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've Got A Crush On You
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got you deep in the heart of me.
So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me.
I've got you under my skin.
I'd tried so not to give in.
I said to myself, this affair never will go so well.
But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know down well
I've got you under my skin?
I'd sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of havin' you near
In spite of a warnin' voice that comes in the night
And repeats, repeats in my ear,
Don't you know, you fool, you never can win?
Use your mentality, wake up to reality.
But each time that I do just the thought of you
Makes me stop before I begin
Cause I've got you under my skin.
I would sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of havin' you near
In spite of the warning voice that comes in the night
And repeats, how it yells in my ear,
Don't you know, you fool, ain't no chance to win
Why not use your mentality, get up, wake up to reality?
And each time I do just the thought of you
Makes me stop just before I begin
Cause I've got you under my skin.
And I like you under my skin.
The lyrics of "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Oscar Peterson express the depth of infatuation and obsession with someone. The phrase "I've got you under my skin" is a metaphor for someone who has deeply embedded themselves in the singer's heart, and it shows how they have become an integral part of the songwriter's life. It's a song about love that is all-consuming, but also somewhat desperate. The delicacy of the melody and Peterson's soulful singing style underscore the intensity of the emotions expressed in the lyrics.
The singer in the song struggles to resist this deep attraction to the object of their obsession, knowing that it will likely lead to heartbreak. Despite the warnings of others and the voice of reason telling the singer to wake up to reality, all they can think about is the person who has captured their heart. The song ends on a somewhat bittersweet note with the singer declaring that they "like you under my skin" – acknowledging the all-consuming nature of their emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got you under my skin.
The person speaking is deeply in love with someone and can't stop thinking about them.
I've got you deep in the heart of me.
The person's love for the other is such that they're a part of their being now.
So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me.
The love for the other is so strong that the person feels incomplete without them.
I'd tried so not to give in.
The person tried to resist falling in love with the other, but couldn't help it.
I said to myself, this affair never will go so well.
The person knew that the relationship would be difficult or impossible, but couldn't stop themselves from falling in love.
But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know down well I've got you under my skin?
The person knows that they're in love and can't stop themselves from feeling that way, so why resist?
I'd sacrifice anything come what might For the sake of havin' you near
The person is so in love with the other that they're willing to do anything to be near them, no matter what happens.
In spite of a warnin' voice that comes in the night And repeats, repeats in my ear, Don't you know, you fool, you never can win?
Despite knowing that there may be obstacles in the relationship, the person can't help but love the other.
Use your mentality, wake up to reality.
The warning voice is telling the person to use their brain and understand the reality of the situation.
But each time that I do just the thought of you Makes me stop before I begin
The person can't help but think of the other and it stops them from being realistic about the situation.
Cause I've got you under my skin.
The person is hopelessly in love with the other and can't stop thinking about them.
And I like you under my skin.
The person enjoys being so in love with the other that they feel like a part of them.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind