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.
Here's That Rainy Day
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Funny, but here's that rainy day
Here's that rainy day they told me about
And I laughed at the thought that it might turn out this way
Where is that worn out wish that I threw aside
After it brought my lover near
It's funny how love becomes a cold rainy day
Funny how love becomes a cold rainy day
Funny, that rainy day is here
In Oscar Peterson's song, Here's That Rainy Day, the lyrics speak of regret and irony. The opening verse touches on the idea of missed opportunities and unfulfilled dreams. The line "Maybe I should have saved those left over dreams" suggests a sense of remorse and a feeling of a wasted chance. However, this regretful thought is juxtaposed as the rainy day the singer was told about arrives. Initially, the idea of a rainy day was humorous, given the irony of the situation, but now, it is a somber reality.
The second verse talks about a "worn out wish" that was discarded, after it helped bring someone the singer loved near. This line might suggest that the singer gave up on something they thought was a lost cause, but the end result was something beautiful. The verse ends with a repetition of the chorus, highlighting the melancholic nature of the rainy day. The chorus reinforces the theme that love can sometimes equate to a stormy and gloomy day. The phrase, "Funny how love becomes a cold rainy day" illustrates that love can be unpredictable and can turn sour, just like the weather.
Overall, Here's That Rainy Day is a melancholic ballad that speaks to the fleeting nature of love and how missed opportunities can lead to regret. The idea that love can be unpredictable like the weather is also conveyed through the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I should have saved those left over dreams
Perhaps it would have been wiser if I had kept some of my unfulfilled desires and aspirations.
Funny, but here's that rainy day
It's ironic that the day that was once joked about as 'rainy' has actually come to fruition.
Here's that rainy day they told me about
This is the very day that people forewarned me about.
And I laughed at the thought that it might turn out this way
I dismissed the idea that this day would come and find myself in disbelief that it has indeed arrived.
Where is that worn out wish that I threw aside
What happened to that old desire that I discarded and left behind?
After it brought my lover near
It's interesting how that previously abandoned wish led to my significant other entering my life.
It's funny how love becomes a cold rainy day
It's amusing how the warmth and passion of love can give way to the dreariness and chill of a rainy day.
Funny, that rainy day is here
I find it ironic and almost comical that the day I once joked about is now upon me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROBERT REYNOLDS, SCOTTY HUFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind