For You
Oscar Peterson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Princess cards she sends me with her regards
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
Girl give me time to cover my tracks
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

Overall Meaning

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
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Comments from YouTube:

@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!

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