line Meaning
Princess cards she sends me with her regards
She sends me cards fit for a princess with her well-wishes
Oh, bar-room eyes shine vacancy
Her eyes, that shine like those found in a bar, are empty
To see her you gotta look hard
It's difficult to see her because she's elusive
Wounded deep in battle, I stand stuffed like some soldier undaunted
Despite feeling deeply wounded like a soldier at war, I remain tough and unafraid
To her Cheshire smile I'll stand on file
I'll stand in line just to see her mischievous, Cheshire cat-like smile
She's all I ever wanted
She's everything I desire
You let your blue walls stand in the way of these facts, honey
You're in denial and your barriers are getting in the way of reality
Get your carpet baggers off my back
Stop exploiting me for your own financial gain
Girl give me time to cover my tracks
Let me fix my mistakes before you catch me
You said, "Here's your mirror and your ball and jacks"
You're offering me childish things when I need something more serious
But they're not what I came for
Those things don't fulfill my purpose for coming
Oh I came for so much more
I came for something much deeper and meaningful
And I know you that too
I know that you understand this as well
And I know you know that's true
I know that you know this is true
I came for you
I came specifically for you
Crawl into my ambulance
Come to me for help
Your pulse is getting weak
Your condition is getting worse
Reveal yourself all to me now
Tell me everything, be vulnerable
While you've got the strength to speak
Tell me now, before it's too late
'Cause they're waiting for you at Bellevue
The medical professionals are waiting for you at Bellevue Hospital
With their oxygen masks
They're prepared to help you breathe
But I could give it all to you now
But I can give you what you need right now
If only you could ask
If only you'd let me help you
Don't call for your surgeon
It's not a physical issue that needs to be fixed by a surgeon
Even he says it's late
It's too late for even the surgeon to help
It's not your lungs this time
It's not a physical issue with your lungs this time
But your heart holds your fate
It's a matter of the heart that determines your future
Don't give me my money back
I don't want the money back from what I paid for
Don't want it anymore
I don't care about the money anymore
It's not that nursery mouth I came back for
I didn't come back just for sex
It's not the way you're stretched out on the floor
I don't want you just for your body
I've broken all your windows
I've caused destruction and chaos
And I've rammed through all your doors
I've invaded your personal space
Who am I to ask you to fight my wars
It's not fair of me to ask you to fix my problems
And you should know that's true
You should be aware of this as well
You should know that too
You should understand this as well
For you
All of this is for you
I came for you
All of this is because I came for you
I came for you
Everything I've done is for you
I came for you
My entire focus is on you
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@akucismarko
Does it get any better than this! It's like Bach's Goldenberg - theme and variations. And it's happening right on present! Thank you for sharing this!
@sandorfarkas7898
Csak annyit tudok megjegyezni az egészhez hogyha valaki nem tanulj igazán klasszikus zenét ilyen mint Oscar Peterson nagyon ott van minden szenzációs
@janetashkenazy9290
You look good to me is a charming little piece which I enjoy so much when I hear Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown giving it their special treatment. I am sure Oscar is now playing it for the angels in heaven. Beautiful!
@thembamoeti5657
Sublime! Absolute genius! Wonderful to hear and see this in 2021!
@ayndowney9401
And into Infinity ♾️😊😅🎉😂❤
@srochrenner7504
😢un monument ! Un immense monument !
@sylvie3987
Grand moment, à faire écouter dans les écoles, collèges, etc, avec ces images filmées d'archives. Le noir et blanc a beaucoup de charme. Merci Ⓜ📧®©❗
@adancalderon6380
Soy mexicano pero esta música me lleva hasta otro mundo vendiciones
@hkouy40
Eterna maravilha.
@mikeanscombe9883
From London in 1965(?), I believe...part of the “Jazz 625” TV series from the BBC. The time from Ed Thigpen and Ray Brown is beautiful!