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.
I'll Never Be the Same
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stars have lost their meaning for me
I'll never be the same
Nothing's what it once use to be
And when the songbirds that sing
Tell me it's spring
I can't believe their song
Once love was king but kings can be wrong
There is such an ache in my heart
Never be the same since we're apart
Though there's a lot that a smile may hide
I know down deep inside
I'll never be the same never be the same again
I'll never be the same
Stars have lost their meaning for me
I'll never be the same
Nothing's what it once use to be
And when the songbirds that sing
Tell me it's spring
I can't believe their song
Once love was king but kings can be wrong
I'll never be the same
There is such an ache in my heart
Never be the same since we're apart
Though there's a lot that a smile may hide
I know down deep inside
these are the true feelings inside me, and I'll never be the same again. In this song, the singer expresses their pain and sorrow after a breakup. The stars which were once full of meaning and wonder for him/her have lost their charm. He/she realizes that nothing will ever be the same as it once was. Even when the songbirds sing and announce the coming of spring, the singer cannot rejoice because their heartbreak clouds their vision. The love they once thought was perfect was not, and the singer now acknowledges that even kings (or perfect relationships) can be wrong.
This song is a beautiful and poignant depiction of heartbreak. The lyrics capture the raw emotions of someone who's experienced significant emotional pain, and the melody and instrumentals expertly complement the message. The tone of the song is melancholic, with a hint of reminiscence, as the singer laments the loss of what was once special to them.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll never be the same
My life has changed forever due to past events, and I am unable to return to the way things were before.
Stars have lost their meaning for me
Things that once brought me joy and wonder no longer hold the same significance in my life.
Nothing's what it once use to be
Things have changed so drastically that even the familiar or consistent aspects of my life are no longer the same, leaving me feeling disoriented and unmoored.
And when the songbirds that sing
Tell me it's spring
I can't believe their song
Even the natural cycles of life that we rely on to bring us comfort and stability now seem to deceive me in light of the significant change that has occurred in my life.
Once love was king but kings can be wrong
Previously, my love was the most important thing in my life, but now I realize that even things I have placed on a pedestal can fail me.
There is such an ache in my heart
Never be the same since we're apart
The absence of a particular person or situation has left a profound emptiness and sense of loss that I am struggling to overcome.
Though there's a lot that a smile may hide
I know down deep inside
I'll never be the same never be the same again
Although I may appear to be coping on the surface, I am acutely aware that the person I was before is gone and that I must continue to adapt to the new reality of my life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JUNE MILLINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind